Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland
The main theme of our Torah portion is the story of Balak, the king of Moab, who summons the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings are issued forth instead. One of reasons Balaam brings to justify his inability to curse the Jewish people says the following:[…]
Moses and Aaron were probably the greatest Jewish leaders of all times. Both of them commit a sin in our parasha, are punished for it and die. What was their actual sin for which they were to die? Everyone who read or studied this story thinks they know and that it is obvious: they were both told to order the rock, to speak to the rock to yield water, but Moses instead struck the rock with his rod, and struck twice. But I don’t think that this most common explanation reflecting the pshat level – the simple, literal meaning of the story is valid. Why? Let me ask you a question: which of the laws of the Torah Moses and Aaron transgressed? Is there a law to prohibit striking the rock in order to get water from it? None that I know say anything like that. And that’s exactly the common explanation of what was[…]
The name of our parshah refers to a man whose name was Korach, who headed the rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Korach incited a mutiny challenging Moses’ leadership and the granting of the kehunah (priesthood) to Aaron. He was accompanied by Moses’ inveterate foes, Dathan and Abiram and was joined by 250 distinguished members of the community, who offered the sacrosanct ketoret (incense) to prove their worthiness for the priesthood. At the end of this story the earth opens up and swallows the mutineers, and a fire consumes the ketoret-offerers.
Thursday, June 12, late afternoon. Rivkah and I are in Seattle, sitting at the restaurant nearby Pike Place Market. I looked at my phone and read the breaking news about the Israeli military campaign against the Iranian Islamic regime and their genocidal nuclear program. The news surprised me a bit – I didn’t expect it to happen so soon – but at the same time filled me with great hope. We were in the middle of our road-trip vacation, traveling across several states. And since this news broke out I have been spontaneously approached by at least 6 or 7 individuals, non-Jewish Americans, who expressed a complete support or full-blown admiration of the actions of the State of Israel and its military. Are you an Israeli? – asked a woman in the […]
