The Danger of Leadership
The Torah warns against the danger of corruption and abuse of power. This is the reason that it was quoted at the American Constitutional Convention.
Aug 26, 2025•5 min
Shlomo's Thoughts on the Torah
After morning prayers Shlomo Bar-Ayal gives a daily, brief, one to three minute talk on the Portion of the week.
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Episodes
Seeking Justice
We are commanded to seek justice. We know that we cannot attain it in all cases. This does not mean that we should just give up.
Aug 25, 2025•4 min
Let's Get Our House In Order
As we enter the month of Elul we start to get ready to be judged by God on Yom Kippur. Before we can ask God for forgiveness we have to go to our fellow man and ask for his/her forgiveness.
Aug 24, 2025•3 min
Be True To The Torah
We are told that we should not copy the other nations, especially their ideas of morality. We have to be true to the values in the Bible, not popular whim.
Aug 22, 2025•3 min
We Must Remain United
To be united does not mean that we agree on everything but that we are in agreement on our national goals. We can debate with one another on issues but we must never lose site of the fact that we are one people.
Aug 21, 2025•5 min
Beware Of False Prophets
We are all for social justice, but it has to be in harmony with the commandments. If someone tells us that we do not have to obey the commandments then they are a false prophet.
Aug 20, 2025•4 min
We Can Determin Our Fate
The Torah gives the option of determining our fate. While we can't control everything in life, we can follow the commandments and change the world.
Aug 19, 2025•4 min
Obligations, Not Entitlements
The Torah never mentions our rights. It talks about our obligations to God and society. When we concentrate on our obligations, we can be happy with little. But when we concentrate on our entitlements we will never be satisfied.
Aug 18, 2025•3 min
Treat An Adult Like An Adult
We are told that we will receive blessings and curses depending on our behavior. The Torah is pointing out that God will treat us as adults. It admonishes us to treat others as adults.
Aug 17, 2025•4 min
Are We On God's Side
We are asked if God is on our side. The important question, to paraphrase President Lincoln, are we on God's side.
Aug 15, 2025•4 min
Our Obligations To Society
We know that society has obligations to us but we frequently forget that we have obligations to society. We can't just do whatever we feel like. We have to fit into societal norms.
Aug 13, 2025•4 min
It's A Package Deal
The Torah has commandments of our actions between man and God as well as between man and man. Both are important since one without the other will lead to both being forgotten.
Aug 12, 2025•4 min
Make God A Part Of Your Life
We are taught that we are in a partnership with God. We follow His way and He will make sure that our work is not in vain. If we don't then we will lose everything.
Aug 11, 2025•3 min
We Are Not Meant To Be A Normal People
In this week's Torah reading we see that God is making a deal with the Jews. If you want a good and successful life, then you have to follow the commandments. If you want to be a normal people you will get what a normal people get.
Aug 10, 2025•4 min
The Cure For The 9th Of Av
The 9th of Av is the anniversary of the worst disasters of Jewish history. The 15th of Av is the Jewish answer to our enemies. It is a day that we encourage young people to meet, marry and begin to build a family. It is saying, you did not defeat us. We will continue as Jews.
Aug 08, 2025•5 min
Be Holy & Successful
The Shma is the central statement of the Jews. We recite twice daily. It is to remind us that our mission is to be a holy nation through our actions, whether with God or our fellow man.
Aug 07, 2025•5 min
Keeping & Remembering
The Torah states that we have to remember and keep the Sabbath day. This is to teach that if we don't remember why the Sabbath day is about, we will forget it and if we don't keep it, we will not keep it. It will be another day of the week.
Aug 06, 2025•4 min
Remove Evil From The World
While the Torah demands we treat our fellow man with dignity it also maintains that our fellow man must also behave correctly. When they commit murder, rape, etc. then we have to deal with them in the appropriate manner.
Aug 05, 2025•4 min
Seeing The Land & The Mission
Moses pleads one last time to enter the Land. God denies this request but gives him the opportunity to see all the Land in its entirety as well as the future of the Jewish people.
Aug 04, 2025•4 min
Why The 9th of Av
Today is the 9th of Av. It is a sad day in the Jewish year. It is not only the anniversary of the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem but also of many disasters that befell the Jewish people. On this day we think about averting new disasters by improving ourselves morally, ethically, and nationally
Aug 03, 2025•4 min
Disunity & Baseless Hatred
It is no accident that the portion of the Torah known as Devarim is read the Shabbat before the 9th of Av. The 9th of Av teaches us what happens when our leaders do not lead, when we engage in baseless hatred and when we lose trust in God.
Aug 01, 2025•4 min
Peace Through Strength
One of the messages of the Torah is that we have to be humble. Humility does not mean that we may never stand up for ourselves. It means that we have to acknowledge that God is running the world and wants us to be moral and ethical.
Jul 31, 2025•3 min
Blind Justice Is Best For All
Justice should be blind to the monetary and/or social status of the people who come before the court. Otherwise, society would break down into anarchy.
Jul 30, 2025•4 min
Delegating Power Openly
True leadership means that there be transparency. That a leader remember that he is a servant of the people, not the other way around.
Jul 29, 2025•4 min
Failure of Bad Leadership
Moses recounts the sin of the scouts. The problem was two-fold: they were afraid that they would lose their status as leaders of the people, and they couldn't understand that the purpose was to work the while keeping the Torah
Jul 28, 2025•4 min
Why Learn History
The Book of Deuteronomy is Moses recounting all the events that happened from the leaving of Egypt to them getting ready to enter the land. Why recount this? To remind us that God wants us to be moral and ethical people.
Jul 27, 2025•3 min
Getting Ready For Our Mission
Getting Ready For Our Mission - In this week's portion we are commanded to be a holy, unified and just society. When our society is built on these three pillars, there is nothing that can defeat us.
Jul 25, 2025•3 min
The Cities of Refuge
The cities of refuge were for those who killed accidentally. It was a way of punishing them as well protecting them. They had to stay there until the High Priest dies. The reason for this is that the people's spirituality was expressed though the High Priest. If he did his job correctly then the accident would not have occurred.
Jul 24, 2025•5 min
Boundaries: Physical & Moral
The setting of boundaries is important for any society. Without them then we turn into anarchy with no limits on what is permitted and what is not. The Torah gives us boundaries both physical & moral. Both for Jews and non-Jews.
Jul 23, 2025•4 min
Why Midian Had to be Destroyed
In this week's portion the Jews get the command to destroy Midian. This was not revenge for what they did but a judgement that caused others to sin, which is worse than committing then since yourself.
Jul 21, 2025•3 min
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