Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Anyone who really knows the Bible, probably knows that it is a book that is full of sexual themes—from one end of Tanakh to the other. Lot sleeps with his daughters; Reuben’s affair with his stepmother Bilhah, and the biblical version of Romeo and Juliet are

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Children have an unusual ability when it comes to confronting our spiritual hypocrisy as parents and as adults; very often they get to the essence of the problem as they perceive things. Frequently, as parents we often fail to hear the questions our young people ask

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Simchat Torah is a relatively new holiday. Nowhere is it mentioned in the Talmud; nor is it mentioned in Maimonides or the Tur Shulchan Aruch. But it is explicitly mentioned in the Zohar,[1] a work that dates back to about 1270—although it is a holiday that

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel Once a judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce, and asked, “What are the grounds for your divorce?” She replied, “About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by.” “No,” he said, “I mean what is the foundation

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Q:  Why does it take 10 men for a prayer minyan? A: The custom of the minyan is rabbinic in origin. When examining the minyan’s origins, it is vital we remember that this custom is not something that is etched in stone. However, as a custom,