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The Torah column is supported by a generous donation from Eve Gordon-Ramek in memory of Kenneth Gordon.

Va’etchanan

Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

When I was recently traveling with my family, I asked the flight attendant greeting everyone at the door to our plane if my son could see the cockpit. He loves flying, and I knew it would make his week — or his year. She said sure.    

When you enter the cockpit, one of the first things you see is a device called the attitude indicator, right in the center of the instrument panel. This device shows the pilot the plane’s position relative to the Earth’s horizon, even in conditions of fog or darkness. When pilots want to ascend for liftoff, they tilt the head of the plane up. When they want to descend for landing, they tilt it down.

It occurred to me that the same principle holds true in life. If the thoughts in your head tilt upward — if you think positive, choose to be grateful, see the best in others and make up your mind to enjoy the day — you’ll keep rising higher. You’ll gain altitude, and lift others with you. But if the thoughts pitch down — if you’re negative and ungrateful — you’re going to move in that direction.

In other words, your attitude determines your altitude.

The great founder of the Hasidic movement, the Baal Shem Tov, summed up this idea in six words — six words that can change your future: “You are where your thoughts are.” Yes, if you think happy thoughts, you will be happy. This is not a metaphor. It is a part of our biology. 

The psychiatrist J. A. Hadfield vividly illustrates the point in his book, “The Psychology of Power.” He asked three men to test the effect of mental suggestion on their strength, measured as they gripped a device. He told them to grasp the device with all their might under three conditions.

When he tested them under normal waking conditions, their average grip was 101 pounds. When he tested them after hypnotizing them and telling them that they were weak, they could grip only 29 pounds — less than a third of their normal strength. When he tested these same men a third time, he told them under hypnosis that they were strong. That time, they were able to grip an average of 142 pounds.

When their minds were filled with positive thoughts of strength rather than negative ones, their actual physical strength increased dramatically. Such is the incredible power of our thoughts and their ability to transform us.

So, what can you do to become a more positive thinker in the new Jewish year, which is fast approaching?

First, set aside time every morning to pray and meditate. Prayer is a spiritual attitude indicator. It gives us time to reflect on the direction we’re heading and asks us if we need to correct our course. Prayer centers our minds on gratitude and wonder, guiding us toward higher aspirations.

In this week’s Torah portion, we learn from God’s instruction to Moses to remember the miracles and gifts bestowed upon the Jewish people in the land of Israel. This sense of gratitude not only uplifts our spirits but also fortifies our collective resolve as a nation.

Whether we pray as a community or as individuals, prayer helps us to see the world through a lens of joy and positivity. It lifts our thoughts, subtly yet powerfully enhancing our outlook, aligning our direction and enriching our daily lives.

Will you be stressed, or blessed?

That is a choice you get to make each day. You are the pilot of your thoughts. A small attitude tweak affects the direction that your life will head.