Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal

  • Jerusalem of Gold

    On this day in June of 1967 the city of Jerusalem was reunited. A few weeks before the 6 Day War Naomi Shemer sang her song “Jerusalem of Gold” for the first time, not realizing that within a month the city would be liberated.

  • God’s Hand In History

    When we think about the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem, we have to remember that it occurred through a miracle. The IDF was able to take the city with ease due to the Jordanians abandoning the all of Judea & Sumaria. With this we see God’s hand in history.

  • Duties & Obligations

    The Torah takes a census of men of military age. This, in case the nation has to go to war. Considering that the main job of the Jews at the time was learning shows that we are obligated to do our duty to the nation.

  • We All Have To Serve

    When taking a census of the Jews in the wilderness the Tribe of Levi is not counted with the rest. The reason is that they are singled out for a special mission. They are to be the spiritual leaders of the people. That is why they were spread out among the people.

  • Life is More Than Survival

    The Tabernacle was a physical structure to remind us of the spiritual nature of our lives. That we need a physical structure because we are both physical and spiritual. We are not here just to survive.

  • We Are Moses’s Progenity

    When the Torah states that these are the progenity of Moses & Aaron, it mentions Aaron’s descendants but is silent on Mases’s. The reason is that Moses’s descendants were not leaders. Aaron’s descendants were.

  • We Get the Leaders We Deserve

    The Torah warns us that if we do not have a moral society we will suffer as a nation. We will get leaders who are unjust and corrupt. Morality comes from the bottom up.

  • Bring Responsible

    The reason for a Jew to become a slave is that he is not able to pay his debts. But the Torah demands that he be set free in the 7th year. If he chooses to remain a slave he is punished because the Torah wants us to be free.

  • We Are Still Here

    Lag B’Omer is a festive day throughout the Jewish world. But the truth is we are celebrating that in spite of all their attempts to assimilate the Jews into Roman culture, we are still here as Jews and the Romans do not exist.

  • Stewards of the Land

    The idea of letting the land lay fallow for a year is not about agriculture. It is about social cohesion. To remember that we are merely stewards of the land. God gives us the tools to work the land. What we do with these tools is what is important.