Michael Mantell

Imagine the scene – the Jewish People, fresh out of the incredible Exodus experience, find themselves faced with a choice: embrace the positive or succumb to the negative. Tragically, they chose the latter, disqualifying the miracles they had witnessed and viewing life through a filter of excessive bleakness. It’s a cautionary tale that resonates even today with a world filled with depression and anxiety. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

Moses is like, “Oy vey, can these people just be happy for five minutes?” Exasperated, Moses cries out to Hashem, “Kill me rather, I beg you, and let me see no more of my wretchedness” So, he begs Hashem to make them stop whining. But Hashem’s response is epic: “You want meat? You got it! A whole month of meat until it’s coming out your ears!” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

“May the Lord bless you and watch over you. May the Lord cause His countenance to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace.” [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

Amid this boundless desert, Hashem commands Moses to take a census, not merely to count most of the people, but to remind them that each individual matters, that every human being has a vital role to play. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

It is in these precious moments of a blessed mindset filled with respite that we rediscover the true meaning of “Shabbat shalom” – a profound peace that transcends the physical realm and infuses our very being with a sense of spiritual wholeness and emotional harmony. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Sure, a shul may seem to be “crowded with prayers,” but those prayers are more “show-mer” than “shomer,” authentically rising to Hashem. Our religion’s observances and practices aim to enliven our spiritual awareness, our religious development, not our self-interest. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

Every thread of justice we weave, every hand we extend in care, every ember of anger we extinguish within ourselves – these become luminous threads in the tapestry of the sacred. [Michael R. Mantell]

While guilt can serve as a moral motivator, it should not consume us. We must make efforts to correct mistakes, have a plan to avoid repeating them, and then let go of perseverating on the past through forgiveness. Using this Hashem-given capacity for forgiveness allows us to heal and grow spiritually and psychologically. {Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

We learn in the Talmud in Baba Metziah 58b, that one who shames another in public, around a Seder table for instance, is as if he/she spilled that person’s blood. One who does so has no share in the World to Come, according to our teachings. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

Believing that you “go up” when you “put another down,” speaking lashon hora, reflects on your unhealthy ego. Speaking lashon hara about another is like wearing a glowing sign that shouts, “I’m emotionally unhealthy!” [Michael R. Mantell]

We read, “And Aaron was silent.” SILENT? Aaron, the boys’ father was SILENT? How could a parent be silent upon losing two sons? How can we be silent in the face of the frightening eruption of antisemitism in our lives? This narrative has troubled many erudite scholars, thinkers, and elders over centuries. We are currently ensnared in a time that has killed many, upended lives, and endangered our daily paths. Are we to be silent? [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]