Mindful Torah...and more

Parashat Shelah - Lekha Bemidbar (Numbers) 13:1 - 15:41 In this parasha, Moses, at God's command, chooses one leader from each of the twelve tribes to serve as spies. Their mission is to enter the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, and bring back a report to the people. "See what kind of country it is.....investigate its cities, people, soil, and forests and] bring back some of the fruit of the land," they are told. They do bring back grapes and other fruits, but ten of the twelve spies also bring back a report that, though the land is flowing "with milk and honey," it is filled with large fortified cities, "giants," and other dangerous inhabitants. Only two of the spies, Yehoahua/Joshua and Calev/Caleb, bring back a positive report and remind the people that God is with them, and so they can overcome any obstacle or enemy. Unfortunately, the people are carried away by the negative report of the majority and wonder if Moses brought them this far out of...

This week's parashah is Be'haalotekha (Numbers/Be'midbar 8:1-12:16). At the end of the last parashah God spoke to Moses from between the wings of the cherubim that hovered over the Ark. This occured immediatel following the completion of the building of the Mishkan/sanctuary. In the opening line of Be'haalotekha, Moses is told to instruct Aaron concerning his ascent to kindle the lights of the seven-branch menorah. Many rabbis have commented on the symbolism of the menorah as the light of the Divine. In addition, the Kabbalists/mystics imagined that the seven branches of the menorah represented the seven lower sefirot/divine emanations that human beings could experience in this world. Light as representing God's presence is also found in the parashah in the image of the fire enshrouded in the cloud that hovered over the Mishkan signifying God's presence. According to the text, the fire/presence of God would be seen within a cloud over the Mishkan by day and as f...

This week's parashah is Naso (Be'midbar/Numbers 4:21-7:89). The portion contains within it the Birkat Kohanim/Priestly Blessings, which are the oldest blessings in the Jewish tradition. In the parashah, God commands Aaron and his sons to bless the people with the words that have become so familiar to us, "May God Bless you and keep you; May God's face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; May God lift up the Divine face towards you and grant you Shalom/Peace." Until this day, in more traditional communities, the Kohanim - those believed to be descended from Aaron - stand in front of the congregation and offer this blessing in the same way we believe the ancient Kohanim did. They spread their hands out in front of them, palms facing down, and their fingers separated in the special manner reserved for the priests (though more familiar to many of us as Spock's "live long and prosper" sign on Star Trek, which Leonard Nimoy borrowed from his Jewish her...

Well, I'm beginning my life as a new blogger with an old Torah commentary that I wrote a couple years ago on Parshat Behukotai , which is the last portion in the book of Vayikra /Leviticus. I'm sort of using this as a test posting and I hope to start in earnest next week with the beginning of Bemidbar /Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah. I hope you enjoy these divrei torah ( Torah commentaries) and any further discussions and commentaries that may arise from them! Shabbat Shalom, Steven This week's parashah is Behukotai ( Vayikra /Leviticus 26:3-27:34). It is the final parashah in the book of Vayikra . In this parashah , God tells Moses to inform the people if they "walk with my statutes and observe my mitzvot /commandments," all will go well for them. However, if they do not, the heavens will dry up tragedy will befall them. The parashah then describes in detail what will happen if the people continue to ignore God's will. Though I don't take...