Michael Mantell

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

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — About a month ago, we read in parasha Shemini about the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. This Shabbos, in Parasha Acharei Mos, once again, the Torah takes the time to mention their deaths. In this week’s parasha, Aaron and his family are forbidden to mourn their loss,

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In less than one week, our approaching celebration of liberation, Passover, will be within us. This Shabbat, Shabbat Hagadol, brings with it an opportunity for even more preparation than we’ve already been doing for the holiday, a special preparation, one that is spiritual. Our Torah is called

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Tazria, we discover tzara’as, which we have come to know in modern terms as leprosy. While this disease is uncommon today, who hasn’t found a spot or two on their body, had a biopsy and been told, B’H, “all is clean?” This seems

Night of Beginnings: A Passover Haggadah; Text and art  by Maria Falk; Published March, 2022, University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book. By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — When a Haggadah is written by a founding mother of feminist Judaism, as poet and author Marcia Falk is described, the reader