D’varim 5782 Deut. 1:1 – 3:22 Rabbi Jack Luxemburg    “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zim, Anu D’varim..”  Not a line of Torah from this week’s portion, D’varim (Deut. 1:1-3 – 3:22), but a line from a Hebrew children’s song.  It means, “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom Zim, we are bees!”.   Something that has always interested me is that […]

Mattot/Mas’ei 5782 Num. 30:2 – 36:13 Rabbi Gary Pokras    As we approach the end of the book of Numbers, the entire community of Israel is encamped on the east bank of the Jordan river – directly across from the Promised Land. They have wandered for nearly forty years through the Wilderness, and they have […]

Pinchas 5782 Num. 25:10 – 30:1 Rabbi Gary Pokras   Miriam had died. So had Aaron. This week, God reminds Moses that his time, as well, is limited. Moses, the consummate leader, responds to God: “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over this community to go out and come […]

Balak 5872 Num. 22:2 – 25:9 Rabbi Jack Luxemburg  This Torah portion is full of surprises. It is named for a pagan king, Balak, who ruled over Moab, a territory that is now part of modern-day Jordan. It introduces us to a complicated character, Balam, a soothsayer, and magician who is hired by Balak to […]

Chukkat 5782  Num. 19:1 – 22:1 Rabbi Gary Pokras  (originally published in 2017)  What does it mean to bring water from the rock?  Miriam has just died. Moses and Aaron are mourning. The Israelites are clamoring, yet again, against Moses. This time, they are demanding water because Miriam had been the water diviner for the […]