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Do You See the Cup Half Full?

JL;DR SUMMARY This commentary on Parshas Shelach draws connections between the sin of the Meraglim (spies) and the themes of perspective and gratitude. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

GratitudeJewish TeachingsTishah B'avDayeinuPerspectiveParshas ShelachRav Moshe ShapiraMeraglimRav AkivaSelf Fulfilling Prophecy

Places mentioned

Israel
"Parshas Shelach, which falls out this week in Eretz Yisrael, serves as an appropriate lead-in to the impending start of Chodesh Tammuz."
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
"Originally from Kansas City, Rabbi Ozer Alport graduated from Harvard and learned in Mir Yerushalayim and Beis Yosef Novardok."
Massachusetts, United States
"Originally from Kansas City, Rabbi Ozer Alport graduated from Harvard and learned in Mir Yerushalayim and Beis Yosef Novardok."
Flatbush, New York, United States
"He currently lives in Flatbush, where he writes the weekly Parsha Potpourri series."
Vienna, Austria
"There is a sefer called Ohr Zarua that was written in the 13th century by a rav in Vienna named Rav Yitzchok ben Moshe."

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Cairo Item ID 84589
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Retrieved 2026-06-11 18:00:48 UTC
Curated 2026-06-11 19:00:54 UTC