Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal

In the Torah, it is the responsibility of the thief to make the victim whole. That they are connected by his act of theft. Until he does so, he cannot atone for his sin.

This week the Torah makes it clear that we have to keep our environs clean. This is why the Hazon Ish told his students that they were required to help dig the sewers of Bnai Brak.

Passover is the freeing of the Jews from slavery. Shavuot is the holiday where we learn why we were freed. Not just to be free but to be responsible for our actions, both as individuals and as a nation.

While there are many people with degrees and many Jewish Nobel Prize winners, we do not know of them as much as we know and study our religious leaders, they have wisdom.

Before you can take over you have to set up a viable society. When this is not done then the results are a disaster. Compare the results of Glorious & American Revolutions, and the French and Russian.

The entire Jewish nation was at Mt. Sinai and according to Jewish tradition the entire Torah was given there. This teaches us that we all have a personal connection with God. We do not need intermediaries.

The Book of Numbers counts the Jews numerous times. This is to teach us that we call count and that everyone is precious.

Today we celebrate the liberation of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria during the 6 Day War in 1967. The victory showed God’s hand in this world through the many miracles that happened during that war.

On Memorial Day we remember the young men and women who died in the line of duty. While the Americans who were killed defending us may not have had us on their minds, we have to thank them for without them we would not have the rights we enjoy.

The Sabbatical year is the ultimate test in faith. A farmer has to rely on God keeping His promise the farmer will be able to support himself and family even though he is not working his land and not raising crops.