Michael Mantell

When you walk into a synagogue what do you feel? This week’s double reading, Matot and Massei, on the Shabbat that is the first day of the auspicious month of Av, offers us some insight into this question. After all, these readings teach of a new phase in the history of our heritage, the settlement period when we began to find permanent homes for ourselves. Is that what your synagogue is for you? [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Know anyone who’s never faced frustration or adversity, or who’s realized all his or her dreams? Not even Moshe, this week’s parasha teaches us, can claim that he’s lived that life. Before Moshe faces his end, he surmounts his own disappointments and pain and focuses on insuring that he will leave a successor. Hashem showed Moses the Land of Israel and told him that he wouldn’t be allowed to bring the Jewish people into the Land. Moses immediately said: “May … God … appoint a man over the assembly, who shall go out before them … and let the assembly … not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16-17) Moses places his hands on Joshua, announcing him to be the next leader. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Talking donkeys can teach us a great deal about who really offers blessings and curses, that is, only Hashem. And more than this, talking donkeys can teach us to inclusively, with ahavat yisroel, open our eyes and see the good in everyone else in the world. It says in the parasha three times, “And G-d opened the eyes of Bilam and he saw…” Some people, like Bilaam, may need continuous lessons to see the presence of Hashem. We benefit from similar reminders to see every other person with understanding, with the benefit of the doubt, with love, through ayin tova. Our eyes are lenses through which we see the world. Too often shmutz clouds what we see in terms of negative thinking. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

The Pure Red Heifer, the Parah Adumah T’mimah which we read about in this week’s parasha, Chukat, opens the door to learning about a purification process that defies rational understanding. Burn a perfectly good cow without blemish and its ashes can make those who burn it imperfect, impure, while making the impure, the imperfect, pure and perfect. What a paradox! [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

What was Korach openly displaying about himself when he was criticizing Moshe and Aaron? I believe he was saying, “It’s all about me.” He demonstrated what self-absorption and evil are all about. Korach could have been a vehicle of Hashem’s words. But he certainly was not. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Fear, “false expectations appearing real,” puts the brakes on a good life. Faith, “fear ain’t in this house” takes the brakes off and promotes a more enjoyable life. This week, Sh’lach reminds us just how powerful and limiting fear can be. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

Parasha Behaalotecha By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s Torah reading, Behaalotecha, 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.” Seems the Israelites grew tired of their monotonous diet of manna, pining for the fish and other

In this week’s parasha, Naso, the longest in the Torah, we are introduced to the Birkat Kohanim, the “Priestly Blessing.” We’re all familiar with it. We’ve heard it said, recited it ourselves, and offered it to others, many times: (Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D)

The wilderness. The midbar, a place of uncertainty, fear, and danger. Daled-bais-reish lies at the root of the word. These letters also are found in the root of davar, word, to speak words that lead to spiritual healing. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

As this third book of the Torah, the middle book, comes to an end, we are given nechemta, with a hopeful view of future generations. The parasha tells us, “If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them, I will give you rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit. Your threshing will last until the vintage…and I will grant peace in the Land…You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you…” [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]

When we speak words of Torah, we enhance our life, and the lives of others. To do so is a choice we make. We can surely choose not to and when we select that path, we largely create acrimony in our life and in the lives of others. While the sanctity of the Kohanim is a major theme in this week’s Torah reading, we also see another key theme in the parasha, the holiness of Shabbat, of time, and of the festivals we are blessed to enjoy. It is this latter theme that caught my attention. To be holy is freeing, expansive, liberating, to help us connect with Hashem, and properly with one another. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]]

This week’s double Torah portion, Acharei and Kedoshim, springs off the scroll with applicability to the pandemic of our times, COVID, or if you prefer, kaf, bet, dalet, KOVOD. The English letters, K, V, D, form the root of the word Kavod. What’s dignity, respect or honor have to do with these parshiot? Plenty. Kavod, ,כָּבוֹד KVD, a word of strength and importance, refers to “glory,” “respect,” “majesty,” and “honor.” Other uses of kavod can refer to wealth (Gen. 31:1, the first use of kavod in the Bible), reputation (Gen. 45:13), the quantity of something, or splendor, all of which may be summed up in the word “dignity.”  Another very important application is found in the fifth commandment, commanding us to “honor” (kavod in verb form) our fathers and mothers. [Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D]