ESSAYS| 2016

ESSAYSss|

The Ultimate Relationship: Selflessness or Assertiveness?

By Itche Zalmanov, Brooklyn, NY

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   The Quandary  Common knowledge tells us that in a true relationship the most important thing is to be completely selfless and devoted to your spouse or friend, and to nullify all sense of self-satisfaction and self-gratification. While this is certainly the gate through which one must enter into a real

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by Chana Bloy

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016 “אני קיים משמע אני חשוב” או האקסיסטניאליזם האלוקי”   “בהשפעתו של עולם שלא הודה עוד בערכם של חיי אנוש ובכבוד האדם, עולם ששלל מן האדם את רצונו ועשאו מושא להשמדה אך תכנן לנצלו תחילה עד לקורט האחרון של כוחותיו הגופניים, בהשפעתו של עולם זה סוף שיתקפחו ערכיו של האני האישי. אסיר

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Taming Your Donkey

By Joshua Krisch, New York, NY

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   I have no clue whether or not I am supposed to like my job. That I am obliged to drag myself to work every day, earn an honest living and separate charity is not up for debate—toil by the labor of one’s hands is praiseworthy and, in some cases, obligatory.[1]

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The Tanya Method

By Gabriel Benayon, Panama City, Panama

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016 Summary The idea is that a person must understand a basic fundamental rule; there are no feelings without thoughts. Positive thinking equals positive feeling, negative thinking equals negative feeling. The problem is that people assume they are one-dimensional so they sense themselves as the source of the negative thoughts. The Tanya

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Taming Your Donkey

By Joshua Krisch

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   I have no clue whether or not I am supposed to like my job. That I am obliged to drag myself to work every day, earn an honest living and separate charity is not up for debate—toil by the labor of one’s hands is praiseworthy and, in some cases, obligatory.[1]

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Advice to Men for Shana Rishonah

By Yechezkal Shimon Gutfreund, Brighton, MA

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   The first year of marriage (Shana Rishonah) can be a difficult time for even the best of young couples. A good number of years ago I read a story in Kashrus Magazine. As they sometimes do, this was completely off-the-topic of Kashrus. It was a story about the Shanah Rishonah

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Mindfulness and Moshiach

By Yochi Ress, Johannesburg, South Africa

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   This essay seeks to look at the fascinating rise of Mindfulness in recent years and how this connects with sources in Chabad Chassidus, including an indication of how this is yet a further sign that we are drawing nearer to the imminent redemption – may it arrive immediately! In today’s

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The Secret to Getting Unstuck

By Izzy Greenberg, Jerusalem, Israel

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   A large part of the Chassidic ethos for living a fulfilling and spiritual life, one that is shared with many other growth-oriented ideologies and movements, is the commitment to continuous, dynamic personal development. But what happens when we get stuck? Whether it is in our spiritual practice, relationships, career, creative

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Choice: A G-dly Activity

By Esther Gur, Betar, Israel

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   Introduction: There are many choices we make in a day. ….. but why choose at all and how does a Jew make a choice? If until now you thought that choosing was about weighing the pros and cons of the choice and then making your selection accordingly, this essay presents

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The Power of Humility

By Mushka Winner, Brooklyn, NY

Essays 2016

MyLife Essay Contest 2016   Hi Yosef, Last week, my teacher opened up a discussion about a school issue with our class. And we all got involved discussing it. When class was over, the teacher called to me. He told me he saw a lack of humility in my manner. He gave examples, what I

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