Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.

His books, available on Amazon, include:

What historic sources say about Chanukah

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the famous and most important questions asked about Hanukkah reads: What is Hanukkah? [i.e., “Why do we celebrate Hanukkah?”]. The question strikes a modern reader as odd. Surely, the Jews must have known about the holiday’s significance for several centuries! On the surface, one […]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Two digital versions of the Talmud compete

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA,  California — In his Torahmusings,  R. Gill Student cites an endorsement of R. Steinsaltz’s translation from R. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. His comments are especially important for anyone interested in the science of translation as it pertains to the translation of the Talmud: Every translation is to some extent a

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Halloween superstitious? How about tefillin and mezuzot?

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Rabbi Kamin’s interesting article on the subject of Halloween reminded me of many of my own childhood experiences. Is Halloween “permitted”? Is the children’s ritual of “Trick and Treating,” considered forbidden because it emulates the practices of the non-Jewish world? Many years ago, a learned colleague

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Abraham, Sarah, Moses turn the ‘Paige’ on age worries

  By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Isn’t it amazing that Americans are living longer than ever before in recorded history  More than 87 million Americans will be over 65 by the year 2040, according to the National Institute of Aging.  Today, the over‑65 group accounts for about 30 million people; the

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Circumcision has been debated through the ages

•         The sign of circumcision is so important, that . . . .it alone would preserve the nation [Israel] forever — SPINOZA, Theologico-Political Treatise 1670. Ch. 3 •         Turnus Rufus asked R. Akiba: “If God wanted circumcision, why didn’t he make man born  circumcised?” R. Akiba replied, “Why do you ask only regarding circumcision? Why

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Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & Education

Noah & Abraham: A Rabbinical Comparison

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfecta in his generations, and Noah walked with God (Gen 6:9). אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ (Gen 6:9 ) in his generation – What is signified by “perfect in his generation”? R. Yochanan said:

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi