Parshat Balak Numbers 22:2 – 25:9  By Jen Smith  Parshat Balak is one of the Torah’s most surprising stories. A Moabite king, Balak, hires Balaam, a sort of “prophet-for-hire” to curse the Israelites. Balaam sets out to fulfill the mission, but things don’t exactly go as planned. Instead of curses, blessings pour from Balaam’s mouth. […]

Parshat Chukat Numbers 19:1 – 22:1 By Jen Smith Parshat Chukat is, on the surface, one of the most enigmatic in the Torah. It opens with the laws of the Red Heifer, or Parah Adumah, an ancient ritual that is intended to restore ritual purity, and yet at the same time, renders the pure immediately […]

Korach Numbers 16:1 – 18:32  By Jen Smith  Parshat Korach is a dramatic story of rebellion and ego, of swallowed tents and heavenly fire. Korach, a Levite by birth, challenges Moses and Aaron, claiming: All the community is holy, every one of them, and God is in their midst; why then do you raise yourselves […]

Parshat Sh’lach Numbers 13:1 – 15:41  By Jen Smith   In Parshat Sh’lach, twelve spies are sent to scout the land of Canaan. They all see the same terrain: lush, fertile, and inhabited territory claimed by mighty civilizations who build fortified cities. And yet, while only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, return with a […]

Beha’alotecha Numbers 8:1–12:16  By Jen Smith  This week’s Torah portion, Beha’alotecha, begins with a quiet, almost tender image: Aaron is commanded to light the lamps of the Menorah in the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the wilderness. Beha’alotecha means to raise up, which is fitting because when you raise up the lamps, not just light […]

Parshat Naso Numbers 4:21-7:89  By Jen Smith   Parshat Naso, the longest Torah portion, may at first glance feel like a collection of lists including tribal leaders, offerings, priestly duties, but hidden within its verses is a profound mystical truth: every person carries a unique spark, and every spark is worthy of being lifted up.  The […]