Michael Mantell

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. This Shabbat, traditionally known as Shabbat Hazon, “Sabbath of Vision,” we begin reading the Book of Deuteronomy. This is the Shabbat directly before Tisha b’Av, beginning on Saturday night, August 6, a day of collective communal Jewish mourning. This day solemnizes some of the most overwhelming losses in our history […]

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. When you walk into a synagogue, what do you feel? A deep-rooted home, a sense of connection and a feeling of being appreciated regardless of your age, religious ritual practices, sexual orientation, cultural background, family life? I seek to feel an authentic connection, a well-anchored link and emotional stir to

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s parasha comes once again filled with lessons to live life optimally. For example, we learn of the essential component of greatness. The Torah tells us, “And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Take to yourself Yehoshua ben Nun, a man in whom there is spirit…’” The story

We learn in Choshen Mishpat 137, “Behold, the first ‘good’ in the Torah was based on sight. And from this Rabbi Eliezer learned that the general way to achieve goodness is ‘ayin tova.’” Indeed, in Bereshit, we see that the first verse in the Torah using the word “good” is in relation to sight: “And G-d saw the light and it was good…” [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. If you want to believe that our Torah is obsolete and without consequence in our modern society, and if you choose to believe that those who live a more Torah–observant life than you do are thoughtlessly following nonsensical and senseless foolish “religious rules,” then this week’s Torah portion may put

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. The parasha this week begins with a deep psychological insight into leadership with the words, “Vayikach Korach,” “and Korach took.” He was a taker, not a giver. Contrast this to Moshe who responded to Korach’s rebellion against him by “falling on his face.” A taker? No. Moshe demonstrated the inner

Calev says, “Let’s go,” but he was ignored when the people listened to and bought the groupthink, “…the people are big and strong, and the land is difficult. The people there are giants; we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.” So much for Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not fear…” Calev was not the cognitive coach he may have hoped he’d be, since he could not help the People overcome their cognitive distortion that led them to want to return to Egypt. It takes independence of thought, being “FIT” (fundamentally independent thinking), to move forward to achieve optimal living. They held on to their slave mindset due to their cognitive distortions.  Through the Spies, Hashem tested our abilities to see through negative filters and properly, with wisdom, discernment and insight, see what was truly good and bad. The spies magnified the negative and minimized the positive – a common distortion that many of us are also guilty of doing. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Oy! There’s a lot of whining in this week’s Torah reading.

Come to think of it, it appears to be the basis of one of my mother’s oft-repeated sayings, “Keep complaining and I’ll really give you something to complain about.” We are world-class kvetchers, aren’t we? The food isn’t good enough, the seat at the table isn’t good enough, the hotel room isn’t the best, the politics, oy gevalt, the list goes on and on. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Naso, “to lift up,’’ the longest single parasha in the Torah with its 176 pasukim, the Torah reading, following Shavuot, opens with a description of the responsibilities placed on the Levites, who are “lifted up” to perform their duties. We are introduced to

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s parasha is read on the Shabbat before the celebration of Shavuot (this year beginning on Saturday evening, June 4, and concluding on Monday evening June 6). Both the parasha and the holiday involve counting. In the parasha, we learn of the importance of counting each

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s parasha is the 33rd weekly Torah reading we’ve been learning from this year. With this parasha, we complete the reading of Sefer Vayikra, the book of Leviticus. It reads with a direct — or so it seems — promise that if we follow Hashem’s commandments, we will

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s parasha, Behar, instructs us not to wrong another with ona’at mamon, “wronging one another with respect to monetary matters,” and with ona’at devarim, “wronging one another with words.” “And you shall not wrong, one man his fellow Jew, and you shall fear your God, for

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s parasha, Kedoshim, sums up an all-encompassing responsibility we have: “Kedoshim tihyu, ki kadosh ani Hashem Elokeichem,” translated as, “Be holy, for I, Hashem your Lord am holy.” Rashi tells us that most of the Torah depends on this parasha. Is that why it’s in the