Anyone who’s been to Jewish summer camp will have some kind of relationship with Birkat HaMazon, the blessing said after eating. Whether its the campers enthusiastically cheering and slapping the table, the counselors desparate for the meal to be over so they can get on with their day, or the Jewish professionals fruitlessly trying to […]
וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ ׁכְבְּךָ֖וּֽבְש וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. – Deuteronomy 6:7 The Jewish people, I believe, is one of the most resilient peoples on the planet, having been tested over and over throughout our […]
בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֑ב הוֹאִ֣יל מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֵּאֵ֛ר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖אתOn the other side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to teach this Torah. – Deuteronomy 1:5 This week, we begin the book of Deuteronomy with Parashat Devarim. Numbers would have been nearly the perfect ending to the story of our peoples’ wandering […]
In our own day, we may be used to conflict on the west bank of the Jordan, but in our double Torah portion, Matot-Masei, at the very end of the book of Numbers, we find a conflict on the east bank. The people of Israel are preparing to enter into the Promised Land, but the […]
מַה־טֹּ֥בוּ אֹהָלֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֑ב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! – Numbers 24:5 Balak One of the great ironies of Parashat Balak is that Israel never hears the blessings being spoken about them. While they are going about their ordinary lives, Balaam stands on the mountaintop and God plants these […]
וַיִּֽקָּהֲל֞וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶם֮ רַב־לָכֶם֒ כִּ֤י כׇל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהֹוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל יְהֹוָֽהThey combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and God is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above God’s congregation?” – Numbers 16:3 […]
אִם־אַתֶּם֙ תָּבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּ֑הּNone shall enter the land in which I swore to settle you – Numbers 14:30 Shelach There is so much drama in Parashat Shelach. It is curious that even though the people are told they that their generation will not enter into the land, God tells the […]
לֹֽא־אוּכַ֤ל אָנֹכִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־כַ֤ל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֥י כָבֵ֖ד מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me. – Numbers 11:14 Baha’alotecha It is striking in Parashat Baha’alotecha that freedom does not instantly create gratitude. Even after miracles, people still feel fear, experience exhaustion and nostalgia for […]
יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ יָאֵ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ יִשָּׂ֨א יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ GOD bless you and protect you! GOD deal kindly and graciously with you! GOD bestow favour upon you and grant you peace! – Numbers 6:26 Nasso II In the second half of Parashat Nasso, we encounter one of the most famous blessings in the Torah […]
זֹ֣את עֲבֹדַ֔ת מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֑י לַעֲבֹ֖ד וּלְמַשָּֽׂא׃ These are the duties of the Gershonite clans as to labour and porterage: – Numbers 4: Naso 1 Here we are at the longest Torah portion, Naso. This week we focus on Naso 1, the first half of the Parasha. Here at the beginning of Naso each family within […]
שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖םלְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clansof its ancestral houses, listing the names head by head. – Numbers 1:2 Bamidbar Many of us know what it feels like to be “in the wilderness”: moments of transition, grief, doubt, illness, or change. Parashat […]
Tank you to Barry Rosen who conceived and hosted our first Open Mic Night! Rachael shay and Alex Hobcraft worked on this team putting together a wonderful evening of music, poetry, and comedy. It was great seeing you all perform and laugh with us. We hope to see you all next year!