July 2015 – Torah for the 21st Century by Rabbi Ariel Stone

Shabbat Nakhamu: Consolation?

This Shabbat, called Nakhamu after the first word of the Haftarah, meant to be a Shabbat of consolation. The first Shabbat after Tisha B’Av, that time of terrible destruction once long ago and now a time to face the equally terrifying consequences of our actions in our own days, is meant to reassure us that, afterContinue reading “Shabbat Nakhamu: Consolation?”

Shabbat Pinkhas: How Will You Answer Evil?

This week’s parashah is named for Pinkhas, who acted impulsively and killed two people. Incredibly, the Torah records G-d’s appreciation for the deed, awarding Pinkhas a divine and eternal “covenant of peace” (Numbers 25.12). The Rabbis of the Talmudic Era were troubled by this passage no less than we ourselves should be. “The law mayContinue reading “Shabbat Pinkhas: How Will You Answer Evil?”