Torah Psych101-Parshas Eikev: Bipolar Disorder and Other Mental Illnesses and it's Cure

Parshas Eikev

Torah Psych101-Overcoming Mental Illness Through Humility

Dr. Jonathan M. Lasson

When working with individuals with mood disorders, especially those suffering with what used to be known as manic depression, the goal is to level off their moods. Nowadays, manic depression is now referred to as bipolar depression. This reflects the polarities of a person’s moods. Some days, they are up and some days they are down.

Last week’s Haftorah reflects how in the days to come, the valleys will be raised, and every mountain will be made lower (1). This sounds like a leveling off of some sorts which might reflect that people struggling with mental illness such as bipolar depression will no longer suffer. This could be a stretch, but it is just a thought.

In this week’s Parsha we are again told about different moods and how they can get us into maladaptive ways of thinking. We are advised not to become too haughty because we will forget Hashem (2). How does haughtiness cause a person to forget Hashem?

Psychology 101 tells us that people who don’t feel good about themselves, their accomplishments, their families, their religion etc…get to a point where they take on a new personality. They may feel restricted or confined but this is mostly in their minds. In reality… they feel lost. Becoming narcissistic or haughty is a manifestation of not feeling good about oneself. When a person does not feel good about themselves, he begins to feel entitled. This entitlement causes that person to forget where all the goodness he received in the past came from, namely Hashem.

This is something some people tell their kids when their children are bullied or confused by the arrogant behaviors of others. When people ‘make it big’ so to speak and become You Tubers or social media influencers, arrogance is almost certain to set in causing them to forget who they are. We are supposed to be a humble people. Not a haughty nation. Unfortunately, there are those who decide to make their flamboyant lifestyles public, in order to compensate for their lack of true identity.

There are many Gemaros, primarily in מסכת סוטה (3) that talk of the dangers of haughtiness. We are told that being haughty is like building a private altar and his Tefilos are not heard, his property is lost and that he and Hashem cannot coexist. Furthermore, he will fall into גיהנם (4).

Indeed, by studying the Torah and living the Torah lifestyle, we are able to achieve humility.

There is a story that is told of Levi Bar Sisi who was brought into a city to become the new Rav. He was sat on a huge throne high above the rest of the people. He was asked a series of questions such as how does a woman without hands do חליצה and what happens if the woman spits blood and not saliva and a host of other questions? To each of these questions posed by the townsfolk, Rev Levi did not have an answer. Rebbe head about what happened and summoned Reb Levi for a personal בחינה. He asked the same questions as the towns people and he answered them flawlessly. Rebbe then asked him why he couldn’t answer them when he was asked by the town’s folk? Reb Levi answered that the people had put him on a pedestal, and he became overwhelmed with pride. Therefore, he could not answer them. תוספות ישנים says about this story that arrogance causes people to forget what they learn. This is what the Passuk in our Parsha refers to when it says ורם לבבך ושכחת את ה' אלוקיך-And your heart becomes elevated, and you will forget Hashem your G-d.

Har Sinai was the lowest of the mountains where the Torah was given. This was for the reason of humility. If we humble ourselves by learning Torah and not try to elevate ourselves into arrogance, we will retain what we learn. The antidote to most issues in life is leading a life of humility. When we do so the mountains and valleys will level themselves off and cause us to lead a life of stability and fulfillment.

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(1)   Yeshaya 40:4

(2)   Devarim 8:14

(3)   Sotah 5a

(4)   Avodah Zarah 18b

(5)   Yevamos 105a