Archive for the 'Morality & Torah' Category
Silence is Complicity
Thursday, February 17th, 2022פרשת כי תישה / ט”ז באדר א’ תשפ”ב The entire nation was punished for the sin of the Golden Calf. This is astounding when we realize that it was only a minority that committed the sin. Why was the whole nation punished? To teach us that silence in the face of evil is complicity in […]
The Ultimate Defeat of Evil
Tuesday, February 15th, 2022פרשת כי תישה / י”ד באדר א’ תשפ”ב The ultimate defeat of evil is not just to survive but to survive in a way that shows they failed to destroy your humanity. As long as you follow God’s commandments evil is defeated. As long as a Jew celebrates being Jewish then the Nazis have been […]
Equality Before God
Monday, February 14th, 2022פרשת כי תישה / י”ג באדר א’ תשפ”ב The commandment that every man donate a half shekel seems to ignore the fact that there are some in society that can donate a lot more and that there are those who would have difficulty finding this money. But the Torah wants to show that we are […]
Remember the Second Fiddle
Friday, February 11th, 2022פרשת תצוה / י’ באדר א’ תשפ”ב This is the only Parsha from the beginning of Exodus until the end of the Torah, in which Moshe’s name is not mentioned. There are two reasons for this. Today we explore those reasons. Share on Facebook
No One is Above Doing Right
Thursday, February 10th, 2022פרשת תצוה / ט’ באדר א’ תשפ”ב The first thing in the Kohen Gadol’s (The High Priest) job is to clean the Menorah. Why couldn’t he delegate this dirty job to a lesser? The answer is that no one is above doing the right thing. Your position does not exclude from your duty to God […]
Do It With Feeling
Wednesday, February 9th, 2022פרשת תצוה / ח’ באדר א’ תשפ”ב The way that the Kohanim, (priest), presented themselves had to do with making the Mishkan, (Tabernacle), special to the average Jew coming to bring his Korban, (sacrifice). By making it an event we are avoiding making it mundane or common. Share on Facebook
It’s Not About You
Tuesday, February 8th, 2022פרשת תצוה / ז’ באדר א’ תשפ”ב The clothing of the kohanim (Priests) was simple and uniform. This is to teach them that they are merely servants to God and the people. That they are interchangeable. They are to be humble in their office. Share on Facebook
Have a Heart
Monday, February 7th, 2022פרשת תצוה / ו’ באדר א’ תשפ”ב The breastplate sits on the High Priest heart to remind him to feel the pain of those who are suffering as well as the joy of those who succeed in life. Share on Facebook
Where is Holiness?
Monday, January 31st, 2022פרשת תרומה / כ”ט בשבט תשפ”ב In this week’s parsha God commands that we build a tabernacle for the purpose that He should dwell among us. We can understand this when we combine the previous commands from last week. We bring God into the world through Godly behavior. Share on Facebook
Do Not Rely on Karma
Friday, January 28th, 2022פרשת משפטים / כ”ו בשבט תשפ”ב The commandment for the court to execute a murderer for his crime shows that the Torah does not rely on karma but on us to do the right thing. Also, that doctors are commanded to cure the sick regardless of what they think of them teaches this concept. Share […]
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