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Getting Unstuck

A spiritual guide to your personal exodus

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Getting Unstuck: A spiritual guide to your personal exodus

The Jewish people’s redemption from Egypt as a model for getting “unstuck” from seemingly impossible situations in one’s own life.

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Topics:	Counting of the Omer, Exodus

By Shais Taub

Rabbi Shais Taub is a noted speaker, author, and columnist, who serves as scholar-in-residence of Chabad of the Five Towns. His talks and classes may be seen on SoulWords.org.

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28 Comments

Melanie Rose Portland, Ore July 7, 2016

Amazing Rabbi,

You have so much wisdom I am in awe everytime I listen to you you or read one of your writings. You are brilliant and you have a great sense of humor-I've used some of your jokes before especially from the lecture on resentments. This onee was so perfect. I love all the paradoxes you use especially in this lecture when you said: " If you want to become something you have never been before, you have to give up everything you've been before. " This is exactly what is going on for me right now. I am so grateful for you.Thank you... Reply

Sherry B. New York April 16, 2014

Surrender and Get Life. Rabbi, for the past few days, I've indulged myself in your videos and each time I watch a video I say "Ahhh this is the one. This is what I needed today; the lesson I needed to be taught today". But today Rabbi, I feel truly that this lecture was in fact IT! The message truly resonated with me, and the ending parable was a great summary of everything we as human beings need to be able to do in order to get LIFE- surrender to HIM. I recently learned this and as you said, I had to hit rock bottom and lose everything. As it was happening, I tried to do everything in my power to hold on. But eventually, He came and took it away because although I wanted HIM, I was afraid to give up the things and the people I loved so much and attached myself to. So in HIS infinite love and mercy, HE took me away from the clutter. I SURRENDERED. It's not an easy process- losing "everything" and learning to live life with "nothing". But spiritual awakening builds gratitude and makes the process easier. Reply

Rabbi Shais Taub Pittsburgh April 7, 2014

To: Answer Please Part of letting go is to feel the fear and to move ahead and do Hashem's will even when your will is different. As Jews, we look to Torah for guidance. Mitzvos are an act of surrender. And of course faith itself is a mitzvah which means to stay calm and keep functioning and doing even when your gut tells you that you need to panic. Reply

Tracy Philadelphia, PA March 1, 2014

Just A Note of Thanks Thank Rabii for hearing the word of G-d and translating it into something I could understand as one not of your faith tradition but wanting to become unstuck from things in my life. Reply

Earl Dietrich South Africa February 4, 2014

Thank you Rabbi! Reply

Anonymous January 23, 2014

Answer please? Does the Rabbi ever answer questions? I posted one on Jan.7

Thank You Reply

Anonymous January 7, 2014

Letting Go? Hi Rabbi, thank you for the class

I hear your point on letting go of everything with all our escape mechanisms and then allowing Hashem to take us out of our Egypt. I just don't understand how to actually let go. What does that mean. If I have fears and anxieties and insecurities, how do i just let go? Like you said someone in a hole can't fight his way out. But in our everyday lives what's the answer? Also, after Hashem takes us out then we work on "ourselves"? Then attending retreats, working on self confidence, facing and overcoming fears is the way?

Thank You Reply

C Sampaio São Paulo August 11, 2013

Awesome Lecture! Thank You! Reply

Dana Los Angeles, California, USA December 21, 2012

Thank you very much I happened to stumble upon your lectures and they are exactly what I needed to hear. Your words are much appreciated. I'm not a person of faith, but your words have really touched me. Reply

Rivka NYC November 20, 2012

Unstucking myself during the rest of the Year Dear Rabbi Taub, Thank you so much for a candid enlightning insightly lecture! The work of counting the Omer and working on the particular character trait of each day of the Omer period is, Then, the method you advise and claim can clean one of his undesirable flawed traits of character and start life with a new slate ready to receive Revelation. And also. you say, every single day when we wake up we are a complete new being, like a newborn-me, if we chose to see it so. IS THIS SO? Habits, especially bad ones, die hard. And what about memory of who we 'were'? Could you please, advise , on systematic methods with steps about how to go about 'unstucking' oneself, at times others than the Omer, the rest of the year? Reply

Adam Monsey, New York April 16, 2012

Self Help Rabbi Taub,

Thank you for a very interesting and inspiring lecture. I had a question about self help and therapy. Are you suggesting that we cannot affect real change through say self help or even therapy without first admitting complete powerlessness? Thank you. Reply

Eugene Desyatnik Philadelphia, PA April 11, 2012

racket Seems very familiar. There's a self-help / human potential movement group that uses the term racket to describe patterns of behavior we learned at an early age (similar to 7yrs mentioned here), which initially developed as coping mechanisms we fall back on, but in the end can get in the way of intimacy. They teach you to recognize when you're hiding behind them. Reply

Chaya Vero Beach, Florida April 11, 2012

Cleaning House I don't think I am the only woman who ever wondered "What was HaShem been thinking of"? All that work for what seemed a silly nighttime search for chametz 'planted' throughout the house using a candle, a feather and a wooden spoon it had to be midieval. [OK, that part is fun for the kids.]

For the first time I actually "get" the whole crazy clean, clean clean thing. (I admit that up until next Pesach I never turned out every pocket or laundered every piece of clothes owned thinking 'that rule was for when people only had two pieces of clothes per person'.)

It's a spiritual inventory!

A brilliant way to search for the things owned and evaluate them for their value.

I get it! I get it!

Reply

sandra USA April 10, 2012

GREAT! that was soooo good! thank you! Reply

Anonymous Mesa, Arizona, USA April 10, 2012

Dear Rabbi Taub,
Thank you for this wonderful lecture. I have found something today that I was trying to understand. Now I see that it is all in the Hands of Hashem. I remember many months ago asking him to help me be "born" again. I needed for this to happen. Back then, I did not know really what I was asking Him for. Now I realize that Hashem is transforming my ego. There is still much to learn. I only hope to follow through in His Path understanding on by relying on His Infinite compasion. Hashem, blessed be He, has given you a wonderful gift, teaching the down troddened to lilft themselves up. This is a very special gift that not that many people attain. Only through the Love, and Compassion of Hashem, blessed be He. Healing comes only through Hashem, but words can bring us to an understanding. And the Word of Hashem, is powerful. He said it is not by power but My Spirit. Thank you so much for your efforts in bringing this revelation from Hashem. Blessed be He. And blessings to U Reply

Anonymous Nederland, TX April 10, 2012

Excellent lecture, and a blessing. Thank you so much. Reply

MG Nederland via chabad.nl April 10, 2012

Thanks :) Reply

Joel Andersson Karlstad, Sweden April 10, 2012

Thank you Thank you for making this accessible to the world. You hit the nail on the head. The end story was beautiful.

Thank you Reply

Mrs. Alizah Hochstead, Efrat, Israel Efrat, Israel April 5, 2012

Erev Pesach Wow That puts a lot into perspective erev Pesach. I was starting to feel sorry for my self not being with family (grandchildren and children) for the holiday. BH I will be with my husband and good friends. Chag Kasher V Sameach Reply

Danny Pritchard Columbus January 25, 2012

You've got 8/10's and I appreciate you but... To suggest "everyone" needs to hit bottom and that one can not effect change through one's efforts until this point is not prudent-- Also, the concept is not supported by the evidence of current addiction studies Further the concept of powerlessness is not supported by Franklin's principles of virtue (or did I miss something there?). Reply

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