These divrei Torah were taken from Yochanan "Jeff" Kirshblum's new book, Thinking Outside the Box. Thinking Outside the Box is a unique Torah commentary that expresses the author's belief that the Torah should not only appeal to the intellect, but must also appeal to the heart of every Jew as well. In his belief that the message of Torah should reach a broad readership irrespective of the level of Jewish education, Jeff Kirshblum makes his material easy to read, yet inspirational in content. To underscore his points and illustrate his lessons, he relates anecdotes ranging from events in ancient Jewish history to personal stories in his own life. Thinking Outside the Box can be purchased at any local Judaica book store or online at www.israelbookshop.com.

Yochanan "Jeff" Kirshblum is a graduate of Shaarei Torah of Rockland County and received his B.A. in economics from Queens College, New York. Though pursuing a career in business, his passion has been for the Jewish People. He has served as the New York Director of the 5% Mandate, an organization whose goal is to enable yeshivas to become tuition free. He is the founder of a recreational center for Teens at Risk program in Monsey, New York, helping Jewish teens with personal, family and spiritual issues.