Monthly Archives: June 2024

Shabbat BeHa’alot’kha: The Cloud Among Us

וּלְפִ֞י הֵעָל֤וֹת הֶֽעָנָן֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָאֹ֔הֶל וְאַ֣חֲרֵי כֵ֔ן יִסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבִמְק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכׇּן־שָׁם֙ הֶֽעָנָ֔ן שָׁ֥ם יַחֲנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃  And whenever the cloud lifted from the Tent, the Israelites would set out accordingly; and at the spot where the cloud settled, there the Israelites would make camp. (BaMidbar 9.17) Our parashat hashavua this week invites usContinue reading “Shabbat BeHa’alot’kha: The Cloud Among Us”

Shabbat Naso: Use Your Words

חַיֵּ֣י בְ֭שָׂרִים לֵ֣ב מַרְפֵּ֑א וּרְקַ֖ב עֲצָמ֣וֹת קִנְאָֽה׃  A calm disposition gives bodily health; jealousy rots the bones. (Mishle 14.30) If the Book VaYikra, Leviticus, was short on drama, the Book we are now reading, BaMidbar, Numbers, makes up for it. This week in our triennial cycle we are confronted with a text that has discomfitedContinue reading “Shabbat Naso: Use Your Words”

Shabbat BaMidbar: Guarding Ourselves

Is the Oregon Food Bank our enemy? שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ כׇּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כׇּל־זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם׃  Take a census of the whole Israelite company [of fighters] by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head.  (Numbers 1.2) This week we begin reading the fourth book of theContinue reading “Shabbat BaMidbar: Guarding Ourselves”