Have you eaten dessert?

Question:

I have worked hard to be a good, decent and honorable human being. I don’t drink, smoke or eat unhealthy food. I don’t cheat, lie, gossip or humiliate other people. I stay away from bad company and am allergic to shady business.  But I am still unhappy and constantly have this ongoing feeling of emptiness.  Can you help…asks Rabbi Michoel Gourarie? Read more

Silence

In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) a great rabbi taught:

“All my days I grew up among the sages and did not find anything better for the body than silence.”…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

Purim Happiness

Happiness is not necessarily achieved through success and prosperity…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

How to receive a compliment

Have you ever thought of how you respond when someone compliments you or appreciates what you have done…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie?  Read more

Good Lying

Rabbi Michoel Gourarie asks and answers questions about lying… Read more

Defining Morality

Most normal human beings have a desire to pursue moral behaviour..writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

A Jungle or a Garden?

The two words ‘jungle’ and ‘garden’ create very different images in our minds..writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

Do Rivers Have Feelings

In this week’s Torah portion we read about the ten plagues. G-d punishes the Egyptians with a series of ten devastating blows that destroy the infrastructure of this powerful country, paving the way for the much-awaited Jewish exodus. Moses, the Jewish leader, is G-d’s messenger to issue warnings to Pharaoh and to perform certain tasks that would bring about these plagues…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

The Empty Menorah

The festival of Chanukah began Tuesday evening…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

To move you need to chuck

As you are probably aware, BINA is moving next week to its new home…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

Unclogging the Throat

Question:
I have been coming to your Thursday morning series on ‘forgiveness’. The lessons you teach about letting go of resentment, acceptance and freeing yourself are all wonderful. But even though I fully understand these ideas I still cannot find it in my heart to change my feelings towards some of those people that have wronged me. This is extremely frustrating. Any suggestions? Read more

Do It Today

There are many people suffer from a procrastination problem that can be very destructive…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

Commitment to Change

The current Jewish month of Tishrei, is a time of spirituality and strong Jewish experience. During this period we all endeavor to feel inspiration and connection to our inner soul. It is a time to reflect on the past and plan for a stronger future with meaning, purpose and growth. Read more

Simple Sounds – Powerful Message

In just under two weeks, on Rosh Hashanah, we will hear the sounds of the Shofar once again.  Our sages teach us that Shofar blowing is what Rosh Hashanah is all about.  What is so special about these seemingly simple sounds? Read more

Looking Back or Moving Forward

A Q&A Session with Rabbi Michoel Gourarie. Read more

I’m Just Not in the Mood

We have just begun the Jewish month of Elul. In a few weeks from now, we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah and usher in the New Year. In preparation for this auspicious event we are given this period – a month of opportunity. Read more

Just One Friend

One of the important relationships that form human existence is friends. Read more

The Wisdom of the Rooster

Every day prayers begin with thanking G-d for our basic needs like the power of sight, the ability to walk, our clothing, shoes and all other essentials. However, there is one blessing that seems to stand out a little. In this prayer we thank G-d “for giving the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night.”  Read more

Click on the ‘Submit’ Button

A few days ago millions of Australians filled in the census form which is taken once in five years. This time we were given the opportunity to fill it out on line, which about 30% of households did. But the next day the newspapers reported a major glitch:

Many people completed all the questions but neglected to hit the all important send button.Over 670,000 households logged on but didn’t hit the ‘submit’ button. Read more

How Strong Are You?

In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) there is a passage that reads: Ben Zoma said, Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination as it says, ‘He who masters his passions is better than one who conquers a city.’ The message here is clear – dealing with, and changing negative behavior is extremely difficult. Why does discipline and self control need so much strength? Read more

The Temple of our Soul

In the Jewish calendar we are in the midst of the “three Weeks”, the time when we mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples. These great buildings were the centre of Jewish worship and stood gloriously in Jerusalem between the years 833 BCE and 69 CE. Read more

A Precious Scribble

This coming Tuesday will mark the 17th Yohrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe – Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn. The Rebbe’s leadership, teachings and inspiration touched hundreds of thousands and had an unmistakable impact on world Jewry. There are so many important lessons that can be learned from the Rebbe’s life and leadership. Let me share with you a short story with a powerful lesson. Read more

Effective Treatment

Question:

I have come to the realization that I have a real temper problem. I lose my cool quickly and fairly often. With the smallest provocation I fly off the handle, scream and shout and say things that I later regret. Sometimes I can be quite abusive, humiliating those around me. I really need to work on this problem. What do you suggest? Read more

You Don’t Need Time or Money

Charity and kindness are of the most important aspects of Jewish tradition. The Talmud teaches that compassion and acts of goodness are the trademarks of the Jewish soul. Charity brings blessing, hastens the final redemption and is compared to all of the Mitzvot put together. Read more

Be a Mountain – not a Valley

Next week (from Tuesday night) we will celebrate the festival of Shavuot. This festival marks the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. It was this event that made us into a nation and created our identity as G-d’s people. Read more

It’s a Mirror

We can all think of a few people that we would describe as being ‘impossible’. These are individuals who push the wrong buttons, irritate us to no end and annoy us whenever we talk to them. These are the people that we find arrogant, critical, and negative or possess some other character deficit. How do we handle impossible people? Read more

The Bow and Arrow

This coming Sunday is a special day in the Jewish calendar. It is known as Lag Ba’omer, the day that marks the passing of the great Talmudic sage and mystic, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. This second century Rabbi and Kabbalist requested that the day of his passing should be marked with happiness and celebration. Read more

Make Morality Attractive

Question:

Recently some friends got really upset with me suspecting me of doing something wrong which I hadn’t actually done. I am very comfortable within myself knowing that it is untrue and that I am completely free of any wrongdoing. I have been totally misjudged. How much effort do I need to invest to convince them of my innocence? Read more

They are all special children

In just over a week we will celebrate Passover, which begins with the Pesach Seder. One of the themes of the Seder is the “four sons”. We read that there are four different types of children that need to be educated and included in the Seder experience: Read more

Midnight

Before the exodus from Egypt, G-d told Moses that He would deliver the final blow to the Egyptians, the plague of the firstborn, exactly at midnight. The Zohar explains that midnight also became the defining moment of freedom for the Jews. Although they did not physically leave until the next morning, they became spiritually free exactly at the moment of midnight.  Read more

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