Articles in B’Midbar
Bamidbar: The Secret of Three
Wherever You Look
As our ancestors journeyed across the desert they were arrayed in four equal groups, each composed of three tribes; the tabernacle at the center and the four groups positioned around it. The grouping of three tribes per group was practical as there were a total of twelve tribes, …
Matot Masei: The Anchored Journey
The Journey
This conversation occurs in every Jewish home and I’m sure yours is no exception.Wife: Honey, I think its time we take another step in our Jewish growth, what do you think it should be?Husband: Are you sure this is the right time? I mean we just sent the kids …
Pinchas: Embracing Our Past
Tradition
They tell a story of a man dressed in the traditional garb of an orthodox Rabbi who was reprimanded by a progressive Jew for living in the darkness of the Middle Ages and for forming the impression that Jews are a backward people. Excuse me, replied the man in traditional …
Chukat Balak: A Crafty Snake
The Complaint
After forty years of wandering the desert our ancestors stood poised to enter the Holy Land when G-d instructed Moses to reverse course and reenter the desert. Appalled, our ancestors were reminded of what happened to their forbearers thirty-eight years earlier.
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Korach: Moral Clarity
Subjective Morality
In a recent discussion group I asked if it is inherently immoral for a man to rape a woman. I was surprised by the willingness of some to tolerate the rapist. They conceded that rape was immoral from their own point of view, but argued that others might see …
Shelach Valor Of Discretion
The Shared Etrog
I came across a delightful story related by Dov Greenberg about Israeli Nobel Laureate and novelist S. Y. Agnon. Agnon encountered his neighbor, an elderly Rabbi, in a neighborhood Etrog store on the day before Sukkot. Jewish law ordains that Jews obtain an Etrog (citron fruit) before Sukkot …
Beha’alotcha: Constructive Shame
A Royal Visit
As soon as the tabernacle was erected G-d instructed that seven lights be kindled on the candelabra every day. Surprised, Moses asked, “Dear G-d, you are the master of light, do you require light from us?” To which G-d replied with the following parable:
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Naso: Mourners Kaddish
Empty Shoes
One of the most poignant monuments in the Unites States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the mountainous display of empty shoes. Thousands and thousands of ownerless shoes; old people’s shoes, young people’s shoes, sturdy shoes, torn shoes, large shoes, little shoes and even infant shoes. All are empty; their bearers …
