Michael Mantell

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Can you imagine what life would be like if it was built, truly built, on love? Hashem comes to teach us in this week’s double Torah reading that not only can such a world exist, but that He delegates us to build that world. The teachings found […]

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Who among us is so pure as to never speak lashon hora? Who among us doesn’t exclude others? Who among us is so out of touch with oneself as to naively believe that s/he always promotes achdus within our community? Rav Yisrael Salanter explained why the portions

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — The week’s Torah reading, Shemini, immediately following our Passover holiday, is filled with emotional and spiritual complexities that accentuate the importance of ritual, structure, awe, and reverence…all aimed at helping us connect with Hashem in a humble way. After this intense holiday period, do we really need

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Who says our children are nervous or depressed? A recent Pew survey finds that around 40% of parents are extremely or very worried their children might struggle with anxiety or depression. Indeed, according to a Mental Health America report, 16% of youth surveyed reported having at least

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s Torah reading, parasha Tzav, we read of the continuing lessons of the offerings in the Holy Temple, introduced in parashat Vayikra, reminding us that these were meant to be a means of drawing closer to Hashem and atoning for our sins. This concept of

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week, in parasha Vayikra, we see a powerful message coming alive behind Jewish ritual and tradition – if we approach our learning inside the parasha with an open heart and a desire to grow. Rav Wolbe, a prominent 20th-century Jewish educator and author, offers insights into parasha

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — There are many lenses we can bring to our deep study of each week’s Torah reading. The lens I prefer is one that helps search for and find ways to lead a healthier, more meaningful, and purposeful life. This week’s double reading from Vayakhel- Pekudei is brimming with

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — What do you do when you feel vulnerable, defenseless, in danger? Like the Israelites in this week’s Torah reading, perhaps you find that your neck stiffens as you shift into an alarm reaction. Life was good when just a short while ago, the Israelites felt the presence

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — Sixty-one years ago, when I became a bar mitzvah, I read this parasha, Tetzaveh, at Temple B’nai Abraham in Newark, N.J., under the watchful eye and heart of Rabbi Joachim Prinz. I recall the rabbi telling me how relevant the parasha was to me, since I enjoyed

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — When you give something of yourself, who benefits? Of course, the person to whom you offered something, but the Torah this week sets the groundwork for something many know. Hashem is teaching us this week, among other lessons, that when you contribute, give, you receive and benefit

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In the words of Louis Nizer, the noted Jewish-American trial lawyer author, artist, and advisor to some of the most powerful people in the world of politics, business, and entertainment, “True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.” In this week’s readings, we are

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Yitro, one of the six portions named for an individual, the Ten Commandments (not suggestions), the Aseret HaDib’rot, are revealed to Moses and to the Israelites in the wilderness. We may learn from this pinnacle experience that the Torah can be learned anywhere, even

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s parasha, Beshalach, includes an impactful pasuk, “And He said, ‘If you hearken to the voice of the Lord, your God, and you do what is proper in His eyes, and you listen closely to His commandments and observe all His statutes, all the sicknesses that

When Hashem directs Moses, “come to Pharaoh,” He is saying “come to Me.” The Ba’al Shem Tov teaches in a parable that He is saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am here behind the screen. All the tests are just from me. With everything you do, you’re getting closer to Me. I am the good found in all the struggle. Come to Me and I will take you high above the darkness of this world, and then I will show you how I was really with you the whole time.” In essence he is suggesting the famous FEAR acronym “Face Everything and Rise,” rather than “Forget Everything and Run.” [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]