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Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel[/caption]
Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.
His books, available on Amazon, include:
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*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
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Aaron and Job stand at opposite poles of the same unbearable truth: when the world collapses, silence can feel like the only honest response—and yet silence can also become a prison. We know this, don’t we? [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Aaron’s silence, Job’s protests–both are honest and holy Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Jason Abranches, great-grandson of Portuguese Consul Aristides de Sousa Mendes, and Arturo Levin, whose mother and grandmother were saved by Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara, will share how ordinary diplomats risked everything to become extraordinary rescuers. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Two diplomats who defied Hitler to be spotlighted at Sunday’s Yom HaShoah commemoration Read More »
Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Dr. Samuel’s very informative and readable book teaches us what kabbalah and mysticism are, their history, the people involved, the countries they were associated with, the influences and impact of these ideas on their lives and others’ lives, and the problems they posed. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
‘Kabbalah Demystified’: A primer about Jewish mysticism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined ContributorsAt the heart of Shyfrin’s project lies an informational ontology—the view that information, rather than matter or energy alone, constitutes the fundamental substrate of reality. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Kabbalah conforms with some modern scientific theories Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined ContributorsWhat sets Weinstein’s work apart from standard references (ArtScroll’s dictionaries, the Jastrow Talmud lexicon, or even free online tools like Sefaria’s glossaries) is its deliberate accessibility and Orthodox integrity. Every entry was vetted through Torah-centric sources only—no secular etymology or Reform reinterpretations. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]
Review: A guide to Jewish religious vocabulary Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined ContributorsIn this week’s parsha, Tsav, the Torah pivots from the “how-to” of the offerings to a repeated, severe prohibition: “You shall not eat any blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwelling places” (Leviticus 7:26). [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Parsha Tsav: The vampire in the palace Read More »
Antisemitism, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined ContributorsWhenever I read the Book of Leviticus, I find myself asking: What is the purpose of sacrifices—especially for people living in the 21st century? Leviticus may not have the excitement of Genesis or Exodus, but I do believe there is much we can learn from its lessons and laws. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
‘Sacrifice’ in Judaism not transactional; it’s transformational Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined ContributorsOn Shabbat, we receive an expanded vitality: heightened joy, deeper peace, expanded capacity for gratitude, and a profound sense of wholeness. It is as if God breathes fresh life into us anew, allowing our souls to “catch up” and even surpass the pace of the week. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Parsha Vayakhel: Shabbat brings with it an extra soul Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined ContributorsMoses climbed the mountain to receive the tablets. He carries no provisions, no visible sign of return. Day after day the people wait. No Moses. No voice from the peak. Only silence and the smoldering summit. In their minds the unthinkable takes shape: the man who brought them out of Egypt, who split the sea, who spoke face to face with God—he is gone. Perhaps swallowed by the fire. Perhaps dead. [Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel]
Ki Tissa: The Golden Calf and the ache of separation Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined ContributorsBeyond the surface-level parody, the Spiel functions as a sophisticated tool for the mastery of terror. By transforming a genocidal antagonist—whether the biblical Haman or his modern iterations—into a buffoonish, pitiable caricature, the community performs a collective “reclamation of power.” [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
The Purim Spiel: An explanation and an example Read More »
Israel, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
This edition presents Sacks’ own modern English translation of the Torah, a compiled commentary drawn primarily from his Covenant & Conversation series, along with books, lectures, and other writings—with the sections for Shemot through Bo newly adapted for this project. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
A new standard Jewish Bible or a noble compromise? Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
She boards the plane like anyone else, and suddenly she’s in the middle of a nightmare. Now, as a retired cultural anthropologist and professor emerita from the University of Arizona, she brings this incredible mix of lived experience and scholarly eye to the story. She doesn’t just recount what happened—she digs into how it messed with her head and heart for decades. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
‘Hostage’ is a first-hand account of a hijacking Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USAThe priestly garments and the Purim masks both speak to the same truth: external appearance can conceal, reveal, or transform inner reality. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
The connection between priestly garb and Purim costumes Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined ContributorsThis week’s parsha, Terumah, opens with one of the Torah’s most profound invitations: “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Why do Jews build synagogues? The origin and purpose of sacred space Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Staff and Bylined Contributors