Michael Mantell

And Sarah laughed within herself, saying:… and my master is old (Gen. XVIII, 12); but [when He repeated this]​ to Abraham, He said: [​Sarah said]: ​And I am old (ib. 13) [Michael Mantell, PhD]

In the whole of the Torah, there are only six portions that are named after an individual. Don’t look for parasha Avraham or Moshe. But we do have the Noach Ish Tzaddik Tamim Hayah BeDorotav the wholehearted, righteous man, “perfect in his generation.” Yes, there are, of course, many interpretations of tzaddik, tamim, dorosav, and even ish. [Michael Mantell, PhD]

The Maharal, Yehuda Aryeh Löwe of Prague, teaches, “that we are called to deal kindly with all of humanity and certainly not to cause harm to anyone’s physical being, financial welfare, or personal dignity nor to disgrace or diminish the Divine image in our fellow.” The diversity of humanity is a crucial component of this understanding. After all, we learn in 1:27 that G-d created mankind b’tzelem Elohim, “in [the divine] image.” [Michael Mantell, PhD]

This week’s parasha begins with “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth!”

הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִי

The parasha immediately draws our attention to two key words, two essential capabilities, to key gifts, hearing and listening. To see that though, depends on two other facilities, vision and sight. Let’s understand this in the service of our striving to live a more fully engaged life, with more openness and receptivity to the world around us. (To read more, please click on the headline.)

Remember leaving services last Yom Kippur, the grandeur of Neilah upon us, filled with promises to live better lives? Yet so soon afterwards many old habits reemerged – maybe even before that first morsel of food was swallowed, after the long fast. Like January’s New Year’s resolutions to “eat less and move more” that quickly fade before February, we make promises to transform during the Days of Awe, that are fleeting and short-lived. We’re human. We are filled with introspection, we repent, we make promises, and then fall asleep until the next Yom Kippur. And here we are again. (To read more, please click on headline.)

Parasha Nitzavim By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This week’s Torah portion Nitzavim, is always read on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana. It asks us where we stand as we enter the new year. The parasha teaches that G-d tells us, “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the

This is the time of the year when we reflect, when we turn inward, review our past year’s successes and disillusionments, with the purpose of looking forward to a better year…in other words, gezunt, hatlacha and parnassa.

The parasha begins with “When you arrive,” and ends with “When you have arrived at this place.” We are to be joyful, to be sameach, not simply because we feel we’ve succeeded, but because it is a commandment to do so.

Perhaps the parasha is more about another war with our real enemy, our internal mindset. Moving against our nature, especially lifting ourselves beyond our natural impulses and desires, is a struggle, a fight with our “yetzer hara” or “evil inclination.”

Parasha Re’eh Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — This Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh Elul, begins the season of “cheshbon hanefesh,” a sacred task involving an “accounting of the soul.” It’s no coincidence, of course, that the parasha we read, Re’eh, begins: See (look), I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the

Parasha Eikev By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — We’ve all heard inspirational messages, stories that lead to a few moments of emotional response. But for a story to lead to lasting impact, to change the course of our behavior, we must see that story as connecting to the very foundation of our life’s purpose,

Va’etchanan By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — The first word of this week’s parasha, Va’etchanan, means “I pleaded.” Moshe pleaded with Hashem to see the Land of Israel. Hashem heard his pleas, and the answer? “No.” How many times do we plead, pray, even beg Hashem for an outcome and it doesn’t go