The Burdens That Raise Us Up
Focal Point
But to the Kohathites he [Moses] did not give any [gifts]; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder. (Numbers 7:9)
D'var Torah
Jealousy and Suspicion
What can a spouse do if he or she becomes suspicious of his or her mate? On TV dramas, people hire a private eye, but it isn't so simple in real life.
"He Stood between the Dead and the Living"
In the middle of Parashat Korach comes a short story that I find to be one of the most moving in all of Torah. It arrives unexpectedly in the midst of yet another chilling story of rebellion.
To Bless and Be Blessed
Parashat Naso contains several seemingly disparate sections of biblical legislation.
Honor Humanity and Honor the Holy One
Have you ever noted the following from Martin Buber's Ten Rungs, which is included among the meditations at the beginning of Gates of Prayer?
A Blessing for Material and Spiritual Wealth
This week's portion, Naso, contains three of the best known verses in Torah, collectively called the Priestly Benediction or the Birkat Kohanim. (Num. 6:24-26)
Leaving the Fleshpots of Egypt for the Promised Land of Israel, Then and Now
In our portion of the week, B'haalot'cha, particularly in Numbers 11, we find a famous and classic episode of the murmurings of our people in the desert.
Sufficiency Consciousness: A Path to God
God said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and say to him: 'When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the menorah.'" (Numbers 8:1, 2) These two simple verses begin a diverse web of instructions and stories that comprise this week's Torah portion, Parashat B’haalot’cha.
"Daddy, Are We There Yet?"
There's a joke that started making the rounds when Jews from the former Soviet Union began arriving in large numbers in Israel:
"So, really, how was life back in Russia?" a Sabra asks a new immigrant, just arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union.