Parables

To hear this parable told over by the author, click here. There was once a king and queen who had an only child in their old age, who they treasured more than anything in the world. They surrounded him with gold and sparkling gems and showered him with endless love. One ...

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invi...

One of the greatest successes of the 12-Step program is in teaching addicts how to surrender instead of fighting against desires that they feel ‘powerless’ over. How can we all apply this to our struggles, regardless of if we're addicts or not? What does surrender really ...

In recent weeks I've been thinking about something I saw in one of Rabbi Noach Weinberg’s books where he speaks about reaching our goals. He says that the most common reason we don’t reach our goals is because it feels “heavy”, “painful” or “hard”, and therefore we don’t ...

Rav Sholom Shwadron used to give a parable. He would paint a picture of neshamos, departed souls from the Next World, allowed to come back down for one hour, just one hour. He described the scene, how they would cherish each minute, fully aware of what each mitzvah in Thi...

The Gemara in Brochos, perek 9, says, "One who sees a gamal (camel) in a dream should know that it was decreed he should die, but he was saved from the decree." It brings from this week's parsha Va'Yigash perek 46 possuk 4, "Hashem tells Yaakov: 'I will go down with you t...

"Please Hashem, within all my defects, my sins, my warts, my hurts, my huge mess,  lies a specialness that you put in me. Why did you create me? Because you say I have value. Otherwise, I would not be here in this world.

It was an ordinary day in Judge Mindy Glazer’s Miami-Dade courtroom when 49-year-old Arthur Booth appeared before her for his bond hearing. He had been arrested the previous day for breaking into a home, stealing a car, and running from police. He caused two accidents bef...

From a news story: "One man's neighbors reported that he subsisted on cat food. During the winter, they collected money and bought him a warm coat. When he died, the kindly neighbors were astounded and outraged to learn that the miserly man had amassed $850,000 in ba...

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated the Torah as we treat our cell phone? What if we carried it around in our purse or pocket every day? What if we looked through it many times each day? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we always checke...

"Fortunate is he who did not sin!One who did should returnAnd will be forgiven" This is the song that was taught at the annual "Simchas Beis Hashoeva" festivities in the Beis Hamikdash (1) Which sin are they referring to? And why was the the song of choice? They were hint...

A man was visiting in Paris and went to a kosher restaurant in the Jewish Quarter, known as the Pletzel. The prices were high, but there was a sign on the wall that stated, “Today you pay, tomorrow, free of charge.” The man figured that it was a good deal, so he ate, paid...

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Futerfass was imprisoned in Siberia for eight years. He went through unspeakable torment and suffering there, yet he came out so strong in his Emunah and religion. Throughout his stay, he was always hopeful that he would be released, and eventually h...

Pushed down a hallway that I was never supposed to be in, pushed further away from life, happiness, fulfillment, reality, toward a place of dark twisted things, rotting dreams and fake smiles, tortured screams and wild inhuman laughter, echoing faintly. There are roo...

Dear Yid, You have no idea how relieved I was with your letter. I was sure you were done with me. I'm happy you understood the situation and made such a good choice. Yes, I know it hadn't been easy. You have made many mistakes in the past. You've tried to forget abou...

I have struggled with shmirat habrit, like many of us, my whole life, ever since I was about 10. I always used to think only I had this insane problem, and I felt guilty, sick, depressed, alone, suicidal etc. - that is until, Baruch HaShem, I came across GYE and realized ...

Dear Lust, Thank you for the wonderful time we had together last night! I appreciate how you're always there for me when I need you, when I have no one else to turn to for comfort. And I know that no matter how long we may be apart, you're always waiting patiently for me...