Getting More of What We Want

A few weeks ago, I asked you to compare responses from two friends, Georgia and Clarence. Let’s revisit:

One day, Georgia and Clarence invite me to go jogging with them.
At the meeting spot, Georgia beams with excitement and says, “Come on, let’s go!”
Clarence, on the other hand, scolds: “Those shoes are all wrong. You need real jogging shorts. And your socks? No support at all.”

We know who I would rather spend time with.

—

Now, let’s fast forward to another scene—this time, I’ve been invited to the home of Georgia and Clarence.

Let’s imagine after the meal I say to Georgia, “I really loved the soup you made” and she responds warmly, “Thank you! I really love hearing compliments.”

But when I say the same thing to Clarence—“I really loved the soup you made”—he responds, “I wish I hadn’t burned the potatoes.”

It’s a small moment, but a revealing one.

—

Georgia accepted the compliment with ease, but Clarence? Not so much. He didn’t even seem to notice my praise.

Chances are I’ll compliment Georgia again.

Why?

Because she let me know that it’s what she wants.

—

We can tell people how we wish to be treated.

This doesn’t mean that they’ll go along with it.

But, there’s a better chance we will get what we want if we make it known.

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Related to this, I like it when readers respond to these articles that I write.

(Just saying.)

✧✧✧ As I pack up to leave after my workout, someone asks me, “Hey, Rabbi, how are things going?” I’m not one for small talk. Especially after being called by my title. “Well,” I reply. “I’m sad.” “Why?” “I’m thinking about the girls who went to school in the morning in Minab, Iran—over a hundred of them—killed by a bomb.”

My Letter to Habakkuk

February 26, 2026

✧✧✧ To my dearest pen pal, Habbakuk: First, let me say, no one remembers the prophets who did not deliver on the goods. Your predictions came true. And, 2500+ years later, you are still remembered. Do you remember Lenny, that guy? Kept going around Judea telling people “the goats will lay down in green pastures,” and, then, remember? It started

Me, Rabbi.

February 25, 2026

✧✧✧ I am a rabbi. I have a Masters Degree in Hebrew letters and a Doctorate of Divinity, and I am ordained as a rabbi. I have each credential framed, in my office, just behind where I sit. They’re not individually affixed to the wall—they lean against one another in a stack. I like the

Getting More of What We Want