In the world of Tazria those who suffer from a scary illness are isolated. Scaly, raw, and oozing pustules called tzara’at erupt on the skin and spread impurity through the camp. The word used in Leviticus to describe this skin ailment is nega, which specifically means a plague sent by God as punishment, as in: …
Parshat Re’eh, begins with Moses’ thundering admonition to the community of Israel: “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of Adonai your God which I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of Adonai your God… Bamidbar, the fourth book of the Torah, begins this week with a portion that bears its name, setting the stage for all the remaining portions in the cycle of weekly Torah readings. From now on, through the conclusion of the fifth and final book, Devarim (Deuteronomy), the experience of the Israelites will take place bamidbar, …
To be “out of the camp” brings up feelings of abandonment, alienation, and isolation. In the Torah portion Naso, God instructs Moses to remove from the camp anyone with skin eruptions or discharge–that is, those who are not ritually pure (Numbers 5:1-2). Isn’t that how we feel when faced with a severe illness of self …
The negotiating or bargaining that we do and the oaths that we make during times of tribulation can both deepen our self-knowledge and also hold great significance. The psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified bargaining as a common step in the grief process in which we attempt to cut a deal in order to spare ourselves …
In Parashat Korach, Korach organizes a rebellion that attempts to overthrow the leadership of Moses. Korach and his assembly accuse Moses and Aaron of taking too much power. They claim that each and every Israelite is holy, and they ask Moses why he and Aaron lift themselves above everyone else. When Moses hears this, he …
Parashat Korah (Numbers 16-18) is a disquieting read. Not the sort of thing one would ordinarily turn to in the night for solace or comfort. It is a tale of human strife and contentiousness that results in severe divine punishment: the earth opens to swallow the rebellious ones; a plague destroys thousands in the Israelite …
While visiting the Western Wall several years ago and looking toward the Temple Mount and at the fallen stones of the Temple near Robinson’s Arch, I deeply felt a sense of grief over the loss of the Beit HaMikdash—the Holy Temple. I imagined the grandeur of the solemn yet joyful service—the High Priest resplendent in …
600,000 Hebrew slaves left Egypt and only two, Joshua and Caleb, made it to the Promised unfair, but now I view the desert 600,000 Hebrew slaves left Egypt and only two, Joshua and Caleb, made it to the Promised . When I was a new rabbi I found this maddeningly unfair, but now I view …
In Parashat Devarim, we find Moses speaking to the Israelites before crossing the border into their new land. After forty years of living in the desert in exile, the Israelites have been led to the land of Canaan. Before they enter Canaan, Moses pauses to recall significant events that have shaped the community before him. …