Over the years, I have learned that my father in law share certain aspects of the way we think, Sefarim we appreciate, and types of issues we enjoy researching and thinking about. This makes up for a significant lack of crossover in interests: I really do not get the backpacks, jackets, campers, etc. 

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Anyway, one of the first times I noticed how similar our thinking was at my and Amy's L'chaim in Teaneck when we got engaged. Dad and I both chose to speak about the Torah Temima on the beginning of parshat Va'era in our speeches. This was a little awkward, but let's just say it went better than Bubby a"h and Grandma Shirley a"h wearing the same dress to our wedding did. 

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There are a lot of reasons why Dad and I both enjoy the commentary of the Torah Temima. For Dad, I think one of them is that Rav Baruch HaLevi Epstein was not a professional rabbi, but worked as a bookkeeper/banker while also learning and writing Sefarim. 

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The Torah Temima explains that what we commonly refer to as ארבע לשונות של גאולה according to the Yerushalmi are actually ארבע גאולות. Each of them is not just a way of referring to the Geulah, but is an actual stage of redemption, separate and worth celebrating for its own sake. I believe that these stages are similar to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. At our engagement party, I compared them to stages of growth within a relationship, and noted the importance of recognizing that a relationship grows in stages, and the importance of celebrating each stage well before reaching a perfect relationship. 

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In the pyramid below, you can see how the Torah Temima explains each stage and how I think they connect to Maslow's stages.