Michael Mantell

Dr. Michael Mantell

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. is a retired psychologist, best-selling author, international speaker, and a highly sought after cognitive behavioral coach whose actionable, valuable and practical work has been featured on Fox News, ABC-TV, NBC-TV, CBS-TV, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post. He has been teaching how Torah’s wisdom can lead to optimal living for many decades. You can follow him on Facebook and in other social media, where he has posted the #MantellDaily5 everyday for years.

His books, available on Amazon, include:

Treating everyone with compassion

When we speak words of Torah, we enhance our life, and the lives of others. To do so is a choice we make. We can surely choose not to and when we select that path, we largely create acrimony in our life and in the lives of others. While the sanctity of the Kohanim is a major theme in this week’s Torah reading, we also see another key theme in the parasha, the holiness of Shabbat, of time, and of the festivals we are blessed to enjoy. It is this latter theme that caught my attention. To be holy is freeing, expansive, liberating, to help us connect with Hashem, and properly with one another. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Extending Kavod to Others

This week’s double Torah portion, Acharei and Kedoshim, springs off the scroll with applicability to the pandemic of our times, COVID, or if you prefer, kaf, bet, dalet, KOVOD. The English letters, K, V, D, form the root of the word Kavod. What’s dignity, respect or honor have to do with these parshiot? Plenty. Kavod, ,כָּבוֹד KVD, a word of strength and importance, refers to “glory,” “respect,” “majesty,” and “honor.” Other uses of kavod can refer to wealth (Gen. 31:1, the first use of kavod in the Bible), reputation (Gen. 45:13), the quantity of something, or splendor, all of which may be summed up in the word “dignity.”  Another very important application is found in the fifth commandment, commanding us to “honor” (kavod in verb form) our fathers and mothers. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Post COVID, Become F.I.T.

Now before you think this column is about physical exercise and muscle growth, I’m talking here about another type of being “F.I.T.,” one that I’ve been writing and speaking about for many years. This F.I.T. has to do with being a “Fundamentally Independent Thinker” and requires no exercise equipment. “The link is what you think,” remember? Let’s delve into this a bit and see how being an independent thinker, not emotionally hooked into external events, can help you through the COVID-19 psychological upheaval. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Lifestyles, Michael Mantell

Recovering and allowing others to recover

We learn in this week’s reading to see the potential for extending our own community to include those ill in body, mind, or spirit, and are charged with fully welcoming them back after whatever diagnosis and treatment they receive for the “disease,” that does not, after all, alter their essential humanity. The Torah directs us to welcome and comfort the afflicted instead of solely expelling them. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Accepting that God’s Will Is for the Good

The parasha presents us with the abrupt, heart-rending, seemingly inexplicable loss, the passing of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu. We read in the parasha (10:1-2), “And Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Transforming the Mundane Into the Holy

What’s the most frightening question you can ask a Jew this week?

 “Have you finished cleaning for Pesach yet?” It’s Shabbat HaGadol, the first Seder follows immediately after Shabbat and, oh my goodness! And if that’s not enough, along comes parasha Tzav to point to how we benefit from de-cluttering our homes, and I’d add, our lives. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Coming Closer to Hashem

A year ago when we read this parasha that begins the book of Leviticus, we were in the beginning of anxious physical separation from each other. This year many of us are vaccinated and are beginning to be physically closer with others, B’H, with proper precautions of course. What sacrifices we’ve made over the past year! [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Jonas tells of bouncing back from hardship

I’m Not the Boss, I Just Work Here,”  was written by the founder and chairman of the multibillion dollar publicly traded telecommunications corporation IDT, and Genie Energy Ltd, Howard Jonas.  Reading his personal short and succinctly portrayed story will leave you feeling that you too can overcome barriers of clinical depression and emerge with faith and profound success. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Business & Finance, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell

How can we discern God?

Let’s begin with a question. How could Moshe, who experienced the closest relationship with Hashem, facing the Burning Bush, the ten plagues, receiving the ten commandments and more, still ask, “And now, if I have indeed found favor in Your eyes, pray let me know Your ways, so that I may know You…” Moshe didn’t feel he knew the ways of Hashem? And WE feel troubled by our own questions about Hashem? [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Opening our ears to HaShem’s messages

This week’s parasha is tailored to the times in which we are living. Fear of the unknown, “uncertainty,” has spun many into anxiety, depression, and self-destruction. Many have so weakened their sense of hopefulness, that they live with exhaustion, believing nothing can, or will, improve. The events in the nation’s capital last week have beaten down many. How can we see our strife, our fear, our disbelief, today in this week’s Torah reading? [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Moses teaches us the need for compassion

Hashem appears to be saying “I will be one with you just as you are one with the people for whom you care so much.” Five times in the parasha, Hashem tells Moses that He feels the suffering of the Israelites. Moses, too, felt a tug to connect with his people. Hashem sees this and recognizes Moses’ special quality. We learn in this week’s Torah reading a most contemporary and timely lesson: We are not to simply see the suffering of others, but to experience it fully, as if it is our own–and act to reduce that suffering. As we reduce the pain in others, we then reduce our own. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Jacob’s ‘death’ was not as we understand it

When our soul ascends to heaven, we bring every day we’ve lived, with us. Our days don’t disappear upon our death, but rather stay with us…forever. Every day, the special meaning we give to the days of our lives, accompany us through eternity. This is why keeping ourselves pure, acting with kindness, compassion, humility and truly not judging others are so essential to our eternal lives. Does this awareness help you realize the potential that awaits you? [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Joseph was wise enough to be vulnerable

This week’s parasha reveals a great deal about human nature. Indeed, “reveal” is the key word. As the parasha opens, Joseph continues to hide his true identity until his brother, Judah, touchingly entreats Joseph to enslave him instead of their innocent, framed brother, Benjamin. Judah poignantly tells Joseph about their elderly bereaved father, which adds to Joseph’s decision to tell his brothers that he is their brother. {Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell