This week’s Parasha is called Va-etchanan, which means, “And I pleaded.”  It covers Deuteronomy chapter 3:23 – chapter 7:11.  The parasha opens with Moses pleading with God to allow him to cross over into the Promised Land, but God refusing to allow Moses to enter.  If you remember, back in Numbers, chapter 20, Moses was […]

This week’s Parasha is called Devarim, which means words and covers Deuteronomy 1:3-22. The book of Deuteronomy will be a recap of all that has occurred from the Exodus up to this moment.  Moses gave instruction and history to this new generation of the Jewish nation that were not of the age of consent when […]

The parashas for this Shabbat are Mattot and Massei, translated “tribes” and “journeys” and takes us from chapter 30 of BaMidbar (Numbers) to the end. Chapter 30 discusses the importance of vows. If you swear an oath, you’re obligated to make good on it. But this passage contains provisions by which a father or a […]

This week our parasha is Pinchas, which covers Numbers 25:10-30:1. Parasha Pinchas teaches us that we should have great boldness in standing up for what is right and that boldness comes in many different forms. Our parasha starts with Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, praised by the Lord for his actions at Peor. At Peor, […]

In chapter 20, The Lord summons Moses and Aaron, and instructs them to take the staff and to speak to the rock to yield its water. Unfortunately, Moses and Aaron do not heed Adonai’s instructions.  Instead, they gather the assembly before the rock and say to them: “Listen now you rebels, shall we bring water […]

The Torah portion this Shabbat (Numbers 16-18) is called Korach, named after the leader of an infamous rebellion against Moses and Aaron – one which ended catastrophically. This is now the third challenge to Moses’ leadership. The first from his own siblings, Aaron and Miriam (allegedly for having married an Ethiopian woman). The second was […]

The Torah reading for this week’s parasha is Sh’lach La’ha which means “Send Out.” It is taken from the book of Numbers 13:1-15:41. Here we see a brutally honest account of Israel’s faults, the murmuring, complaining, stubbornness, rebellion, and the punishments suffered by them. We also see both the kindness and the severity of Adonai, […]

This week’s parasha is titled, Beha-alo-t’cha, meaning “when you set up,” and covers Numbers 8:1 – 12:16.  “When you set up” refers to setting up and directing the light of the golden lampstand of the tabernacle, the construction of which was described in Exodus 25:31 – 40. Chapter 8 also describes the cleansing of the […]

Today’s Torah portion is entitled Naso and is translated as Take Up. It covers Numbers 4:21-7:89. Moses is instructed by Adonai to conduct a census of the men who were between the ages of 30-50 years-old from the Levitical families of Gershon and Merari, along with the Kohathites, in order to perform service in the […]

This week’s Torah portion is entitled BaMidbar, which means “In the Wilderness.” It covers Numbers 1:1-4:20. The wilderness was where Israel was tested, and learned obedience to Adonai’s sovereign order and authority. Chapter one opens with Adonai giving instructions to Moses in the Sinai Desert, a year after the Israelis had left Egypt. He was […]