Summer 2022 Divre Torah by members of the congregation

The Punishment of Korah (detail from the fresco Punishment of the Rebels by Sandro Botticelli (1480–1482) in the Sistine Chapel) from Wikipedia. Accessed 2 August, 2022

PARASHA Korach - given by Richard Cohen - July 2, 2022

Shabbat Shalom.

Today’s Torah reading reminds me of the oft described meaning of all Jewish holidays

·       They fought us

·       We won

·       Let’s eat

The parsha today, so skillfully read by our Torah readers, tells of the story of rebellion, of victory and of food.

Part 1: they fought us:

Korach – a great-grandson of Levi and cousin to Moses and Aaron – rebels with 250 leaders of the community and challenges the religious leadership of the Israelites. Basically he says, “who died and made you king?” ………

Balak (wearing a crown) with Ballaam. A print from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations in the possession of Revd. Philip De Vere at St. George’s Court, Kidderminster, England. Wikepedia. Accessed 2 August 2022

PARASHA BALAK - given by SUSAN PAVANE - July 16, 2022

Thank You to Rich for the opportunity to give this D’var Torah,

Even though it’s a little scary to do this, I’ve always like this parsha. I think being a former elementary and nursery school teacher a story with a talking donkey is right up my alley. Spoiler alert – I don’t have a deep text revelation about this parsha, mostly I have a lot of but it’s a good story!

Balak is one of six parshas in the Torah that are named for people who are central characters – two for non-Jews, all for righteous people, not counting that Korach started a rebellion, caused a plague, but he thought he was helping the Jewish people all except for Balak - he was trying to destroy the Jewish people. Why was it named for him?

Balak was the king of Moab, he was scared as the Israelites approached his land, afraid they would defeat his army, overrun his country, so he did what a scared king does he called on the greatest prophet, sometimes referred to as a wizard, of the land - Bilaam (even their names are confusing?) to come and curse the Jews. Why not ask him instead to bless the Moabites?

Bilaam, who is not Jewish doesn’t answer the messengers until he consults with God. Interesting that he as a reverence and fear of the Jewish God and through a dream God tells him not do it so he refuses to go. Balak sends the messengers back again, promising Bilaam silver and gold, anything he wants. This is where the straight reading seems like Bilaam is willing to listen to God, but God gives him the freedom to use his free will to go if he wants to, and he does, but he must say what God tells him to say, yet it seems God really didn’t want him to go? Why not just tell him not to go?

Moses Sees the Promised Land from Afar (watercolor c. 1896–1902 by James Tissot). Wikipedia. Accessed 3 August 2022

PARASHA PINCHAS - GIVEN BY RINA SHAMOUN - jULY 23, 2022

Parashat Pinchas, on the surface, seems to be a very tedious book of narrations. The listing of the tribes, the families within a tribe followed by the siblings within the family. It than proceeds to instruct the Israelites on Holidays. Time of year, form of observance and the sacrifices to G-D that are required to make.

But right there, embedded in the stories of scriptures, are Moral lessons and teachings of conduct and of right and wrong. The stories do not tell you what the moral lesson is within them. You need to look deep into them, in the same way you can learn about people by observing them and seeing how they behave in specific situations, if they are as honest as they claim to be, as generous, kind etc.

With the detailed narration of each tribe, we are taught the importance of community and family structure.

The Israelites are now at the shores of the river Jordan, ready to enter a new land and embark on a new way of life, with no experience or know how. Where each tribe will settle or what to expect.

The 3rd Aliyah starts with the allocation of land to the tribes: לרוב תרבה נחלתו ולמעט תמעיט נחלתו

To the tribe with a larger population, you should increase their portion of land and to the one with less population you should decrease. A lesson in EQUALITY

It also commands that the location of land for each tribe will be decided by a Lottery. NO DISCRIMINATION.

We than proceeds to the story of צלופחד daughters, where in a society of Men dominant, they had the courage to come forward and claim their inheritance, having no sons born to their father. It continues with G-D granting their wish and providing a list of hierarchy down the line in which to go, in the event of no next of keen. NO GENDER DISCRIMINATION.

It also teaches us that you cannot go scot free for doing wrong and that you get rewarded for doing right…

A page from the Aleppo Codex, Deuteronomy 32:50-33:29. Parashah breaks visible on this page are as follows: {P} 33:1-6 (right column blank line 8th from top) {S} 33:7 (right column indentation line 23) {P} 33:8-11 (right column blank line 2nd from bottom) {S} 33:12 (middle column 1st indentation) {S} 33:13-17 (middle column 2nd indentation) {S} 33:18-19 (left column indentation at top) {S} 33:20-21 (left column space in middle of 6th line) {S} 33:22 (left column 13th line indentation) {S} 33:24-39 (left column 17th line indentation). Wikipedia. Accessed 3 August 2022

PARASHA mattot-massi- GIVEN BY RINA SHAMOUN - jULY 30, 2022

Last Shabbat, in Parashat Pinchas, we had the beginning teachings of right and wrong, lesson of conduct and behavior between man and G-d, between human beings and humane animal treatment. The Israelite were taught about Equality, Non-Discrimination and Punishment and Reward.

Parashot Matot-Masei conclude Sefer Bamidbar (meaning in the desert) with Benai Israel camped at the shores of the river Jordan, ready to enter the land of Canaan. These Parashot continue with the lesson of conduct and behavior addressing different issues, seemingly with no relation to each other.

Matot starts with rules relating to personal responsibilities, vows made by males and females, where, even though, both are responsible for their vows and commitment, the ultimate responsibility for vows made by females, lays with the man in their life, a father, or a husband.

It than moves to the command to go after Midian in a holy war to avenge G-d. This was the first time the Jewish people formed an official Army. It continues to discuss the rules of dividing the spoil of the war. Special instructions are given, regarding the Gold, Silver, Copper, Brass, Tin and Lead. They had to be burned & melted. I can’t help thinking, it was to avoid a repeat of the עגל, the Calf the Israelite have built in the desert to worship.

The Israelites are now standing on the threshold of life changing. From slaves to desert wanderers to life of self responsibly and accountability. Like a child entering adulthood. When the parent no longer tells them what to do, but warn them or rebuke them, leaving the decisions in their hands.

You see that when the tribes of Reuven, Gad and Half of Menashe requesting to remain on the east side of the Jordan River and not cross to the land of Canaan. That angers Moshe, but understanding he has to let go, Moshe eventually relents by letting them settle in the east side of the Jordan river on the condition that they help their brothers with the war for the land. Here is another lesson TO GET SOME, YOU HAVE TO GIVE SOME…..

Moses Speaks to Israelites (19th-century engraving) by Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux). Wikipedia. Accessed 4 August 2022

PARASHA devarim- GIVEN BY stuart stein - august 6, 2022

We await with bated breath for this Shabbat…..