Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.
His books, available on Amazon, include:
*A Shepherd’s Song
*Gentle Judaic Wisdom for a Troubled World
*Maimonides Hidden Torah Commentaries: Genesis 1-21
*Maimonides Hidden Torah Commentaries: Genesis: 22-50
*Rediscovering Philo of Alexandria: A First Century Torah Commentator (Vol 1): Genesis
*Rediscovering Philo of Alexandria: A First Century Torah Commentator (Vol 2): Exodus
*Rediscovering Philo of Alexandria: A First Century Torah Commentator (Vol 3) Leviticus
*Rediscovering Philo of Alexandria: A First Century Torah Commentator(Vol 4) Numbers
*Rediscovering Philo of Alexandria: A First Century Torah Commentator (Vol 5) Deuteronomy
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (1924-2014) died on July 3rd this past week. The world has lost of one its greatest and most imaginative modern Rebbes of modern times. In the early sixties, he and Shlomo Carlbach were among the earliest followers of Rabbi Schneersohn and their success set the […]
Farewell to Rabbi Zalman Schachter- Shalomi Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiToday, we’re coming after the Saturday people; after we finish, we will come after the Sunday people By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — My personal history with the Presbyterian Church goes back to the early 1990s, when they accepted me as a student for their doctoral program. In the three years I
Presby. Church USA brings shame upon itself Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The life of a spiritual leader is never easy—especially if you happen to be a man named Moses. Kvetching comes with the territory of working for a Jewish community. It’s a tradition. I am reminded of the old joke, “How many congregants does it take to
How Hashem dealt with Miriam’s racism Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, Calidfornia — Jewish tradition has long taught that if God had not given the Ten Commandments, man would have had to learn ethics from nature. Obviously, some animals exhibit cruel behavior, but many higher animals show a profound ethical regard for their species and sometimes even other species!
Empathy of animals and moral imperatives of man Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, The World We ShareA Shepherd’s Song: Psalm 23 and the Shepherd Metaphor in Jewish Thought by Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, Kodesh Press, New York, NY; ISBN 978-0-61599-132-0 ©2014, $22.95, p. 360, plus Notes and Index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Psalm 23 is arguably the most well known of the one hundred fifty psalms. Its opening
‘A Shepherd’s Song’ analyzes Psalm 23’s metaphor Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi-First in a series- By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Jesus once said: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good
Examining Protestant animus toward the Jews Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The language of empathy is hardwired into the consciousness of many higher mammals. Human beings share the capacity to experience empathy for others. Of course, human beings are different in one basic respect from the animal kingdom. Whereas empathy is something that is instinctual in the
Arab professor visits Auschwitz with his students Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most important feminists fighting for women’s rights in the Islamic world is a woman named Ayaan Hirsi Ali. This remarkable woman was born in Somalia where she was raised as a Muslim. She spent her youth and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi
Brandeis was wrong to cancel Ali’s honor Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –This past week, I watched the new movie Noah with considerable interest. The newest book of my Genesis commentary deals largely with the story of Noah and the moral questions raised by the Noah narrative. Naturally, whether a person writes a script or a commentary on a biblical story,
‘Noah’ departs in many ways from biblical narrative Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —The Jerusalem Post featured an unusual article about the Chief Rabbi of Holon Rabbi Avraham Yosef, the son of the late Sefardic-Haredi leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. His son sits on the Israel Chief Rabbinate’s council and commands considerable influence in Orthodox politics in Israel and abroad. In
Rabbi Yosef’s opinion on plagiarism is mistaken Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — This question is based on a question posed to the “Ethicist” column in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. My colleague at work spends most of his time posting to the website, Reddit. He could be posting information about his boss or work environment that could
Employees surfing unrelated Internet sites are stealing Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –The Mishnah teaches that, “Anyone reading the Megillah backwards (or out of sequence) has not fulfilled his obligation” (BT. Megillah 17a).[1] Hassidic Scholars noted that one should never think that the miracles and the story of Purim are a relic of the ancient past. Rather its message continues
Opposites: Samuel Rosenman and Queen Esther Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –During the Holocaust years, Purim celebrations were forbidden to the Jews. Christians and Jews could not even own the book of Esther. Such decrees did not stop the Nazis from poking fun at the Jews on this Jewish holiday. With diabolical glee, the Nazis frequently orchestrated special
Purim and the Nazi Julius Streicher Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiThe Tefillah Revolution by Chaya Sara Lefkowitz; Menucha Publishers (Brooklyn, 2013); 184 pages; ISBN-10: 1614650950;$17.98. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –In her beautifully attractive book, The Tefillah Revolution, Chaya Sara Lefkowitz begins her subject focusing on one of the most important problems regarding the prayer life of people: Why do we find it
Women’s prayers more spiritual than men’s? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi