Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Astronomy led to Judaism

Rabbi Michael Samuel likes preaching on ethical monotheism

Rabbi Samuel: "If there is no afterlife, then we’ll never know the difference."
Rabbi Samuel: "If there is no afterlife, then we’ll never know the difference."
Place

Temple Beth Sholom

208 Madrona Street, Chula Vista

Membership: 60

Rabbi: Michael Samuel

Age: 64

Born: San Francisco

Sponsored
Sponsored

Formation: Tomthei Temmimim, Israel; San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo

Years Ordained: 41

San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon?

Rabbi Michael Samuel: I think about it all week and ask myself, “What is the message I want to get across?” Once I’m able to answer that, it will take me ten minutes to write it. The key to writing a good sermon is to have an idea you wish to communicate — a specific idea, moral, or concern.

SDR: What’s your favorite subject on which to preach?

RS: Ethical monotheism is important. It is a belief in God that inspires people to live a good, decent, and ethical life. Ethical monotheism creates a nexus between people and faith. With faith, it’s not enough to “believe” in God. You’re not doing God any favors. It’s more important to be living in God. It’s a pun — be-living instead of believing. They sound alike but they’re different: faith has to be totally engaging and help you want to make the world a better place.

SDR: Why did you become a rabbi?

RS: Many years ago, I knew I wanted to be a rabbi. I felt as if God spoke to me as a child through the marvels of nature, and astronomy in particular. That inspired me to pursue a path I’ve remained committed to ever since. The universe is a phenomenally expansive place, and that we’re able to understand a small part of it, and ask why we are here and how we got here, signifies a miracle that is on par with the Big Bang. The emergence of sentient, self-reflective life defies astronomical odds. That life should exist may not be a great miracle, but that life should be capable of understanding its origin and asking the great question “Why?” is at the heart of all faiths. That’s what inspired me as a teenager to become a rabbi.

SDR: Why Judaism?

RS: Judaism is a religion that appeals to reason, mindfulness, and how we conduct ourselves in this life. Judaism is not a closed religion; it does not look at the world and other religions in a negative way. Judaism is a beautiful, challenging, engaging religion that is always pushing me to be at my best.

SDR: What is the mission of your community?

RS: Our mission is to help Jews of any background to reconnect with their ancestral heritage. That is the mission statement of Temple Beth Shalom. We have classes and help people learn Hebrew, both biblical and modern conversational Hebrew. We also have classes which focus on Jewish philosophy and ethics, and we study the Bible every Saturday. I encourage my students to challenge the text. The best question is the question that makes you think.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

RS: It’s better to live your life as if it has absolute meaning and purpose than to live a life that has no purpose. When I talk about the afterlife, that’s one approach I take. There’s another approach, too. The question of the afterlife is irrelevant. Why? If there is an afterlife, we’ll know about it soon enough; and if there is no afterlife, then we’ll never know the difference. Thus, Judaism is more a functional faith that is concerned with how you act. It keeps you directed toward the divine and transcendental while keeping your feet firmly planted in this world.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gilbert Castellanos, Buddha Trixie, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shane Hall, Brian Jones Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival

Grand Socials, gigs, and record releases in Del Mar, City Heights, Solana Beach, Little Italy, and Ocean Beach
Rabbi Samuel: "If there is no afterlife, then we’ll never know the difference."
Rabbi Samuel: "If there is no afterlife, then we’ll never know the difference."
Place

Temple Beth Sholom

208 Madrona Street, Chula Vista

Membership: 60

Rabbi: Michael Samuel

Age: 64

Born: San Francisco

Sponsored
Sponsored

Formation: Tomthei Temmimim, Israel; San Francisco Theological Seminary, San Anselmo

Years Ordained: 41

San Diego Reader: How long do you spend writing your sermon?

Rabbi Michael Samuel: I think about it all week and ask myself, “What is the message I want to get across?” Once I’m able to answer that, it will take me ten minutes to write it. The key to writing a good sermon is to have an idea you wish to communicate — a specific idea, moral, or concern.

SDR: What’s your favorite subject on which to preach?

RS: Ethical monotheism is important. It is a belief in God that inspires people to live a good, decent, and ethical life. Ethical monotheism creates a nexus between people and faith. With faith, it’s not enough to “believe” in God. You’re not doing God any favors. It’s more important to be living in God. It’s a pun — be-living instead of believing. They sound alike but they’re different: faith has to be totally engaging and help you want to make the world a better place.

SDR: Why did you become a rabbi?

RS: Many years ago, I knew I wanted to be a rabbi. I felt as if God spoke to me as a child through the marvels of nature, and astronomy in particular. That inspired me to pursue a path I’ve remained committed to ever since. The universe is a phenomenally expansive place, and that we’re able to understand a small part of it, and ask why we are here and how we got here, signifies a miracle that is on par with the Big Bang. The emergence of sentient, self-reflective life defies astronomical odds. That life should exist may not be a great miracle, but that life should be capable of understanding its origin and asking the great question “Why?” is at the heart of all faiths. That’s what inspired me as a teenager to become a rabbi.

SDR: Why Judaism?

RS: Judaism is a religion that appeals to reason, mindfulness, and how we conduct ourselves in this life. Judaism is not a closed religion; it does not look at the world and other religions in a negative way. Judaism is a beautiful, challenging, engaging religion that is always pushing me to be at my best.

SDR: What is the mission of your community?

RS: Our mission is to help Jews of any background to reconnect with their ancestral heritage. That is the mission statement of Temple Beth Shalom. We have classes and help people learn Hebrew, both biblical and modern conversational Hebrew. We also have classes which focus on Jewish philosophy and ethics, and we study the Bible every Saturday. I encourage my students to challenge the text. The best question is the question that makes you think.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

RS: It’s better to live your life as if it has absolute meaning and purpose than to live a life that has no purpose. When I talk about the afterlife, that’s one approach I take. There’s another approach, too. The question of the afterlife is irrelevant. Why? If there is an afterlife, we’ll know about it soon enough; and if there is no afterlife, then we’ll never know the difference. Thus, Judaism is more a functional faith that is concerned with how you act. It keeps you directed toward the divine and transcendental while keeping your feet firmly planted in this world.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Mid-range fleet scoring bluefin limits off Ensenada

Rockfish to open at all depths April 1st (no foolin’)
Next Article

Why Unified® Review: What To Expect Dropshipping (Positive & Negative)

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.