Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal

  • Own Up to Your Actions

    פרשת בראשית / כ”ו בתשרי תשפ”ג

    The reason for the punishment of Adam & Eve was not that they had violated God’s one commandment. It was that they denied culpability.

  • To Make the Mundane Holy

    פרשת בראשית / כ”ה בתשרי תשפ”ג

    We learn about Hanuch in this week’s Portion. He was considered great because he made his labor for man a holy act.

  • The World Was Created for US

    פרשת בראשית / כ”ד בתשרי תשפ”ג

    One of the first commandments given to man was to name the animals. This is to underscore that the world is meant for man to make it holy through his use of it.

  • The Torah Belongs to All Jews

    פרשת וזאת הברכה / י”ט בתשרי תשפ”ג / ד’ דחול המואד סוכות

    Simhat Torah is the recognition that the Torah is the property of all Jew, no matter how rich or poor, high and low, educated or not.

  • The Inclusivity of Sukkot

    פרשת וזאת הברכה / י”ח בתשרי תשפ”ג / ב’ דחול המואד סוכות

    Sukkot is the holiday for all people. One can build a sukka that covers the entire world. This show that it is for all.

  • Every Jew Has Value

    פרשת וזאת הברכה / א’ דחול המואד סוכות / י”ז בתשרי תשפ”ג

    The lesson of Sukkot is that every person has value, no matter how high or low that person may be. We all equal in God’s eye.

  • The Universality of Tishri

    פרשת וזאת הברכה / י”ד בתשרי תשפ”ג

    It is fitting that Sukkot is in Tishri since it represents the universality of the Jewish people, unlike Pesach which represents our nationhood.

  • Economics & Morality

    פרשת האזינו / י”ב בתשרי תשפ”ג

    The Torah admonishes us to oppose foreign ideologies, meaning ideologies that negate morality based on the Torah.

  • We’re In A Partnership With God

    פרשת האזינו / י”א בתשרי תשפ”ג

    This week’s portion deals with the problem of success. Many of us achieve success and forget that God had a hand in it. This is a clear warning not to.

  • When Are Really Judged?

    פרשת האזנו / ט’ בתשרי תשפ”ג

    We usually think that our judgement is sealed on Yom Kippur. The truth is that the final judgement is on Simhat Torah. The reason is that on Yom Kippur we are on our best behavior but on Simhat Torah we are drinking and eating and carrying on. How do we behave then?