We Are God’s Vessels
Friday, March 1st, 2024The reason that the Jews built the Golden Calf was that they thought that without Moses that they would not have been redeemed. The lesson is that our leaders are vessels for God. They succeed when they do what God expects. 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
Don’t Be a Normal Nation
Monday, July 24th, 2023The first of the Ten Commandments is that God took us out of Egypt. One of the thoughts is that we were not taken out of Egypt to be a normal nation but to be a light until the other nations. Share on Facebook
Moses’s Last Speech
Tuesday, July 18th, 2023The Book of Deuteronomy is all about how to set up society once the Jews reach the Land of Israel. Moses’s main concern was that the Jews not copy the ways of the Egyptians or their society. 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
Prepare the Next Generation
Wednesday, June 7th, 2023Moses has to teach Joshua an important lesson in this week’s portion. That if you want a future of the Jewish people then you have to prepare the future leaders to take their positions. Otherwise, there will be no next generation. 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
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
We Are Moses’s Progenity
Sunday, May 14th, 2023When the Torah states that these are the progenity of Moses & Aaron, it mentions Aaron’s descendants but is silent on Mases’s. The reason is that Moses’s descendants were not leaders. Aaron’s descendants were. Share on Facebook
We Get the Leaders We Deserve
Friday, May 12th, 2023The Torah warns us that if we do not have a moral society we will suffer as a nation. We will get leaders who are unjust and corrupt. Morality comes from the bottom up. 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