Parsha Mas’ay: Numbers in Torah

This week we finish the fourth book of the Torah, b’Meedbar (Numbers).  The final parsha (weekly Torah portion) is called Mas’ay which means travels, and the parsha starts off by reviewing 40 years of  travels by the children of Yisrael.   At the end of this review, we read that haShem (god) once again talks to Moshe (Moses) telling him to tell the people something.  This time it is what to do when they cross the Jordan river:  remove the people … Continue reading

Counting the Omer: Jewish Personal Growth

First, what is an Omer?  And why do we count them?  And how does counting these… omers lead to self improvement (which I am implying by the title of this post)? The answer to the first two questions are easy.  Omer is the Hebrew word for a sheaf of grain.  The main Jewish sacred text, the Torah, tells us that we should bring sheaves of barley to the sacred place, the place where the divine infinite safely intersects our finite … Continue reading