Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on August 2, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
this parsha is aptly titled mase’ei meaning the travels of bnei yisrael. and the Torah spares no expense to list every place from which they set out and made camp along the way. in fact, the word ויסעו, meaning “they set out,” is written 42 times. each time, this word is shortly followed by the Continue Reading »
Posted on July 28, 2011 by Barer
This week we wrap up the book of Bamidbar (Numbers), chronicling the journeys the Israelites undertook in the desert. The final verses bring us back to an episode first encountered a few weeks ago, the daughters of Tzelophchad. This time, spokesmen approach Moshe and the elders on their behalf. They worry is that, once the Continue Reading »
Posted on July 23, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, This week I read the parsha ‘cover to cover’ and am stumped. There is a lot to talk about in the parsha: the status of women in Jewish (biblical) law, a gruesome (and vengeful) battle against idolators and the decision of two tribes to settle outside the Land of Israel. But somehow as Continue Reading »
Posted on July 23, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
moshe has come a long way from his days of “כבד פה וכבד לשון, slow of speech, slow of tongue” (shmot 4:10). he has not only transformed bnei yisrael from a stiff-necked, fickle bunch of wanderers into a God-loving, jewish people, but he himself has undergone a tremendous transformation. in the course of his adventures Continue Reading »
Posted on July 16, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Tonight I am writing to you from my backyard in Toronto. It’s not exactly Jerusalem, but the weather is pleasant as the sun sets and the birds are chirping. Literally. I can’t really tell if I’m ‘acclimatized’ to Toronto – not just in the meteorological sense – but so far, so good. Now Continue Reading »
Posted on July 14, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s parsha, after yet another plague in which an empassioned God wipes out large numbers of israelities, 24,000 to be exact, God tells moshe to take another census of the jewish people. the last census was back in the beginning of parshat bamidbar, where we reached a grand total of 603,550 israelites. and Continue Reading »
Posted on July 14, 2011 by Barer
[From my blog] After taking another census of the nation, the first claim for equal rights for women in Jewish history is documented in this week’s parsha when the five daughters of Tzlophchad, a man who left Egypt with the Israelites but has since been killed for sinning, petition Moshe and the entire congregation to Continue Reading »
Posted on July 8, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, This week I have been blown away by the ways in which God (the forces of the Universe/nature, if you prefer) works, sometimes mysteriously and other times very inconspicuously. I’m not one to believe in signs or superstitions but sometimes you can’t ignore experiences that awaken and speak to your emotions and thoughts. Continue Reading »
Posted on July 7, 2011 by Barer
[Cross-posted from my blog] This week’s parsha documents the continuation of the Israelites interactions with the nations surrounding Cana’an, this time focusing almost entirely with the kingdom of Moav. Specifically, the king of Moav, Balaq, fears the Israelites and hires a local sorcerer, Bil’am, to curse them. However, Bil’am is constantly thwarted from doing so, Continue Reading »
Posted on July 7, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
this week’s parsha strangely focus on the story of one non-israelite, balaam the diviner, and his journey of how he came to know and understand God. okay, let’s back up a little bit. there’s a bad guy in this story, balak, head of the amorites, who summons our diviner-friend balaam to curse the jewish Continue Reading »
