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
Be A Part of the Community
Friday, June 2nd, 2023The Torah stresses that we are a part of the community. The fact that even someone who lives off charity is required to tithe is important. We are all responsible for the upkeep of the community. Share on Facebook
Punishment in the Torah
Wednesday, May 31st, 2023In the view of the Torah a thief has to repay his victim for what he has stolen. Just sitting in jail is not enough. He caused damage to the victim and until the victim has forgiven him, he is not forgiven. Share on Facebook
Taking God’s Name in Vain
Wednesday, February 8th, 2023The most common understanding of the Commandment of not taking God’s Name in vain is that we should not swear falsely. Another understanding is that we should not do commit a crime in His Name. Share on Facebook
You Are Responsible
Wednesday, September 7th, 2022פרשת כי תצא / י”א באלול תשפ”ב The Torah admonishes us not to blame the father for the son’s sins and not to blame the son for the father’s sins. This underscores a major concept that we are responsible for our own actions. Not to blame others. Share on Facebook
Seeking a Just Society
Friday, September 2nd, 2022פרשת שופטים / ו’ באלול תשפ”ב The Torah states “Justice, Justice you will seek.” Note that it does not say “you will do justice only that you will seek it. This means that while we are imperfect humans and will make mistakes, we will do our best to bring justice. Share on Facebook
A God-Fearing Society
Thursday, August 11th, 2022פרשת ואתחנן – י”ד באב תשפ”ב Moses stresses that what we consider civil laws are really religiously basted law. That if the basis of law in a society is not God then the laws will break down and the results will be a dictatorship or anarchy, as we see from the difference in the results […]
Why The Temple was Destroyed
Friday, August 5th, 2022פרשת דברים / ח’ באב תשפ”ב The Talmud states that the Temple was destroyed because the Jews kept the letter of the law. This is understood that they were more worried about the minutia of the law and forgot about the spirit that the law was to imbue. Share on Facebook
Jewish Law & Order
Thursday, June 9th, 2022פרשת נשא / י’ בסיון תשפ”ב In this week’s portion we find that the penalty of theft is that the thief has to make the victim whole. He also has to compensate the victim for pain and suffering due to the theft. If the thief cannot make the victim whole financially then we sell him […]
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 […]
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