Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.
His books, available on Amazon, include:
By 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-RabbiDavid’s Psalms by David Sharir and Benjamin Segal; Gefen Publishing House, 2013; ISBN 9789652296191, 110 pages, Rating 5+ Stars. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — This new book on the Psalms is very simple and yet very elegant. Rabbi Benjamin Segal’s previous volume, New Psalm: The Psalms as a Literature, is an excellent
Five stars plus for a book on Psalms Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiNahum HaLevi, The Color of Prophecy: Visualizing the Bible In a New Light; Hardcover; Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House 2012 By Rabbi Michael Samuels CHULA VISTA, California — The Zohar teaches that there are many different layers of Torah interpretation. This mystical work cautions us to take the biblical text at face value. In reality, many
A Bible is illustrated as never before Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California– As Creator, and the Source of our being, God continuously brings our existence out of the abyss of nothingness, and is renewed with the possibility of new life. God’s love and compassion is bio-centric and embraces the universe in its totality. God’s power is not all-powerful (in
Creating an inner space for God to dwell Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi