Divrei Torah Archives | Page 30 of 80 | Academy for Jewish Religion

23 06, 2017

Parashat Korah

Rabbi Isaac Mann2017-06-23T07:48:28-04:00

by Rabbi Isaac Mann

Much ink has been spilled on trying to explain what motivated Korach and his followers to rebel against Moses and Aaron, which is the main story in this week’s Torah portion. Was it jealousy, envy, desire for honor or power, dissatisfaction with Moses’ leadership, or maybe all of the above?

Interestingly, as if the above are not enough, we also find other explanations of a more halakhic nature playing a role in the dispute between Korach and Moses. The Midrash (Midrash Tanhuma, beginning of the parashah), part of which is quoted by Rashi (ad loc.), suggests that Korach began his dispute with Moses by summoning the Sanhedrin (i.e. the religious leadership at the time) and asking them to rule on whether a tallit that is entirely dyed with tekheilet (a kind of bluish-purple dye) still needs tzitzit consisting of only one tekheilet fringe on each corner. When the issue was Read More >

Parashat KorahRabbi Isaac Mann2017-06-23T07:48:28-04:00

13 06, 2017

Parashat Shelah

Cantor Sandy Horowitz2017-06-13T14:57:02-04:00

by Cantor Sandy Horowitz

What’s in a Name?

Parashat Shelah tells the story of twelve spies sent by Moses to scout out the land of Canaan that has been promised by God to the Israelite people. Upon their return, ten of the twelve report that the enemy is too great and the land unconquerable, thereby instilling doubt and fear among the Israelites. Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, remain faithful to God’s promise of a successful outcome.

The Torah portion begins by listing the names of the spies, representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Joshua, future leader of the Israelite people, is an unassuming fifth from among the twelve: “From the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun” (Numbers 13:8).

Numbers 13:16 reads, “These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land; and Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua/Yehoshua.” Without Read More >

Parashat ShelahCantor Sandy Horowitz2017-06-13T14:57:02-04:00

9 06, 2017

Parashat Beha’alotkha

ahsilver2017-06-09T09:55:52-04:00

by Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky

This week’s parashah begins with a description of the installation and function of the menorah in the Tabernacle.

“Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand. Aaron did so; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand, as the LORD had commanded Moses. Now this was how the lampstand was made, out of hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.” (Numbers 8:2-4)

In the detailed instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle that are found in the Book of Exodus one can find the specifics of how the menorah was to be constructed, and what we have in Numbers seems to be the final description of how it Read More >

Parashat Beha’alotkhaahsilver2017-06-09T09:55:52-04:00

2 06, 2017

Parashat Naso

ahsilver2017-06-02T11:26:31-04:00

by Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky

This week’s parashah contains one of the most detailed descriptions of a Biblical ritual in the entire Torah. Numbers 5:11-31 contains a description of the Sotah ritual. When a husband suspected his wife of being unfaithful she was subjected to an ordeal that would prove either her innocence or guilt. In addition to the description of the Sotah ritual found in the Torah, there is a very detailed tractate in the Mishnah (early 3rd century) that goes into even further detail.

The Sotah ritual has been subject to much scholarly research, some compared this ritual to other Ancient Near Eastern ordeals while other focused on unavoidable questions regarding gender and patriarchy. I would like to discuss the approach to the Sotah taken by Ishai Rosen-Zvi in his book The Mishnaic Sotah Ritual: Temple, Gender and Midrash.

Rosen-Zvi begins by asking the following questions:

Why does the Mishnah reformulate a ritual that has Read More >

Parashat Nasoahsilver2017-06-02T11:26:31-04:00

24 05, 2017

Parashat Bemidbar

Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD2017-05-24T15:48:07-04:00

Parashat Bemidbar: Tribalism or Multitribalism?

Rabbi Jill Hammer

The first parashah in the Book of Numbers (or in Hebrew Bemidbar) makes a significant point of listing the census numbers of each tribe (adult males able to go to war) as well as the leaders of each tribe (hence the moniker Book of Numbers). The parashah goes on to list where each tribe camps in relationship to the Tabernacle: Judah, Issachar and Zebulun on the east, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad on the south, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin on the west, and Dan, Asher, and Naftali on the north, with Levi camped in the center. Then the parashah details the particular duties of each subclan of the tribe of Levi as well as their census numbers. It’s as if we’ve discovered an Iron Age accounting tablet. Aside from the tale of the elevation of the Levites, there isn’t a story or a law to be found Read More >

Parashat BemidbarRabbi Jill Hammer, PhD2017-05-24T15:48:07-04:00

17 05, 2017

Parashat Behar-Behukotai

Rabbi Len Levin2017-05-17T13:26:55-04:00

A Society of Free Landholders
by Rabbi Len Levin

“You shall proclaim release [liberty] throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you shall return to his holding and each of you shall return to his family.” (Leviticus 25:9)

Three years ago I discussed how the Jubilee law served as a beacon to both the American republic and the reborn Jewish homeland, informing their visions of liberty and economic opportunity for all citizens. (See Levin, Dvar Torah Behar 2014.)

To review: “In order to have a chance to remain free, people needed to have a material sufficiency to earn an independent livelihood. Hence, at periodic intervals — every fifty years — the primary source of wealth, the land itself, was to be redistributed to the ancestral families to which it had presumably been apportioned at the original Israelite conquest.”

The Israeli philosopher Eliezer Schweid, in his book, Philosophy Read More >

Parashat Behar-BehukotaiRabbi Len Levin2017-05-17T13:26:55-04:00

12 05, 2017

Parashat Emor

ahsilver2017-05-12T08:29:59-04:00

by Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky

This week’s parashah is a priestly delight. It’s filled with numerous teachings that were relevant to the lives of priests, kohanim, in the past, and for some kohanim, still today. Many people, not only kohanim, are challenged by some of the restrictions that were placed on the priests. Along with the numerous benefits that came along with the priesthood, there were also prohibitions, some related to whom they could marry, while others addressed certain physical characteristics that disqualified a priest from performing his priestly duties.

“The LORD spoke further to Moses: Speak to Aaron and say: No man of your offspring throughout the ages who has a defect shall be qualified to offer the food of his God. No one at all who has a defect shall be qualified: no man who is blind, or lame, or has a limb too short or too long; no man who has a Read More >

Parashat Emorahsilver2017-05-12T08:29:59-04:00

3 05, 2017

Parashat Aharei Mot-Kedoshim

Cantor Sandy Horowitz2017-05-03T14:13:49-04:00

by Cantor Sandy Horowitz

Parashat Aharei Mot-Kedoshim: A Look Back

Max: Aaron has asked us to divide into groups and share our reflections about what we heard from Moses today. So many laws! I lost track after fifty.

Hannah: “You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by….”*

Max: What?

Hannah: I heard that in a dream once.

Shira: How long will this take? Miriam’s doing folk-dancing tonight and I promised her I’d bring my timbrel…

Shmuel: What’s with all those Ani Adonai (“I am Adonai”)s? He kept repeating it.

Max: Perhaps it helps us remember a Higher Purpose whenever we consider these laws.

Shmuel: Or maybe he’s still mad about the golden calf…

Max: I was struck by hearing the laws regarding land: we’re commanded to leave the corners of our fields for the poor and hungry, fruit-trees grow unpicked for three years and then we sacrifice the first fruits before we can Read More >

Parashat Aharei Mot-KedoshimCantor Sandy Horowitz2017-05-03T14:13:49-04:00

3 05, 2017

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

ahsilver2017-05-03T14:00:56-04:00

The double parshiyot of this week’s Torah reading, Tazria-Metzora, are for many commentators a challenge. Many parshiyot in the Book of Leviticus are challenging, but much of this week’s Torah reading reads like a zombie apocalypse in which people are still concerned whether they are pure or impure.

One theme that keeps returning throughout the reading is that of isolation and loneliness. Law after law describes how people were to be isolated from the rest of the Israelite encampment and whose entry into the sanctuary was forbidden.

She shall remain in a state of blood purification for thirty-three days: she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until her period of purification is completed. (Lev. 12:4)

But if it is a white discoloration on the skin of his body which does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate Read More >

Parashat Tazria-Metzoraahsilver2017-05-03T14:00:56-04:00

20 04, 2017

Parashat Shemini

ahsilver2017-04-20T21:10:10-04:00

by Rabbi Michael Pitkowsky

This week’s parashah begins with Moses’s instructions to Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel:

On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron: “Take a calf of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and bring them before the LORD…” (Leviticus 9:1-2)

Much of the parashah consists of instructions regarding the sacrifices and other regulations regarding dietary restrictions. Near the beginning of the parashah Moses relayed the following instructions to the Children of Israel. “Moses said: “This is what the LORD has commanded that you do, that the Presence of the LORD may appear to you.” (Leviticus 9:6)

The midrash Yalkut Shimoni (13-14th century) brings the following interpretation (par. 521):

Moses said to Israel: Remove that [evil] urge from your hearts in order that you all be of one feeling of awe and Read More >

Parashat Sheminiahsilver2017-04-20T21:10:10-04:00

All shall unite to do God's will with an open heart.

All shall unite to do God's will with an open heart.

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