Archive for the 'Israel' Category
The American Roots of Israel
Monday, July 4th, 2022פרשת חקת / ה’ בתמוז תשפ”ב When the Vilna Gaon (d. 1797) read the American Constitution, he was convinced that the redemption was beginning. Article 6 states that there be no religious test to hold office in the US. This meant that Jews were full and equal citizens of the country. This was unheard of […]
The Importance of the Sabbath
Friday, June 24th, 2022פרשת שלח / כ”ה בסיון תשפ”ב This week’s portion includes the admonition about idolatry. This is no accident. Idolatry is trying to make God human. Our goal should be to be Godly. It includes the Sabbath desecrater. Violating the Sabbath is denying that God created the universe. Share on Facebook
God Wants You to Earn You Reward
Tuesday, June 21st, 2022פרשת שלח / כ”ב בסיון תשפ”ב The reason that the Jews were upset with the report of the scouts was that it meant that when they would enter the Land of Israel, they would have to put into practice all the laws that they were learning in the wilderness. Share on Facebook
Apprenticeship of the Levites
Thursday, June 16th, 2022פרשת בהעלותך / י”ז בסיון תשפ”ב In this week’s portion we learn that the Levites had a 5-year apprenticeship for their work in the Temple. Why did it take so long for them to learn their job? More important than learning the workings of the Temple, they had to learn how to behave in the […]
Becoming Better Not Perfect
Wednesday, June 15th, 2022פרשת בהעלותך / ט”ז בסיון תשפ”ב The Torah wants us to make ourselves better. Perfection is a state that we will never attain and the attempt to attain it will end in failure. But if we work to improve ourselves, we will become better people and thus improve the world. Share on Facebook
Lead by Example
Tuesday, June 14th, 2022פרשת בהעלותך / ט”ו בסיון תשפ”ב This week’s portion leads with the commandment to Aaron, the High Priest, to clean & prepare the Menorah. Why does he have to do this? Can’t he delegate this job to an underling? The answer is that to the Torah leadership means to lead by example. Sometimes you have […]
All People Have Dignity
Thursday, June 2nd, 2022פרשת במדבר / ג’ בסיון תשפ”ב – מ”ז בעומר In the Book of Ruth, Boaz is presented as a great man of charity. Yet he allows the poor to glean his fields and thus forces them to go to the threshing floor, then to the bake the bread. Wouldn’t it be kinder to the poor […]
Don’t Judge the Judges
Wednesday, June 1st, 2022פרשת במדבר / ב’ בסיון תשפ”ב – מ”ו בעומר The Book of Ruth begins the story with the statement “In the days when the Judges judged. The Hebrew, though, can be read as “In the days when the Judges were judged.” The meaning is clear. Every decision that the Judges made was criticized. In a […]
The Miracles of Jerusalem Day
Sunday, May 29th, 2022פרשת במדבר / כ”ח באייר תשפ”ב – מ”ג בעומר Today is the anniversary of the Liberation of Jerusalem in 1967. For Jews this was an open miracle. There were many miracles during the 6 Day War and Jerusalem’s liberation was the high point. The question is do we recognize it when God performs miracles for […]
The Vilna Gaon Predicted Israel
Friday, May 27th, 2022פרשת בחוקותי / כ”ו באייר תשפ”ב – מ”א בעמר The Vilna Gaon, who died in 1797, predicted that two dates would be important in the future, the 18th Day of the Omer, (that is the 5th of Iyar), and the 28th of Iyar. Today we recognize these days as Israel Independence Day and Jerusalem Day. […]
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