Mindful Torah...and more

Bamidbar 5780 This week we begin reading Bamidbar /Numbers, the next book of the Torah, with Parshat Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20). In this parashah /portion, God instructs Moses to conduct a census of all the Israelite men over the age of 20. Moses takes up a second census to count all of the Levite men. God then gives specific instructions to the Levites about their roles in the constructing and caring for the Tent of Meeting The name Bamidbar means “in the wilderness,” which is where all of the events the exodus through the end of Deuteronomy take place in the wilderness. Through the centuries, various rabbis and scholars have pondered why God didn’t give the Torah in the land of Canaan. Why didn’t the people spend 40 years on their journey? Of course, we know that the 40 years is ultimately a punishment for the people believing in the negative reports of the 10 spies who scouted out the land and ignoring the positive reports of the other two (see Parshah Shelach). However, putting ...

Dear Online Hevre /community, This week we read the double parashah /portion of Tazria-Metzora ( Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33). In the Torah portion Tazria , God describes to Moses and Aaron the procedures for identifying and responding to those infected with tzara'at , a skin disease often mistranslated as leprosy. In Metzora , God describes the purification ritual for those afflicted with tzara'at . This section of the Torah is often looked upon as archaic and problematic from a contemporary perspective. However, in a commentary by Cantor Max Axelrod he writes that “this part of the Torah may well be the most relevant, poignant, and emotionally powerful of the entire year. Rather than reading these chapters as esoteric excerpts out of a biblical medical textbook, the Torah is telling us something profound about the human condition. We can understand tzara’at as a metaphor for when a person’s body or health goes out of control— something many people deal with all the tim...

Dear Hevre /community, I hope everyone has been able to celebrate their Passover as best as possible during these difficult times. I know that many of us were able to have seders with those we are living currently or with others via video chat.  These seders make us both appreciate the miracles of modern communication techniques, connect with those who may live far away, and hope that we don't have to do this again next year! Below is a poem that I wrote for seder night last week. However, as we prepare for the end of Passover and continue our physical isolation from the world, I thought it was still appropriate to share. chag pesach sameach - may we each find a way to celebrate the end of the Passover holiday and every day during these challenging times. L'shalom-in peace, Rabbi Steve --------------------------- a night of waiting our ancestors sat in their homes waiting    for what    they did not know lambs blood on the doorpost ...

I posted three sermons connected to the Yamim Noraim /Days of Awe last month, and I've been meaning to post this one as well.  Even though the holidays are long since over, I hope that you find this meaningful. L'shalom, SPN -------------------------------------------------------- Last week I spoke about some of the implications of being human and being created in God's image. After all, there is a great deal of responsibility riding on our all-too-human shoulders. On Erev Rosh Hashanah I cited a midrash in which the angels argue with God about whether or not the first human being should be created and debate whether or not the creation of Adam will be good or bad for the world. In the end, the midrash acknowledged that human beings would act in both good and evil ways, make both war and peace and speak both truth and lies. And so we humans constantly must make choices in our lives. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, in my exploration of the musical S...