In terms of story qualities, the Torah Portion, Pinchas, stands in direct contrast to the previous Portion, Balak. Where the narrative of Balak was dramatic, poetic, and visually memorable, Pinchas is more like a series of memoranda. According to commentary, it is the 40th year of the Israelites’ wandering. They are encamped at “an eastern […]
Variable Rates of Change
“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing”. This little piece of wisdom was uttered by Thomas Jefferson in 1787. What does this have to do with Jewish education and social networks? Everything. At the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference I was immersed in a sea of digital technology. I […]
The King’s Torah
The Torah’s authority is bound up with the moral stature of those who teach it. Consider a well-known passage from the Talmud (Yoma 86a) on the verse “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.” The Sages understand this to mean you should not only love God with your own heart, but […]
Torah Commentary – Balak
A wicked king, a talking donkey, a wizard whose curses miraculously turn to blessings – “Shrek Meets Harry Potter?” No! It’s the Torah Portion, Balak. Balak is one of my favorite Portions – both for its teachings and for some wonderful personal memories associated with it. Decades ago, in Israel, I had the pleasure of […]
Pinchas Limerick
This week’s parasha is named after Pinchas who, at then end of last week’s parasha, saves the Israelites from ruin in a graphic and violent action. The Midianites tried to Seduce the Israelites by sending their women to commit lewd and lascivious acts with the Israelite men. By all accounts, they were successful. Cozbi, the […]
Torah Commentary – Chukat
The Torah Portion, Chukat, grimly develops a number of themes, some of which are familiar to us from previous Portions: laws for rituals; complaints by the children of Israel which are met with punishment from God; conquest (with Divine assistance) of those who obstruct the Israelites’ journey to Canaan; death in combat and the death […]
Balak Limerick
This week’s parasha tells the story of Balak, the Moabite king who hired the pagan prophet, Bilam to curse the Israelites. Bilam, as the story goes, could only say the words that God put in his mouth. As a result, instead of cursing, he gave us the beautiful blessing: Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael! […]
Celebrating Gay Marriage
I can think of no social transformation in my lifetime as rapid and sweeping as the acceptance now accorded gay people. I understand if some gay people view their public embrace as less than quick or irrevocable. But from the lynching of Matthew Shepherd to Brokeback Mountain to gay marriage … it spins your head […]
Finding Dragons in the Clouds
I remember, as a kid, lying on my back on the side of hill looking at the sky, finding a dragon, George Washington and a tree floating amidst the white, billowing clouds. I’m going to bet that most of us have had similar experiences, finding disparate symbols in the mist that resides in the sky. […]
Chukat Limerick
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 […]
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