THREE DESTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION PATTERNS
Based John Gottman’s: The Seven Principles for making marriage work
1. CRITICISM vs COMPLAINT
Criticism
• Attacks personality or character
• Uses “always / never”
• Creates defensiveness
Complaint...
SUMMARY OF PARASHAT SHEMOT
This week we start a new book: Shemot, “Names” or Exodus.
1. THE BIRTH OF MOSHE
The Tora begins by mentioning the names of Jacob’s sons...
SHEMOT: Argentina World Cup Champions and the Exodus from Egypt
The Bible, Biblical archeology, and ancient Jewish history are taught in the Jewish academic world. But there is a phenomenon that is not much...
SHEMOT: Antisemitism Began In Egypt
וַיָּ֥קׇם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף
ויאמר אל עמו הנה עם בני ישראל רב ועצום ממנוהבה נתחכמה לו פן ירבה והיה כי תקראנה מלחמה ונוסף...
VAYICHI: Preparing Ourselves To Die
LIVE LIKE MORTALS
The idea of death has always fascinated me. In my teens, becoming my conscious of my own mortality and its hopeless inevitability...
SUMMARY OF PARASHAT VAYICHI
Parashat Vayichi (ויחי) which means “and he lived” refers to the last 17 years of the life of the patriarch Jacob , Ya’aqob, in...
VAYICHI: The forgotten Hero of Genesis
This Shabbat we will finish reading the book of Bereshit (Genesis). The first of the five books of the Tora includes a fascinating story,...
VAYICHI: Success and Failure in Raising Children
Our Sages never overlooked the small and significant missteps made by our ancestors, especially in the times before the Tora had been revealed when...
How do we celebrate the 15th of Shebat
This coming year, 2026, we will celebrate TU BISHBAT, the "New Year of the Trees ", Monday February 2nd. This "new year or cycle"...
MIQETZ IN FIVE ACTS
While in jail, Yosef correctly interprets the dreams of the imprisoned Pharaoh's officers. Two years later, Pharaoh has a dream. He is standing...
