Thinkingaboutme.org
9 years of Parasha articles.
YOUER THAN YOU Parashat Shemot One of the secrets of motivation is hidden in this week’s Midrash. וירא בסבלותם And Moshe saw their burden. What did he see? R’ Elazar the son of R’ Yossi said, He saw a small load on the big Jew, and he saw a big load on the…
Read MoreILLEGAL, IMMORAL AND FATTENING
ILLEGAL, IMMORAL AND FATTENING Parashat Vayechi Life really stinks. There are so many things in life we can’t have. Luxury is out of our budget. As one gentile put it, all the good stuff in life is illegal, immoral or fattening. Life is so complicated and frustrating , full of expectations that we have that…
Read MoreTHE MAGICAL DREIDEL
THE MAGICAL DREIDEL An incredibly interesting question was asked by R’ Zacharia Wallerstien. The letters on the Dreidel, on the סביבון, are the letters נ’ ג’ ה’ ש’ , that are an acronym of נס גדול היה שם, a great miracle happened there. Now, the legend goes, that at the time of the Greek…
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THE SECRET OF SELF-DISCIPLINE
THE SECRET OF SELF-DISCIPLINE Parashat Vayeshev Yosef, one of the most handsome men ever, was tested by Potifar’s wife in a way that we cannot begin to fathom. The seduction was obsessive. This wicked woman threatened to kill Yosef, to defame him and otherwise cause him harm. It would have been so much easier…
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MARRIED TO A MATERIALISTIC MAN
MARRIED TO A MATERIALISTIC MAN Parashat Vayishlach We are judged for everything we do. But, that judging is so complex, because it means taking into consideration each individual person in his own, particular life, factoring in where they came from and in what given circumstances they find themselves. The same action can be a…
Read MoreHOW TO ATTRACT YOUR SOULMATE
HOW TO ATTRACT YOUR SOULMATE Parashat Vayetze Prayer. It can be the most emotionally intense part of your day, or just something that you need to get over in order to get on to the next thing. It all depends on your approach to prayer, how much you believe in it, and your state of…
Read MoreTHE HOLY THIEF
THE HOLY THIEF Parashat Toldot Next to the grave of the Sabba of Shpoli is the famous tombstone that says, “Here lies Yossele, the Holy Thief”. The Hassidic masters tell that the Saba from Shpoli would spend a lot of his time with the Jewish thieves in town. “I can rely on my bandits. I…
Read MoreTHE BREAKDANCING PRESIDENT
THE BREAKDANCING PRESIDENT Parashat Chaye Sarah There are three peculiar Berachot, that we make each day. שלא עשני גוי, שלא עשני עבד, שלא עשני אשה. Blessed are You… for You did not make me a gentile, … for not making me a slave, … for not making me a woman. What is so bad about…
Read MoreTHE SECRET MOTIVE TO PASS LIFE’S TESTS
THE SECRET MOTIVE TO PASS LIFE’S TESTS Parashat Lech Lecha We are all on this 120 year voyage through a world of tests and trials. One of Judaism’s core beliefs is that we get rewarded for passing tests. Not always do we have access to that inner power to overcome the challenges and temptations…
Read MoreSUKKAH CONTRADICTION
SUKKAH CONTRADICTION Sukkot has some sort of paradox in it. On the one hand, we are to go out to the hut and live a temporary lifestyle for a week, to internalize the lesson of temporariness in this world. On the other hand, there is a concept of תשבו כעין תדורו – the sukkah needs…
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THINGS vs. RELATIONSHIPS
THINGS vs. RELATIONSHIPS Sukkot There is a secret in happiness that is hidden in Sukkot. On Sukkot, we are commanded to be happy. But what if I am not? There is a mitzvah in Sukkot to make our families happy. There is a mitzvah on Sukkot to be happy with G-d. But what if I…
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THE LAW OF INFLUENCE AND PERSUASION
THE LAW OF INFLUENCE AND PERSUASION Parashat Pinhas The most powerful way to persuade and influence is to offer a vehicle that will get the person from his point A to his point B. Everyone has a point A, the place where they are at the moment. And everyone has a point B, the place…
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HAPPY IN THE HOLOCAUST
HAPPY IN THE HOLOCAUST Parashat Hukat Everybody wants to be happy. Very few people are. One fellow says, “All I need is to get married, and then I can be happy”. His friend says back to him, “All I need is to get divorced, and then I can find happiness in life.” A third fellow…
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THE "F" PIRATES
THE “F” PIRATES Parashat Korah The emotions that control us the most are the emotions that we do not notice. Just awareness of an emotion is more than 50% of the solution. Many times, others can be more aware than we are of the emotions that are inhibiting us, because emotions are blind spots. This…
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EMOTION C3
EMOTION C3 Parashat Shlach A woman that one of my family members knows had three children. All girls. The woman was a bit bubbly, and when she was on her fourth pregnancy, she would tell her friends and acquaintances in a laughing manner, “If this child is also a girl, I will leave her in…
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YOLTO
YOLTO Parashat Behaalotcha Rebbi Shimon said, Why didn’t G-d bring Mannah for the whole year at once? Why did G-d bring it in daily portions? It is similar to a king who would support his son by giving him all of his sustenance once a year. Then, the son visited his father only when there…
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TORAH LISHMAH – OUT OF THIS WORLD
TORAH LISHMAH – OUT OF THIS WORLD Parashat Behukotay The first Mishna in the sixth perek of Avot reads. כל העוסק בתורה לשמה זוכה לדברים הרבה ולא עוד אלא שכל העולם כלו כדי הוא לו . נקרא רע, אהוב וכו’ Anyone who learns Torah Lishmah, will merit many things. Not only that, but the entire…
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THE REAL ANSWER TO LIFE'S PROBLEMS
THE REAL ANSWER TO LIFE’S PROBLEMS Parashat Emor Ben Zoma said, “Who is wise? One who learns from all people. Who is mighty? One who overcomes his own Inclination. Who is rich? One who is happy with what he has. Who is honorable? One who honors others.” The commentators explain that Ben Zoma was asking…
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THE SIGN OF BELIEF
THE SIGN OF BELIEF Parashat Acharei Mot – Kedoshim In order for a coach to be a good coach, a Rebbi to be a good Rebbi, a parent to be a good parent, and a boss be a good boss, he needs to look at his client, student, child, employee, as if they are wearing…
Read MoreHOW TO BECOME RICH AND FAMOUS – GUARANTEED!
HOW TO BECOME RICH AND FAMOUS – GUARANTEED! Purim The Megillah ends with a lesson to take with us throughout the year. But first, a bit of coaching. Here is a “gentile” definition of success, from one of the best master- coaches in the world. “Success is the ability to live your life the way…
Read MoreA LESSON FOR ALL LESSONS
A LESSON FOR ALL LESSONS Purim /Tezaveh And the king removed the ring from his hand, and he gave it to Haman, the enemy of the Jews. (Esther 3 10) Our Rabbis teach that this act, the removing of Ahashverosh’s ring, was the catalyst that made the Jews repent. Despite the fact that the threat…
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A LESSON FROM A MEKUBAL
A LESSON FROM A MEKUBAL Parashat Terumah I like this story, and not only because I am Sefardi. A certain X-Kollel guy went to a Mekubal. He was down about his spirituality, for although he was still learning Daf Hayomi and reviewing what he had learnt from his Yeshiva and Kollel years in his spare…
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THE CHICKEN NUGGET PIRATE
THE CHICKEN NUGGET PIRATE Parashat Mishpatim מדבר שקר תרחק Distance yourself from deceitful words. The Torah does not warn us to distance ourselves from any sin except this one: lying. What does this mean, to distance yourself from deceit? The Peleh Yoetz, on the word Sheker, gives us a gem for developing social skills. We…
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HE’S ON FIRE!!!
HE’S ON FIRE!!! Parashat Yitro A retired elderly couple sits on a bench at the Oceanside, watching the sunset. They say to each other, “If only this moment would never end!!” The couple feels that way, for they have finally reached the Golden Age. They have married off their kids, paid their mortgage and are…
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WHAT'S THE PROBLEM
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM Parashat Beshalach Allow me to ask you a question. Is “life” difficult? I pondered this a lot lately, and I realized that the answer to that question is – Yes, and No. Life is a series of problems. That is a great truth that we need to accept, in order for us to…
Read MorePRAYING FROM YOUR BUMPER CAR
PRAYING FROM YOUR BUMPER CAR Parashat Bo We are all moving around in this world, as if we were bumper cars. In the amusement park, riding around on the bumper cars, it feels like you are driving. It feels like other people are driving, and they bump into you, and you need to dodge them.…
Read MoreDON'T BE A WHY'S GUY
DON’T BE A WHY’S GUY Parashat Vaera I recall one of my father’s great lessons to my family as we grew up. ! למה? ככה Why? Because! In coaching we were taught the power of a question. The greater the questions one asks, the greater the person. The less intelligent the questions one asks, the less…
Read MorePSYCHO-ARCHEOLOGY
PSYCHO-ARCHAEOLOGY Parashat Shemot There is a quote from Menachem Medel from Kotsk: “I do not want followers who are righteous; rather, I want followers who are so busy doing good that they don’t have time to do bad.” Some problems in life don’t have solutions. Some tendencies can’t be uprooted. Call it Habit. Call it…
Read MoreTHE JEWISH GHETTOS
THE JEWISH GHETTOS Parashat Vayechi It takes 10 hours by plane to get to Eretz Yisrael from America. But once you are here in Eretz Yisrael, it takes 10 years to get America out of you. To get into the zone of “spirituality over luxury”. Yehudah took Yosef out of the pit and sold him…
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PAIN IN THE NECK
PAIN IN THE NECK Parashat Vayigash When the goblet of Yosef was found in Binyamin’s bag, all the brothers of the Tribe started to hit Binyamin on his neck saying, “Thief! Son of a thief! Just as your mother stole the idols from her father Lavan’s house, you, too, followed in her footsteps and stole…
Read MoreTHE BELIEF OF A DEAD MAN
THE BELIEF OF A DEAD MAN Parashat Miketz Beliefs are powerful. A fellow walked into the office of the psychiatrist, looking healthy, successful, but concerned. After an hour of therapy, the psychologist could not figure out what was bothering the person. “What is it that you are concerned about?” “Dr., it is strange, but I…
Read MoreTHANKS IN THE DARK
THANKS IN THE DARK Parashat Vayeshev – Hanukkah The main theme on Hanukah is not the lighting of the candles. That is the Mitzvah, but not the theme. The theme is להודות ולהלל , to thank and praise G-d. We recite the full Hallel during Hanukah. But, why is Hanukah a time to be…
Read MoreLOSING CHESS
LOSING CHESS Parashat Vayishlach In Sipurim Mehachaim (and Anashim Mesaprim Al Atzmam 6) Chaim Walder tells an amazing story. By shortening it, I am doing it a great injustice. Forgive me. Miriam was an 8 year old girl, an only child, who lived in Poland. Her father owned a factory, and she lived in a…
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ABSOLUTE PARENTING
ABSOLUTE PARENTING Parashat Toldot Yitzhak was criticized by the sages for not rebuking Eisav enough. The Midrash tells about some other “parenting mistakes”. Avraham did not rebuke Yishmael enough, and King David did not admonish Avshalom, or Adoniah, and that is why they became who they became. On the other hand, Avraham reproved Yitzhak, and…
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