Archive for the 'History' Category
Listen To Your Elders
Sunday, December 31st, 2023The reason that the tribe of Levi was not enslaved was that Levi was still alive when Pharaoh succeeded in fooling the Jews. Levi, though saw through Pharaoh’s plot and told his descendants not to be fooled. Share on Facebook
Limiting the Power of the King
Wednesday, August 16th, 2023While recognizing that a leader was needed, the Torah limits the power of the king. It is interesting to note that this passage was the basis for the constitutional limits on the president of the US. Share on Facebook
Words Have Meanings
Friday, July 21st, 2023The Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred of Jew against Jew. The cause of baseless hatred is the abuse of accusations. When a person is accused of behavior that he is not guilty of he will react. And not in the manner that the accuser expects. Share on Facebook
The 3 Weeks & the Redemption
Wednesday, July 19th, 2023There were many bad things that happened to the Jewish people during the 3 Weeks. But it is also the time that we will see the beginning of the Redemption. Share on Facebook
Korach & the HMS Bounty
Tuesday, June 20th, 2023The dispute between Korach and Moses was really an ego trip on Korach’s part. In such a case it would have ended with Korach and his followers fighting with each other, much like the crew of the Bounty who killed each other after they mutinied. Share on Facebook
Don’t Follow the Crowd
Tuesday, June 13th, 2023Joshua & Caleb did not follow the conventional wisdom of the other scouts. They were outliers in their views. Yet they were correct in their analysis while the others were not. This is to teach that it is the outliers who advance ideas, not those who follow the crowd. Share on Facebook
The Hubris of Power
Monday, June 12th, 2023The problems of the scouts that Moses sent was that they were the leaders of the tribes. They felt that they would lose power if they gave a good report. That is why they sabotaged the whole effort. Share on Facebook
Taking Responsibility
Wednesday, May 24th, 2023One of the themes of the Book of Ruth is taking responsibility. Both, if one is a leader or a common person, we are responsible for doing the right thing. Share on Facebook
True Jewish Heritage
Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023The Museum of Jewish Heritage, a Living Memorial to the Holocaust is an important venue but it gives the wrong message. The true heritage of the Jewish people is when we behave as Jews and keep the commandments that were given us at Mt. Sinai. Share on Facebook
We Are On A Mission From God
Monday, May 22nd, 2023God took us out of Egypt with a plan. We are to be a light unto the nations. That they should learn from us what a Godly society should be. Share on Facebook
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