Parsha Balak Numbers 22:2–25:9  By Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger In this week’s Torah portion, Balak, the king of Moab (for whom this portion is named), hires the prophet, ‎Balaam, to curse the Israelites. Balak is willing to pay a substantial sum for the curse, assuming the payment ‎would be motivation enough, even when Balaam […]

Parashat Chukat Numbers 19:1–22:1 by Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger In this week’s parsha, Chukat, we encounter one of the Torah’s most enigmatic passages: the laws of the Red Heifer (Parah Adumah.) This mysterious ritual was intended for the purification of individuals who physically encounter death. Even King Solomon – the wisest of all men […]

Shelach Numbers 13:1–15:41 By Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger Empowered Positivity This week’s Torah portion, Shelach, is focused on the plan to enter the Promised Land. Moses sends 12 spies to explore the land, charged with discovering if the Promised Land is flowing with milk and honey, or ruled by giants. Ten of the twelve spies returned to […]

Naso (Num. 4:21-7:89)  By Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger This week’s Torah portion, Naso, is the longest portion spanning an incredibly wide range of topics capturing the multifaceted nature of our spiritual journeys. From the census of the Levite families to the details of camp purification, the laws of the Sotah (a woman accused of […]

Bamidbar 5784 (Num. 1:1 – 4:20) In the Wilderness by Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger This week’s Torah portion, Bamidbar, is the first portion of 4th book of the Torah. In English, this book is referred to as the Book of Numbers; in Hebrew, this book is called Bamidbar, meaning “in the wilderness.”  In our […]