Kol Ramah

Amy Erlanger, of Radio Kol Ramah, waits with her fellow tzevet members in anticipation for the campers to arrive. She also interviews some kids she hasn't seen in years.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Maomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Special Guest Rabbi Eliezer Diamond sitting in for Rabbi Kalmanofsky who is travelling to Israel. Parashat B’ha’alot’kha [Numbers 8-11] is particularly rich, featuring, among other items: the menorah [8:1-4] and the trumpets [10:1-10]; the Second Passover [9:1-14], for those who were unable to observe the First Passover; the bracketed verses [10:35-36],which have become part of the Torah service in synagogue worship; various complaints of the people [chapter 11], and the complaints of Aaron and Miriam about Moses [12]. We focused on the bracketed verses, and chapter 12, in particular the prayer offered by Moses in v. 13.

We were fortunate to have with us this week Rabbi Eliezer Diamond, the Rabbi Judah Nadich Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at The Jewish Theological Seminary, who filled in for Rabbi Kalmanofsky, who is in Israel this week. It was a real treat for Eliot and me, who were students of Rabbi Diamond at the Seminary, and spent several summers with him at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. We hope you enjoy hearing a different voice!

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Among the features in Parashat Naso [Numbers 4:21-89] are the passage about the wife suspected of adultery, the nazir [an individual who wishes to take upon himself additional restrictions, the priestly blessing, and the gifts the tribal chieftains bring for the mishkan. This series of gifts, which differ only in the name of the tribal chief, comprise the longest chapter of the Torah.

Since Tuesday night begins the observance of Shavuot, which for the rabbis is the season of the giving of Torah, most of our conversation was about Revelation and Torah, though we did manage to quote and discuss the last verse of the parashah. As Eliot mentioned at the end, you are invited to send us metaphors that you find particularly meaningful.

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and grateful for the rescue of four of them by the IDF this past week, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May all the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Chag Same’ach and Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat B’midbar [Numbers 1:1-4:20] is the first parashah in the Book of Numbers, which deals in episodic form with the 40-year wilderness wanderings. As Jacob Milgrom notes in his JPS Commentary to Numbers, the book’s treatment of this time frame is uneven. The first section [1:1-10:11] takes place over 19 days in the second month of the second year, while the third and final section [21:10-36:15] occurs “within five months of the fortieth year”, leaving the middle section to take place sometime during the intervening 38 years.

As befits a book which we call in English Numbers, we spent most of our conversation talking about numbers and how we might make sense of them. We hope you enjoy it!

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parashat B’chukotai is the tenth and last parashah of Sefer Va-yiqra [Book of Leviticus]. Its main section is the תוכחה [tokhekhah, “rebuke”; Baruch Levine labels it “The Execration” (26:14-45)]. Preceded by the blessings (26:3-13) that will come to Israel, both the people and the land provided the people observe the mitzvot [commandments], the far larger part is devoted to the details of the punishments which will ensue should the people not observe the commandments. It can be difficult in 2024, given the nature of the text itself as well as all that is going on in the world and the Jewish world today, to make sense of this passage, and it is to this task that we devote most of our conversation. We also discuss chapter 27, which Baruch Levine entitles “Funding the Sanctuary”.

It is customary when we finish a Book of the Torah to conclude the reading in the synagogue with the words חזק חזק ונתחזק, chazak chazak v-nitchazek, let us be strong, let us be strong, let us be strengthened. May it be so for the community of Israel, whether they be in the Land or outside of it.

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parashat B’har [Leviticus 25:1–26:2], at 57 verses, is one of the shortest in the Torah. In his JPS Torah Commentary, Baruch Levine entitles it “Principles of Land Tenure”. The first section deals with the sabbatical year and jubilee year, and the second section deals with laws regarding people in straitened circumstances. We more or less followed this order as well in our conversation. We hope you enjoy it!

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Emor [Leviticus 21-24] is sometimes the penultimate parashah in Leviticus, except in years such as this one, 5784, which is a leap year. As a consequence, there are no double paashiyot. While Leviticus can be read in as few as 7 weeks, this year, with each parashah a separate week, it will take ten weeks.

The parashah is best known for chapter 23, which in additional to the weekly reading, is also read on the 2nd day of Passover and the first two days of Sukkot, because of the festival calendar. There are also laws governing the priesthood, some of the perquisities for being a priest, some restrictions on marriage, and disqualifications from service for certain blemishes. The last aliyah, coinciding with chapter 24, includes the curious case of the m’kallel, the blasphemer, one of those rare cases that occur in the Torah where Moses must seek additional guidance from God to determine how to proceed.

Since we recorded on Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day, Israel was never far from our minds. Most of our conversation focused on the subject of blemishes and priestly service then and now. We hope you enjoy it!

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Kedoshim [Leviticus 19-20] is, according to the rabbis, the central portion of the Torah, falling in the middle of the 5 Books of Moses. Chapter 19 contains a miscellany of laws which are sometimes compared to the Ten Commandments. Our discussion focused on this comparison. We spent some time also talking about the upcoming holidays of Yom Ha-zikkaron and Yom Ha-Atzma’ut [Israel’s Memorial Day and Israel’s Day of Independence]. Let us know what you think either here, below, or at [email protected].

We are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Acharei Mot [Leviticus 16-18] consists of 3 chapters, each with its own theme: chapter 16 is devoted to Yom Kippur, with its emphasis on the purification of the sanctuary; chapter 17 treats proper forms of worship, to borrow a phrase from Baruch Levine’s JPS Commentary on Leviticus; and, chapter 18 deals primarily with the biblical incest taboo, which at its heart speaks to the definition of the family. With the end of Passover 5784 taking place yesterday, as I write, we enter a period of the Jewish calendar sometimes called the “yoms” [Hebrew for day], with the upcoming observances of Yom HaShoah [Commemoration of the Holocaust, Sunday night-Monday, May 5-6], Yom HaZikaron [Israel’s Memorial Day, Sunday night-Monday, May 12-13], Yom Ha-Atzma’ut [Israel’s Independence Day, Monday night-Tuesday, May 13-14], and Yom Y’rushalayim [marking the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty in the 6-Dat War [Tuesday night-Wednesday, June 4-5].

In our conversation this week we mostly talked about Yom HaShoah. How do we, should we commemorate the Holocaust? Is there, and should there be, a liturgy for its observance? What does it mean in this year of war in Israel and Gaza? Give a listen and let us know what you think either here, below, or at [email protected].

As the war nears the end of its 7th month, we are ever mindful of the hostages and their families, and the men and women who defend Israel as soldiers in the Israel Defense Force. May the hostages be speedily returned to their homes; may the soldiers be removed from harm’s way. Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. This Shabbat is Chol Ha-Mo’ed Pesach, the Shabbat which falls during the week of Pesach [Passover]. The Torah Reading is from Parashat Ki Tissa [Exodus 33:12–34:26], which includes the 13 attributes of God as well as one of the earliest festival calendars; it is also read on Shabbat Chol Ha-Mo’ed Sukkot. The haftarah is from Ezekiel, and is the famous vision of the valley of the dry bones [Ezekiel 37:1-14]. Looking ahead to the concluding days of the holiday, the Torah Reading on the 7th day of Pesach [April 27] features Shirat Ha-Yam, the Song of the Sea [Exodus 15:1-19]. It is also customary to read The Song of Songs this Shabbat.

Given the turbulence of recent times, our focus was on hope. Are there texts that are part of our liturgical calendar this week, and especially this Shabbat, which point to it? How do we understand the core texts such as the crossing of the Sea; do we see it as the end of a journey or the beginning of one? How do we see the crossing itself, from the point of view of an average Israelite? Does the allegorization of Song of Songs have anything to teach us about hope in the modern world? These are some of the questions we entertain. Let us know what you think of our answers either below or at [email protected].

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the hostages, may they be returned to their homes safely, and the soldiers defending Israel, may they be removed from harm’s way. It is traditional to say during these intermediate days מועדים לשמחה, may it be a season of happiness, to which one responds, חגים וזמנים לששון, may these holidays and seasons be for joy. May it be so for all who have loved ones, here and in the Middle East, and throughout the world.