We are almost to the end of the five books of Moshe (Moses). This week’s parsha (Torah portion), the one we read this shabbat, is called Key Taytzay which means: When you will go out. Out to where? In this case, our parsha is telling us about going out to war. Our parsha begins by talking about what to do when you fight your enemies and capture women whom you wish to marry. A strange way to start a parsha, … Continue reading
We are in the month of Elul, the month before Rosh haShannah. I will keep this brief, but I feel I do need to share a few thoughts on this month. This month is a time to look backwards and forwards. We look backwards to see what we have done that we did not like, that did not fit in with our perceptions of who we are and who we want to be. We also are looking forwards visualizing how … Continue reading
It is time to wake you. Take a stretch. I have some parsha (Torah weekly portion) thoughts to share. This shabbat we read from the parsha R’ay which is the command form of the verb to see. It is the first word in our parsha, which begins by saying, “See – I am giving before you today a blessing and a curse.” The blessing is to listen to all of haShem’s (god’s) mitzvot (commandments/joinings), and the curse is if you … Continue reading
Once again it is time to take the proverbial pen in hand and share with you my thoughts on the parsha (weekly Torah portion) we read this shabbat. The parsha is called Aykev which means, “As a consequence of,” and it begins by telling us that as a consequence of our listening to the judgements, and guarding them, and doing them, haShem (god) will guard the brit (covenant) for us. Before I go any further, I want to remind you … Continue reading
This shabbat we read a very interesting parsha (Torah portion), which includes, among other things, the return of the ten utterances. Let’s start, however, at the beginning. The parsha begins with Moshe (Moses) beseeching haShem (god) to allow him to enter the promised land. This entreating of god is where the name of our parsha comes from. In Hebrew, the verb is heetchanan and our parsha is called vaetchanan, which means, “And I beseeched.” God’s answer to Moshe is to … Continue reading
This week we begin the final book of the Torah: D’varim (Deuteronomy). This also happens to be the name of the parsha (weekly Torah portion). It is the beginning of the end, and like all good endings, it recaps and summarizes what came before it. In a nutshell, here is what it says: We start by being told that this is Moshe (Moses) speaking to the people at a very specific location (no I won’t give that location, it is … Continue reading
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
This shabbat, we read the parsha (Torah portion) called Matot. Matot is plural and has three meanings: One meaning is staff. Another is a tribe. The third is downwards. An example of this meaning is l’matah means below. This is why the Tanach (bible) is so hard to translate: depending on which meaning you plug in, you get new levels of meaning and understanding. If you don’t believe me, try plugging in the different meanings in the first pasuk (sentence) … Continue reading
This week’s parsha (Torah portion) is called Pinchas which is the name of the grandson of Aharon and the son of our current cohen gadol (high priest) Elazar. Now our previous parsha ended with Pinchas stopping a plague by skewering one of our princes who was flaunting his relationship with a Midyanite woman, and our current parsha picks up with haShem (god) telling Moshe (Moses) that Pinchas saved the children of Yisrael with his act and so haShem is giving … Continue reading
The sun has set. The clouds are blue with pink streaks. This is what I am looking at as I start to write about this week’s parsha (Torah portion). The parsha is called Balak. He is the Moabite king, and he is afraid of the children of Yisrael. So he enlists the help of a man of god named Bilim, to curse the children of Yisrael so that Balak can drive them off. After much persuasion, god give Bilim permission … Continue reading