Hukkat contains one of the most obscure passages in the Torah – the “Red Heifer.” The text teaches that if a heifer is born that is completely red, it is to be be burned and it’s ashes are to be used for purification rituals- particulary in the case of those who have come in contact […]
Korach Limerick
This week’s torah portion tells the story of Korach, who tried to wrest power from Moses along with his partners, Dotan and Abiram and 150 other leaders of the community. Korach says: “You’ve gone too far, [Moses], for ALL of the people are holy. Why do you raise yourself up above God’s congregation?” Ultimately, Korach and […]
Shelach Lecha Limerick
In this week’s parasha, Shelach Lecha, Moses sends 12 spies to scout out the land of Canaan. They spend 40 days and nights in the land (a familiar number, yes?) and return bearing fruits – grapes pomegranates and figs so large that it takes two people to carry them. 10 of the spies report that […]
Behaalotecha
This week’s parasha, Behaalotecha, picks up a familiar theme for anyone who knows the Jewish community: complaining. The Israelites are learning to deal with realities of life “on the road.”. God provides them with Manna-a mysterious food which appears in the morning and sustains their basic needs. Nonetheless, they crave variety and rise up against […]
Another Naso Limerick: the Priestly blessing
May God bless and guard your sacred space May God’s light fill your being with grace May you always be true So God’s presence shines through And reflect the true peace of God’s face.
NASO
I have two limericks for Naso. The first deals with the troubling rules of the Sotah – the suspected adultress. According to the text, if you suspect that your wife has been unfaithful, the Priests are to administer a special, bitter potion. If she is guilty, according to the text, her “thigh” will swell (euphemism […]
Bamidbar
This week we begin the book of Bamdbar – also known as numbers. Since Bamidbar begins with a census, this one is self-explanatory: As Moses prepared to alight On his journey through wilderness bright He counted all of the men Again and again To see who’d be able to fight
Another poetic parshan – “The Torah in Haiku”
Ed actually gave me the idea for this blog. Check his out. It’s great! http://www.thetorahinhaiku.com/
Behukotai
This week’s Torah portion, Behukotai, concludes the book of Leviticus/Vayikra. It contains a simple formula for staying in God’s graces: follow the Mitzvot and all will be well. But- if we stray from the path God sets out for us, we will experience terrible curses. The choice is ours. Of course, life doesn’t always work […]
Behar Limerick
Parashat Behar speaks of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. The basic idea behind these practices is that we need to give the land a rest – in the case of the Sabbatical (or Shmita) year – every 7 years. Every 50 years, not only does the land get a rest, but all depts are forgiven, […]
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