Torah Reflections

Re'eh: Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17 "Blessings & Curses: In the "I" of the Beholder"   This week’s Torah portion is close to my heart. It was the Torah portion of the week of my wedding, some years ago, and is called Re’eh, which means “See!” It begins:...

Pinchas: Numbers 25:10 - 30:1 "The Beautiful Life of Rabbi Moses"   There is a beautiful passage in this week’s Torah portion where God tells Moses to ascend a mountain and, from its peak, to gaze at the Promised Land before him. After that, God says to him, you...

Balak: Numbers 22:2 - 25:9 "Beating Life Into Submission"   This week’s Torah portion retells one of the most peculiar stories in Torah; that of Balaam and his donkey. Balaam is a professional curser hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Hebrew tribes...

Chukat: Numbers 19:1 - 22:1 "Dust & Ashes Sprinkled by the Shechinah"   A famous saying in the Talmud teaches: “These are things the fruits of which a man enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him in the World to Come: Honoring one's father...

Korach: Numbers 16:1 - 18:32 "Battle at The Edge of The Promised Land"   We left the Israelites at the edge of the Promised Land last week. Twelve tribal leaders, who had gone to scope out the Land, had come back. Ten to two, they advised against entering into...

Sh'lach L'cha: Numbers 13:1 - 15:41 "Why The Spies Were Wrong"   This week, in Torah, we meet again the story of the twelve elders, leaders of the Hebrew tribes, whom Moses sends to spy upon the Land of Canaan ahead of the Israelites’ invasion. Returning after...

B'haalot'cha: Numbers 8:1 - 12:16 "The I of The Storm"   Like many times before in the Exodus narrative, the Hebrews are, once again, rebelling against Moses and complaining about their current condition. This time, the wilderness’ food monotony is what causes...

Naso: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89 "True Blessing"   In our Torah reading this week we happen upon one of the central blessings of our tradition; the Priestly Blessing. And the Eternal spoke to Moses, saying; Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying; Thus you shall bless the...

B'Midbar: Numbers 1:1 - 4:20 "E Pluribus Unum"   It is no big secret that the Jewish home is a divided one. The events of this week in Israel and Palestine have been, among other things, an additional blow to the lost unity of our people. We are at great odds. We...

Acharei Mot - Kedoshim: Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30 "Drawing Near Through Generosity"   There is an interesting passage in this week’s double Torah portion that caught my eye this time around. God, through Moses, asks the Israelites to only bring sacrifices at the...

Tazria - Metzora: Leviticus 12:1 - 13:51 "Sin is a Divine Gift"   Our weekly Torah reading begins laying out spiritual practices connected to human birth: “Ishah ki tazria… – When a woman conceives…” [Lev. 12:2] In his commentary on these three words, Rashi...

Sh'mini, Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47 "What is God's Will for Me?"   Growing up, I always had difficulties, with the concept of “doing God’s will” that my rabbis often spoke of. Somehow, I was supposed to do “God’s will” in all my daily actions. For them, doing God’s...