In the English translation of this portion, it almost seems as though Moses blames the Children of Israel for his exclusion from the Land. However, when read in Hebrew, it could be understood that Moses was excluded from the Land for the sake of the Children of Israel. How can that be?
Tisha B'av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, commemorating the destruction of both Temples and the suffering of the Jewish people. Delving into a conversation between the philosopher Plate and the prophet Jeremiah, Shmuel explores the question of what the Temple means and why people continue to mourn its loss.
At last, we begin Devarim (Deuteronomy), the final book of the Torah. The portion opens with a painful reminder of the sin of the spies. The sages teach that the day that the spies returned with a bad report was on the 9th of Av, also called Tisha B’Av.
This portion will summarize the lessons of Bamidbar (Numbers) before moving on to Deuteronomy and Moshes’ final speech. Vows, personal priorities, and a surprising tribal connection between Reuben, Gad, and Moses are all in store!
I was exposed, close up, to the ugly side of this war, as it is also manifesting itself in the USA.
Phineas boldly confronted the evil in the midst of the camp and was rewarded with a covenant of peace. The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that Phineas was prepared to sacrifice himself for his people, which was fitting as they prepared to enter the land of Israel.
The Children of Israel’s enemies choose to engage in spiritual warfare after being unable to defeat Israel with swords in Portion Balak. Yet the Prophet Balam is a huge disappointment after he is unable to fulfill his contract to curse Israel. This is a weird story!
Liebe Freunde,Während ich diesen Brief an Sie schreibe, feiert...
This week’s portion, Hukat, is action packed. The red heifer is introduced, Miriam and Aaron both die, and Moses strikes a rock in anger to bring forth water. Moses then faces serious consequences for striking the rock instead of speaking to it. There are so many explanations for this story that Shmuel compiled a list!
