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
Rabbi Eliezer Silver (1882-1968) proved to be one of the greatest rescuers of European Jewry during the Holocaust. He is credited with saving many thousands of Jewish lives. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Rabbi Eliezer Silver saved many from the Holocaust Read More »
International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USAWhen we read in the Haggadah about the Four Children, one wise, one “wicked,” one simple, and one who is too young to ask questions, it is the “wicked,” son, whom I preferably identify as “the contrarian child.” His question cuts to the essence of the holiday: “What does this holiday mean to you?” The contrarian son’s honesty is refreshingly different from the other sons at the seder. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
The chutzpah of the contrarian child Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbihe senseless deaths seen in the coronavirus pandemic challenges religious people’s concept of God. How does one reconcile our faith in a personal God who loves life, but allows a natural evil to destroy everything in its path? What kind of God—if any—can allow the suffering of innocent children? Every natural catastrophe seems to make the belief in a personal God seem unlikely. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
God and the problem of suffering Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiWilliam James (1842-1910) America’s greatest psychologist of his time, quoted from a friend of his, “There is very little difference between one man and another, but the little there is, is very important.” What applies to the individual certainly applies to the world of faith. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Interfaith responses to coronavirus Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USAEver since the coronavirus started, many of my congregants asked me whether this year might be the year of the Messiah’s arrival. A couple of days I ago, I came across an earlier article about how the Israeli Health Ministry Yaakov Litzman has done a poor job in managing the coronavirus crisis that we see in the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community in Israel. The pandemic has impacted their community, as much as four to eight times faster than elsewhere in Israel. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Will the Messiah come this year? Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiPassover is a unique holiday. While most people tend to see themselves as a product of the present, the Jew is different in one basic respect. Regardless of denomination, Jews are a people forged by the fiery crucible of memory. We say in the Passover Haggadah, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt . . .Had not the Holy Blessed One taken us out of Egypt, then we and our children, and our grandchildren would still be slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Passover awakens Jewish memory Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiAlthough Haredim, also known as ultra-Orthodox, make up only 12 percent of Israel’s population, the Haredim account for 40 to 60 percent of the coronavirus patients at four major hospitals, hospital officials told Israeli news media. The true dimensions of the epidemic among the Haredim can only be estimated because testing is rare. All of this has occurred under Rabbi Litzman’s watch. And to make the situation even worse, he himself contracted the virus. All of this could have been avoided, had he committed to the same rules of social-distancing he was supposed to have recommended to his communities.[1] [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
When the Haredim met Humpty Dumpty Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastGov. Andrew Como said something that recently caught my attention. He recently remarked, “I did everything we could do. … This is about saving lives. If everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy.”[1] [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
At what cost do we save a life? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USAThe Mishnah discusses an interesting case concerning an individual assuming personal liability for damages that one inadvertently causes to another. The text reads: “A human being is always considered ‘forewarned’ and is responsible in all situations where he inadvertently or purposely caused damage to another—whether he was awake, or even if he was asleep. If someone blinded another person’s eye, or broke his vessels, he must pay full damages. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Humans — and countries — always responsible for actions Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiWhen President Trump referred to the coronavirus, he referred to it several times as “the Chinese Virus.” This led to a barrage of criticisms claiming the President was stigmatizing Chinese Americans and other Asian ethnicities in this country. Looking at the comment, I thought it reaffirmed Rahm Emanuel’s cynical remark: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Actually, it was not Emanuel who originated this remark, it was Winston Churchill who first said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” When seen through the lens of realpolitik, Nancy Pelosi’s and Joe Biden’s accusation that Trump is a racist is clever—especially in an election year. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Pandemics in an age of political correctness Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & EducationNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has a penchant for making controversial comments. As a politician who always tries to win the loyalty of his constituency, it is quite possible he may have dug a hole for himself that he cannot climb out of. The Mayor said: “If your congregation continues to meet, you could be done for good. If you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church and attempt to hold services, after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice, but to shut down those services, … I don’t say that with any joy. It’s the last thing I would like to do, because I understand how important people’s faiths are to them, and we need our faith in this time of crisis. But we do not need gatherings that will endanger people.”[1] [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
DeBlasio stumbles over First Amendment Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USAIn ancient times, the rabbis knew much about the excesses of piety. In their effort to promote normalcy in the lives of their followers, the rabbis took a strident position toward those individuals.
The Jerusalem Talmud records a remarkable teaching that could certainly apply to today’s time: [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
The delusions of piety Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastIt is with surprise, one of Israel’s leading Modern Orthodox Rabbis, Kenneth Brander, who is the dean of the Israeli Ohr Torah Stone network of institutions, came out with an unexpected ruling: bodies infected by the coronavirus ought to be cremated in order to save the life of the living. One such person in Buenos Aires was cremated despite protests from his community. This ruling applies only when the government demands that cremations take place for the health of the public. In places like Italy or Britain, the governments there have made an exception to the faith communities. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Cremation, Judaism, and the coronavirus Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiAt a time when the world ought to be banding together for the common good, there is another segment of the human population that is contemplating new ways of weaponizing the coronavirus. In Gaza, Hamas came up with a new way harming Israelis. By raining missiles on Israel from Gaza, they are well-aware that Israelis will crowd themselves into bomb-shelters, an environment that would make it very easy to spread the pandemic among Israelis. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Weaponizing the coronavirus Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East