Mental Mitzrayim

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Pesach is so close—I can practically taste the matzah and maror already.

Nissan is the first month of the year. And whenever we begin something new, we want to start it right. When someone gets married, they don’t just show up to the chuppah—they prepare, they daven, they reflect. A bar mitzvah boy doesn’t just wake up obligated in mitzvot—he gets an aliyah, leads davening, reads from the Torah. Even the most unorganized student somehow shows up with folders and color-coded notes on the first day of school.

This is the beginning of our year. So we do our best to start strong. We clean our homes. We put in extra effort to fulfill the mitzvah of telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim. We plan, we prepare, we try to get everything just right.

But sometimes we forget the most important part: our mindset.

We left Egypt physically—but the mental Mitzrayim can still hold us back.

We don’t experience reality. We experience our perception of it. What we see is filtered through the lens of our upbringing, our society, our past. We carry around beliefs that feel like truth, but they’re really just old programming—limitations we never chose but still live by.

Think about it: kids are taught to sit still and follow rules. But years later, those same habits might hold them back from taking initiative, thinking big, or becoming who they’re truly meant to be.

We become like prisoners who’ve been in the system so long, we don’t even know how to walk free.

But we were created by Hashem—infinite Hashem—for something incredible. And we’ll never step into that greatness if we stay stuck in our own mental Mitzrayim.

As we break free from our personal Mitzrayim, it helps to have the right inspiration and guidance along the way.

Also:

I found a great new Instagram account, @the_business_of_bitachon putting out fun, entertaining, and powerful videos about bitachon. Worth checking out.

And for those figuring out what to do when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbat—when you can’t eat chametz after the morning, can’t eat matzah before the Seder, and still need to fit in two Shabbat meals—Rav Rimon has a super clear guide to help you prepare.

Wishing you a chag kasher v’sameach—both in your home, in your heart, and in your mind.

Now, let’s jump into this week’s message.

Mental Mitzrayim: How to Break Free from the Slavery of Limiting Beliefs

Most of us aren’t being chased by taskmasters or whipped into labor. But the truth is—we’re still enslaved.

Not physically. Mentally.

We live with chains you can’t see: fear of failure, low self-worth, and the inner voice that whispers:
 “You can’t.”
 “You shouldn’t.”
 “You’re not enough.”

This isn’t just psychology—it’s Mitzrayim.

The Hebrew word Mitzrayim comes from meitzar—a narrow place. It’s not just a land in the Torah. It’s a state of mind. A mindset of limitation. Of “I can’t.” Of “It’s not for people like me.”

And just like in the Torah, redemption doesn’t begin when we leave the land.
It begins when we break the beliefs that are keeping us there.

They Couldn’t Even Hear Hope

When Moshe first came to tell the people that Hashem was ready to free them, the pasuk says:

They couldn’t even hear hope. The idea of freedom felt so foreign, so impossible, they couldn’t allow themselves to believe it.

Sound familiar?

• “I’ll never get a better job.”

• “I’ll never get married.”

• “My marriage will never improve.”

• “Success is for other people, not for someone like me.”

This is the slavery of the mind.
And it’s the most dangerous kind—because you don’t even realize it’s happening.

My Personal Mitzrayim

A bit over a decade ago, I took a job that looked amazing on paper. A startup role with steady pay inside a reputable organization. It sounded like the dream: the best of both worlds.

But I ignored the red flags—because deep down, I believed this was the best I could get.

From the start, it was a mismatch. They talked about innovation, but resisted every attempt to move forward. They were stuck in the past.

Every day I felt more stuck. More miserable. But I stayed.
Why?

Because I was living in my own mental Mitzrayim.

I didn’t believe there was anything better out there. I didn’t trust myself. And, unfortunately, I definitely didn’t trust Hashem.

I was so crushed and beaten down by that job that I couldn’t even look for a new one.

Baruch Hashem, that was around the time one of my sons was born, and I was able to take parental leave.

That parental leave was the best thing that could have happened. I spent a lot of time learning Torah, growing as a person and in my mindset, and connecting deeply with my wife and kids.

I built myself up so much stronger than I was before I took the previous job.

And by the end of my leave, I found what became the best—and last—job I had before starting a business of my own.

“I didn’t just leave the job. I left the mindset that kept me there.”

The Chains Are in Your Mind

You ever hear about the elephant and the chain?

When circus elephants are babies, they’re chained to a small stake. They pull and pull, but they can’t break free. Eventually, they stop trying.

Years later, as full-grown elephants capable of uprooting trees, they’re still tied by the same tiny chain. But now, they don’t even try to escape—because they believe they can’t.

Fleas are similar. If you put fleas in a jar with a lid on, they’ll go crazy and hit themselves against the lid—until they learn the boundary and stop jumping that high.

Eventually, you can take the lid off, and the fleas will never jump out.
They’ve been conditioned by their environment.

Humans are conditioned the same way—by our surroundings, upbringing, and patterns of thinking.

We learn boundaries early:

• “Don’t speak up.”

• “Don’t take risks.”

• “Don’t dream too big.”

• “Don’t make mistakes.”

And we internalize them.

We grow up still chained by beliefs fed to us when we were kids.

Whether it’s career, relationships, or self-worth—you might be living in a jar with the lid already off, but you never jump…
because you’ve been trained not to.

Paradigm Shift: Your Personal Exodus

Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile in 1954. Before that, experts claimed it was physically impossible for a human to run that fast.

But once he did it—thousands followed.

What changed?

The belief. The paradigm.

We all live inside paradigms—internal stories about who we are, what we can do, and what’s possible. Some serve us. Many enslave us.

The good news?
Paradigms can be broken.

Abraham Lincoln failed in business multiple times and failed in politics even more—before becoming the greatest president in American history.

Michael Jordan didn’t make his sophomore high school basketball team. He went on to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Even throughout his career, he said he missed over 9,000 shots, lost almost 300 games, and missed 26 crucial game-winners. He succeeded because he refused to believe in limits.

L’havdil, the Netziv was known for saying he wasn’t naturally gifted or brilliant like many other Gedolim. It was his relentless diligence that allowed him to become the Gadol he was.

They weren’t born free.
They fought to become free.

Torah Is True Freedom

The Torah says about the first Luchot:

“The Luchot were Hashem’s handiwork, and the writing was Hashem’s writing, engraved (charut) on the Luchot.” (Shemot 32:16)

The Gemara (Eruvin 54a) teaches:

Don’t read it as “charut” (engraved), but as “cheirut” (freedom).

The only true path to freedom is Torah.

Torah doesn’t restrict you—it reveals who you really are.
A child of the Infinite. Capable of growth beyond imagination.

Living with Torah isn’t about limitations. It’s about expanding what’s possible.

You want to be a great parent and build something meaningful?
Have strong relationships, grow spiritually, and succeed in business?

You can.

“The entrepreneur’s dilemma: Social Life. Career. Family. Staying fit. Getting sleep. Pick 3. You can’t have them all.”

Typically, in the natural world, this feels true. No matter what you choose, something has to give.

But we don’t live in the natural world.
We are l’maalah min hateva.

When you live a Torah life:

• Getting married and raising a family becomes a priority

• You live in a Jewish community with deep friendships

• You keep Shabbos—a built-in weekly reset

• Even parnassah is grounded in bitachon—you don’t need 100-hour workweeks to succeed

• And health? That’s Torah too: “V’nishmartem me’od l’nafshoteichem.”

Hashem didn’t create you to play small.

This Pesach: Burn the Beliefs That Are Holding You Back

We search for chametz not just in our homes—but in our hearts.

Chametz is ego. Laziness. Fear. The comfort zone. The Yetzer Hara that whispers:

• “You can’t.”

• “You’re not enough.”

• “It’s not worth trying.”

This Pesach, don’t just clean your house.
Clean your beliefs.

Burn the mindset that’s keeping you in exile.

You were created for greatness—not for comfort.

Hashem took us out of Egypt.
But the work isn’t done.

Every day, we are called to leave our own personal Mitzrayim.

The moment you break the paradigm…
 you start to Live the Dream.

Believe.
Change is real.
Freedom is real.
And Hashem has big plans for you.

🛠 Practical Tips: How to Break Free from Your Mental Mitzrayim

Want to get out of your own way and start stepping into the person Hashem created you to be? Start with these 4 small but powerful steps:

1. Identify Your Inner Mitzrayim
Ask yourself:

• Where do I feel stuck right now?

• What goals do I keep pushing off because I “can’t” or “shouldn’t”?
  These are often signs of limiting beliefs. Name them. Write them down. Awareness is step one.

2. Question the Voice
That inner voice saying “You’re not enough”? Don’t just accept it. Ask:

• Whose voice is this really?

• Is it even true?

• What would I tell my child or best friend if they had this thought?
  You’ll often realize it’s not truth—it’s old programming.

3. Create a New Script
Replace “I can’t” with something empowering and true:

• “I’m learning how to…”

• “With Hashem’s help, I’m capable of more than I think.”
  Say it out loud. Every day. Let your neshama hear it.

4. Anchor Yourself in Torah
The real freedom comes from Torah. Set aside even 5 minutes to learn something each day that reminds you who you are.
Start with Pirkei Avot, Mesilat Yesharim, or any sefer that strengthens your emunah and bitachon.

💥 Weekly Challenge: Burn One Limiting Belief

This week, as you’re cleaning out the physical chametz from your home, take 5 minutes to clean out some mental chametz too.

Here’s how:

1. Write down one limiting belief that’s been holding you back.
   Something like:

   • “I’m not good enough.”

   • “People like me don’t succeed.”

   • “It’s too late for me to change.”

2. Challenge it.
   Ask: Is this 100% true?
   What if it’s just something you learned, not something that’s real?

3. Burn it.
   Literally.
   Write it on a piece of paper and throw it into the fire with your chametz on Erev Pesach, or during Chol Hamoed.
   Say out loud: "Hashem, I’m letting go of this belief. You created me for more than this."

4. Replace it with truth.
   Write a new line you can live by this week. Something like:
   “With Hashem’s help, I’m capable of growth and greatness.”
   Or
   “I’m ready to take one step forward.”

💡 Bonus: Share your new belief by replying to this email—I’d love to cheer you on.

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As we head into this unique Shabbat that leads straight into Pesach, may you be blessed with the kind of peace, clarity, and strength that only Shabbat can bring.

Take a deep breath. Let go of what’s been weighing you down.
And as Yom Tov begins, step into freedom—with faith, with joy, and with the belief that Hashem created you for so much more.

Wishing you a Shabbat of peace, and a Pesach of true geulah—inside and out.

Shabbat Shalom & Chag Kasher V’Sameach,
Amir