Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.
His books, available on Amazon, include:
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Once upon a time, some American tourists went to Mexico on a vacation; they toured some hot springs, where they saw the natives washing their clothes! One tourist said to his guide, “My, isn’t wonderful how Mother Nature provides her children with hot water to wash their […]
Learning to appreciate our bounty Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Most rabbinical students attribute omnipresence and omniscience as qualities befitting a Creator. Only God is called, The Knower of Thoughts, and The Searcher of the human heart. Rabbinical wisdom has long taught, “Always keep in mind these three things, and you will never come to the brink
God, not government, should know our every thought Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Personally, I have never been one for reality television shows. Life is much too interesting to “observe” from afar. When I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, I remember “The Dating Game.” This show would pit a number of contestants who would compete for
The suicide of a contestant on ‘The Bachelor’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — When I read about the sun’s magnetic field reversing its polarity within the next several months, part of me felt a little nervous. How will the sun’s changes affect the earth? Does this mean that our earthly days are numbered? Actually, astronomers and meteorologists have indicated
Some amazing facts about the earth and sun Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Dr. Paul Shrell-Fox is someone I admire. As a clinical psychologist and researcher living in Israel, he has researched a social and religious phenomenon about a subject that many of us rabbis would sooner deny than admit: there are an increasing number of Orthodox and Conservative
The case of the atheistic rabbis Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel SAN DIEGO — What is Tu b’Av? Do we celebrate it today? What is the significance of the day? The summer holiday of Tu B’Av (the 15th of Av) is a rabbinical holiday, one that the Mishnah describes in colorful detail: Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel said, “There were no happier days
Question: What is Tu b’Av? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The media did its best to portray George Zimmerman as a racist in its efforts to influence the public and the jury to convict him for the crime of manslaughter. Eric Holder, as of today, is still investigating whether Zimmerman might be prosecuted for civil rights
Zimmerman, no racist, has African-American ancestors Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Philosopher George Santayana is perhaps best known for saying, “He who forgets the past, is condemned to repeat it.” This attitude finds profound expression in much of the rabbinic literature regarding the period of time that is better known as, “The Three Weeks,” which culminates
Akiba stayed optimistic even after Temple destroyed Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — When the nine days of the Jewish month of Ab arrives, our joy diminishes accordingly.[1] Unlike other times of the year, this period in particular beckons us to give thought to the reasons why the Second Jewish Commonwealth of the 1st century ended in disaster for the
Tisha B’Av and the attack on a Haredi soldier Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The list of famous people President Obama has invited to the White House is something most of us would find surprising, amusing, and even outrageous. He has on occasions invited Gangsta Rappers like the rap artist named Common, whose poetical lyrics extols the virtues of cannibalism,
Obama’s Middle Eastern guest list raises questions Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The following are the stages by which the Israelites journeyed up by companies from the land of Egypt under the guidance of Moses and Aaron. — (Numbers 33:1) The biblical narrator lists 42 stopping points beginning with Egypt. Some of the mystical commentaries make a penetrating
Pesach, 4th of July and Morsi’s overthrow Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As a child of the early sixties, I could remember watching the George Reeves’ Adventures of Superman show on television. Back then, the show did not feature super-sized villains like those that we have grown used to seeing over the past thirty years or so. No, Superman generally
Superman no longer an American hero, just a killer Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Travel and FoodBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Brad Pitt’s latest horror film, World War Z, started making me think of more practical questions regarding the existence of zombies. With the ongoing saga of election fraud, and in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding election manipulations, I thought I would share some tongue-in-cheek and
Rabbi, do zombies count toward a minyan? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiPrayers for the Welfare of the State & for the Welfare of the State of Israel by Rabbi Avraham Steinberg. Publisher: Yad Harav Herzog/ OU PRESS; 1st edition, 2012. 179 pages. Price: $18.95 Rating **** By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As we approach the Jewish holiday of Tisha’ B’ Av (The Ninth
A rabbi who recognizes the miracle that is Israel Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi