My Brain Explosion: 10 Things I Learned the Hard Way
- eli1175
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Parshas Re’eh – Life Is About Choices
Have you ever done something in a moment of frustration that you instantly regretted? I have. And mine ended up in the headlines.
A few years ago, under a mountain of stress, little sleep, juggling two jobs, an MBA, and my mother’s devastating illness, I lost it. Another driver took the parking spot I’d been waiting for. Tired and stretched beyond breaking, I snapped. I damaged his car.
Within minutes I realised how wrong it was. I came back, left my phone number on the windscreen, and owned up. But the damage was done — not just to the car, but to my reputation. The media called it a “brain explosion.” Articles spread. My family felt the shame. And just when I thought it was behind me, I discovered a professor in Oxford had used my story as a case study in his book.
For a long time I wanted to bury it, hide it, pretend it didn’t happen. But eventually I realised: the story isn’t going away. The only thing I can do is choose how to respond.
And that’s where this week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, speaks loudly to me. Moshe tells the Jewish people: “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” Life is about choices. Sometimes we choose well, sometimes badly. But the real test is: what do you choose next?
What I Learned
Here are ten lessons I’ve taken from my “brain explosion.” Maybe they’ll help you too:
Pause before reacting. Even five seconds of breathing can change the outcome.
A small action can have huge consequences. What felt small in the moment became years of fallout.
Mistakes ripple outward. It wasn’t just me — my family and community felt it too.
The internet never forgets. But you can reclaim your voice and tell your own story.
Leadership doesn’t mean perfection. It means taking responsibility when you fall short.
Owning up matters. Leaving that note on the windscreen was a turning point.
People remember how you respond. Recovery can speak louder than failure.
Shame can be a teacher. Painful, but also a push to grow.
We all fail differently. Some in private, some in public. What matters is what you do next.
Teshuvah is real. Judaism reminds us: a mistake isn’t the end. Repair and return are always possible.
One of the things I love about the Torah is that it doesn’t hide the mistakes of its heroes. It tells us about Noach, Moshe, Dovid — not to excuse them, but to remind us they were real people. And to teach us that failure isn’t final. Greatness is found in how you get back up.
One of my motivations for becoming a coach is this very lesson. Too many people live on the edge, juggling too much, burning the candle at both ends, just one stress away from doing something they’ll regret. I know what that feels like. And I want to help people recognise the signs earlier, make better choices, and build resilience.
I wouldn’t have chosen this story for myself. But it’s mine. And if sharing it helps someone else pause before exploding, or find the courage to grow after a mistake, then maybe that’s a blessing hidden inside the curse. Because in the words of this week’s parsha: “See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse…” The choice is always ours.
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About the author:
Elimelech Levy is a Rabbi and Coach in Sydney Australia where he runs Chabad Youth NSW, A youth organisation that's focused on providing Jewish enrichment that's educational, fun, social & affordable. Elimelech received his MBA from Macquarie University in 2021 then chose to use his studies and experience to become a Results Coach and member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) helping people take control of their lives through establishing goals and working towards them. In 2023, Elimelech established the Knei Lecha Chover program focused on matching pairs of Rabbis around the world and providing foundational tools for them to coach each other regularly, helping them to avoid significant fees needed for professional coaching sessions.
Elimelech can be reached via his website elilevy.com.au
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