Tag: Jewish Growth
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Most of us aren’t being chased by taskmasters or whipped into labor. But the truth is—we’re still enslaved. Not physically. Mentally. We live with chains you can’t see: fear of failure, low self-worth, and the inner voice that whispers: “You can’t.” “You shouldn’t.” “You’re not enough.” This isn’t just psychology—it’s Mitzrayim. The Hebrew word Mitzrayim comes from meitzar—a…
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The other day, my three-year-old walked into the house like a king returning to his palace. He threw down his bag, kicked off his shoes, and marched straight to his toys without a second thought. It struck me—he had absolute trust that everything he needed would be taken care of. Rent? Electricity? Water? Those concerns…
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Growing Up with Hashem on the Shelf Growing up Modern Orthodox, I believed in Hashem, but I also believed that I was in control of my life. Hashem was there, of course—but He was more like a fire extinguisher, placed neatly behind a glass case that read: Break in Case of Emergency. Most of the…
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In Parshat Mishpatim, Hashem tells Moshe: “Ascend the mountain and be there (ve’yehi sham), and I will give you the tablets, the Torah, and the mitzvot that I have written to teach them.” (Shemot 24:12) At first glance, this phrase seems redundant. If Moshe is going up the mountain, of course, he is there! Why…
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In Parshat Yitro, we encounter one of the most fundamental mitzvot in the Aseret HaDibrot: “Zachor et Yom HaShabbat l’kad’sho” – “Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it.” The Torah commands us to work for six days and then rest on the seventh, “For in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth, and…
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In Parshat Yitro, just before Matan Torah, the Torah describes Bnei Yisrael’s encampment at Har Sinai: “וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר” – “And Israel encamped there opposite the mountain.” (Shemot 19:2) Rashi famously points out the unusual singular form of “וַיִּחַן” (they encamped), rather than the expected plural, explaining that Bnei Yisrael were united “כְּאִישׁ…
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David Hamelech writes in Tehillim: “Tov L’hodot L’Hashem”—”It is good to give thanks to Hashem… To declare Your Chesed in the morning and Your Emuna at night.” (Tehillim 92:2-3) It is easy to sing Hashem’s praises when life is smooth—“L’hagid baboker chasdecha”—we naturally feel Hashem’s kindness in those moments. But what about the darkness? What…
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Life is a journey filled with moments of triumph and times of challenge. Yet, it’s during the struggles—the hardest, most humbling moments—that we often uncover our true purpose. Right now, we’re reading the parshiot about Bnei Yisrael transitioning from slavery to freedom, a story we revisit every Pesach Seder. Rav Hershel Schachter teaches that Pesach…
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Have you ever found yourself stuck in a loop, focusing on what’s wrong instead of celebrating what’s right? For years, that was me. If something didn’t go as planned, it would consume my thoughts. I could have a hundred things going well, but one small problem would grab my attention and pull me down. But…
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There’s a story I heard once about a religious man who got into a taxi in Israel. As often happens, the driver struck up a conversation. “I can tell you’re religious,” the cab driver said. “I have a friend who became religious through a crazy story.” He continued: “My friend and I served in the…