Archive for the 'Morality & Torah' Category
The Cure for Spiritual Sickness
Sunday, March 27th, 2022פרשת תזריע / ע”ד באדר ב’ תשפ”ב The Torah states that there is a disease that requires a priest to determine its nature and that the cure is quarantine. The problem is that the priest is not a medical doctor. The Torah is talking about the disease of malicious gossip. And the cure is to […]
Prepare Properly
Friday, March 25th, 2022פרשת שמינ / כ”ב באדר ב’ תשפ”ב What was the strange fire that Nadav & Avihu brought to the Altar? One answer is that they thought themselves unprepared to approach the Altar so they drank some alcohol to numb themselves. They were the strange fire. They did not prepare properly. Share on Facebook
Be An Example
Thursday, March 24th, 2022פרשת שמיני / כ”א באדר ב’ תשפ”ב The fact that a priest working in the Tabernacle was forbidden to drink before starting his service means to tell us that we should not take our ritual lightly. They are an example to the people coming to the Tabernacle and should behave as such. Share on Facebook
Don’t Be A Pig
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022פרשת שמיני / כ’ באדר ב’ תשפ”ב The pig has cloven hooves but does not chew its cud, thus it is not kosher. It is the only animal that is so. For this reason it is the ultimate symbol of hypocrisy. Do as I say, not as I do. Also, a pig will eat anything […]
The Torah Wants Us To Question
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022פרשת שמיני / י”ט באדר ב’ תשפ”ב The word inquire is repeated twice in this week’s parsha. They appear right in the middle. Equal distant from the beginning to end, This is to tell us that God does not want robots but he wants us to think and ask. Share on Facebook
Judaism is Not a Spectator Sport
Sunday, March 20th, 2022פרשת שמיני / י”ז באדר ב’ תשפ”ב Why does the Torah spend time teaching us about keeping kosher in the middle of describing the ritual of the service in the Tabernacle? This is to teach us that service to God is not a spectator sport. You have to be in it to win it. Share […]
God is in the Details
Friday, March 18th, 2022פרשת צו – שושן פורים / ט”ו באדר ב’ תשפ”ב While God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther (Migilat Esther), we do see God’s hand guiding the events of the story through the way the story is told. This is to teach us that God is in our lives if only we bother […]
Do The Right Thing
Tuesday, March 15th, 2022פרשת צו / י”ב באדא ב’ תשפ”ב At the critical moment when Mordechai begs Esther to approach the king, she demurs. Mordechai reminds her that she is also under the decree. That if we need to do the right thing no matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel. Share on Facebook
What’s in a Name?
Monday, March 14th, 2022פרשת צו / י”א באדר ב’ תשפ”ב The Book of Esther goes out of its way to bring up the lineage of both Mordechai and Haman. The reason is to show that the story of Purim is a Tikun, or a fixing, of the sin of Saul when he did not do the proper thing […]
Why The Fast of Esther
Sunday, March 13th, 2022פרשת צו / י’ באדר ב’ תשפ”ב We fast the day before Purim. This is usually understood that Esther requested this due to the danger of going to the king without permission. This can also be understood that the reason for the story to begin with is that the Jews were not behaving properly at […]
About the Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal is an Israeli-American, or an American-Israeli (I could never get that right) who is unabashedly pro-Israel, pro-US and a great guy.
He has an open mind to opinions that he agrees with.
Besides blogging on whatever he feels like blogging about on any given day he enjoys learning Talmud, davening, being the candyman in his synagogue, smoking his tobacco pipe, giving tours at the Grand Lodge of New York, being involved in Freemasonry, and partaking in an adult beverage every now and then