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Parshat: Portioning it out |
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Parshat Pinchas (2nd triennial year, Numbers, 26:52 - 28:15)
Since today (Thurs) was the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day, we are entering into the "three week" period, leading up to Tisha B'Av, the saddest and most mournful day of the entire Jewish year. Please put Wednesday night, July 29, on your calendar. That is the evening we read (together) the book of Eicha (Lamentations) and begin the 25 hour fast. We will also be reading / performing a scripted program for Eicha. Don't miss out.
Back to this Shabbat. Our Torah reading this week is parshat Pinchas (2nd triennial year, Numbers, 26:52 - 28:15).
We read that God commands Moses to count all the people for purposes of assigning land apportionments that they will inherit when the Israelites conquer the territory. But remember, the Levites won't inherit land, so it must be for some other reason that their tribe is enumerated. The Torah is completely ambiguous about them: is their landlessness a reward or a perk of being the priestly tribe, or is it a necessary stricture, seeing as how they were a hotheaded group (Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, has just killed two annoying people by skewering them; the Levites were the only ones who followed Moses' lead in putting to death every person who had celebrated the golden calf, not forgetting the violence they also perpetrated in Genesis by destroying the city of Shechem).
Without coming down on either side, explicitly, Moses (God's representative) must nonetheless get his people ready to move directly over the Jordan river into their land grants. The sense of discipline and driven-ness are quite palpable in these sections of the Torah. I many ways, these readings have done more to shape Judaism into the legal or halachic system we know than any other text, which has - in turn - developed the peculiar nature of Judaism as we know it.
Finally, our reading concludes with a description of sacrifices that are brought on Shabbat and on the appearance of the new moon (Rosh Chodesh) as wonderfully savory food offerings to God.
Shabbat Shalom
R' David Bockman |
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Politics Doesn't Change Much |
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The torah portion this shabbat is Korach, in which we read of a coalition of Israelites revolting against Moses' leadership. Politics doesn't change much, does it?
Our section of the triennial cycle is Numbers 16:20 - 17:24. We read of the end of the Korach rebellion (the earth swallowed them up whole), followed by a collection of the firepans with which the rebels had attempted to make sacrifices to God. These are hammered flat and attached to the base of the washstand so that each and every time the kohanim went to prepare themselves to serve on behalf of the people, they'd remember how chosen (and lucky?) they were.
Then the rest of the tribe of Levi rebels against the kohanim, and specifically Aaron. He is proven to be the legitimate leader by having his staff flower with almonds! Oh, snap! It seems that there are certain moments in history when everybody and his brother piles on to topple the leadership. BUt when you have GOd on your side, you have a great chance of prevailing.
Shabbat Shalom
R' David Bockman |
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Beha'alotecha |
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Shabbat Shalom!
Our Torah portion this shabbat is called Beha'alotecha, and our reading (2nd of the triennial years) includes Numbers 9:15 - 10:34
In the reading, we have a few basic sections. First, we read that once the Mishkan (= tabernacle, portable sanctuary used in desert travels until a permanent Temple is built by King Solomon) was set up, a cloud came to cover the tent completely, which was "like the appearance of fire" during the night hours. Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, that was the Israelites signal to move, following God's
direction. This, says the text, amounts to "observing God's observances." According to this text, our ancestors actually DID follow God's instructions, fully and carefully - at least in regards this basic activity (but there are plenty of texts showing how we disobeyed God time and again. Fulfilling God's desires - not so much).
Then we see how Moses is instructed by God to create two trumpets of tempered silver, which were used to let the people know when to move, and in which order. They were used to call together the elders (board meeting?), to signal an attack (intruder alert, ADT), to accompany sacrifices on special occasions, and so forth. There are at least two different "sounds"/manners of blowing the trumpets (tekiyah and terua'ah), and the two trumpets were apparently tuned to different notes, so that the people who heard them could distinguish whether only one of them was being blown, or whether both were sounded simultaneously. The trumpets (not shofars) are thus being used to convey bits of information to the people; but they also were to be for the people as a remembrance (reminder?) before God (either that they should remember God, or that God should remember them and look kindly on or protect them).
Finally, the Torah tells us the date on which the cloud first lifted and the people travelled: the 20th day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. That works out to the 20th of Iyar (we observe Lag B'Omer as a day of happiness and celebration on the 18th of Iyar each year, for reasons seemingly unconnected to this ancient important date). Owing to the unclear nature of when the omer counting actually begins ("on the morrow of the Shabbat"), there is a good likelihood that Lag B'omer originated as a remembrance of the date the Israelites first followed God's laws to the letter!
Then we read about each tribal "camp" that marched under its flag, led by its tribal leader.
Finally, we read once again, about Moses' entreaty to his father-in-law to remain with the Israelites as they let Sinai, so he could be their desert guide, and so that "God could look upon him with favor, and bless him on account of the Israelites."
I some ways, our readings are all about the people's obedience to God. But in other, crucial ways, we see how the people are meant to learn to govern and organize themselves, sowing the seeds of independence that will enable them to live without the direct intervention of (first) God, then (later) Moses.
Seems like they were learning something we could still stand to study in our day.
Shabbat Shalom
hope to see you in shul!
R' David Bockman
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Parshat: Listen to the Talking Donkey |
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This shabbat, we read from the second triennial sections of the Torah portions Hukkat and Balak (Num 21:21 - 22:38).
Our reading picks up at the point where the Israelites approach Emor, where Sihon is king (East of Canaan), asking permission to travel through its land on their way to the promised land. The Amorites refuse to allow them passage, but instead show up with a military force to attack them, whereupon the Israelites kick their tuchas and take over their territory. Then Og, king of Bashan, attacks them, only to be conquered as well. At this point, Balak, king of Moab,sends for the prophet Bilaam to curse the Israelites. Bilaam initially refuses to go, but at the insistence of Balak (and the promise of fabulous wealth), he agrees to go a-cursin', with the caveat that he can only bless one whom God wants to bless and curse only those whom God wants cursed.
As he starts the journey to see the Israelites and curse them, God sends a "military angel" with a sharp sword to stand in the way of Bilaam's donkey.When Bilaam hits his animal to get it to move, the donkey opens up its mouth and speaks (quite eloquently, it seems) to Bilaam, forcing him to see what has been before his face the entire time, but he had no eyes to see it.
What a great story: somebody should make it into a children's book. But the surprise is not the talking donkey. The surprise is the donkey who sees more clearly than a prophet of God where the danger lies. Bilaam should be humbled and learn his lesson about the danger of proceeding on his chosen path. If he had, though, he would never have gotten to the point where he could see the Israelites arrayed according to their tribes, forcing him (as it were) to come out with the words "Ma Tovu," with which we begin our every service.
You see, sometimes you need to have an outsider's perspective in order to find the right words to see clearly and to follow the right path. It happens with a donkey and with a prophet, but the result is the same. The desire of God is channeled into the world, spreading blessing to where it needs to go. We human beings can either help by becoming it's conduit, or we can try to get in its way. The path of wisdom lies in finding the good and helping to lead it to its deserved blessing. What greater mission can there be in life than to take part in what is right and good?
Shabbat Shalom
R' David Bockman |
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Spies, Spies, Everywhere |
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Shlach Lecha; Numbers 14:8 - 15:7
IN the words of a great e-mail I received this past year: you don't have to know much or be wealthy. Just being there is enough to count, and when was the last time someone told you "I want you for your body" ?
Our Torah reading this shabbat comes from the book of Numbers 14:8 - 15:7. [book of Numbers? Sounds like FBI evidence in a mafia trial]
The context is the reconnaissance mission of the twelve tribal leaders into the promised land, ten of whom return saying "they're big-uns; we're done for!" (free translation, obviously). Only Joshua and Caleb say that the Israelites should go into the land they were promised; for this loyalty, they are rewarded by being the only two people of that entire generation, to live long enough to see the Israelites enter the land. (everybody else dies, including Moses and
Aaron!)
So, like willful children, when God subsequently forbids them to go into the land, they disobey and try to go in there. Unlike this past week's reading, which emphasized the people's obedience to the fiery cloud, this week we see how our ancestors DISobeyed God.
Interestingly enough, God uses a line of reasoning with Moses that every parent can recognize. "Look, they're disobeying me, and I know that YOU (Moses) are frustrated, so let me get rid of them. Kaput. Dead.
"They can be replaced by an entire race of people who are just like you. Just say the word." But Moses refuses to let God destroy his "kids."
What a role model, especially on this Father's Day weekend: someone who has every right to give them a big fat whoopin', but who chooses instead to tough it out, because the long term goal of building an independent and self-sufficient system of governance outweighs the
missteps they take trying to arrive there.
I now see that, as a parent, the "nuclear option" is hardly ever justified. Not because it won't work, but because it leaves a message in its wake saying "by any means necessary. " That sort of idea is simply one that I cannot in good conscience promote.
Shabbat Shalom
See you in shul this Shabbat!
Rabbi David Bockma |
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Adultery?! Naso (Num 5:11 - 6:27), |
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This Shabbat, our Torah portion is Naso (Num 5:11 - 6:27), and it deals with three meaty issues.
The first is the law of the Sotah (woman suspected of adultery). This occurs in a case where her husband, for whatever reason at all (or for no reason) becomes suspicious of his wife, believing that she slept with someone else. He is to bring her to court and present his suspicions that she was unfaithful to him. If there is any independent evidence, the court follows those leads. But if there is no evidence and no witnesses, all they can rely on is her testimony, which is suspect (since it concerns her). Unlike in other ancient societies, and a few still in existence, the Torah presents a "test" (ordeal) that may be run to determine whether or not she 'stepped out on her husband.' It involves the kohanim (official priests) who work at the Tabernacle (and, later on, the Temple), who question the woman at each step of the procedure, eventually leading to her drinking "bitter, cursing waters" that contain both soil from the floor of the tent of meeting and the dissolved words of a curse written on parchment. If the woman explodes, she had committed adultery. If not, her innocence had been proven - publicly - and she
would become pregnant.
The second case is that of the Nazir (Nazirite), a person who - for whatever personal reason, including feelings of guilt over something they had done - vowed to take on some limitations in his or her life. They abstained from alcohol and from all grape products, they let their hair grow without it being cut, and they avoided coming in contact with ritual impurity for the entire period of their naziritude (?), which could extend anywhere from a month to years. When they completed the term of naziritude, they were to shave themselves completely (including all the hair on their head, eyebrows, etc) and burn the hair as a symbol of foregoing their temporary status. Interestingly, they also had to bring a sin offering, which the rabbis explain to be in payment for the "sin" of rejecting legitimate pleasures that God provided (drinking, shaving, etc). We Jews are not real big on asceticism!
Finally, the third section is the priestly blessing, which we still use on Shabbat and holidays and other times (May God bless you and keep you...). The words that introduce this section in the Torah tell us that the kohanim were given this instruction: thus shall you bless the people Israel. In other words, it's not merely that the kohanim are the only ones ALLOWED to bless the rest of the nation, but that it is a mitzvah - a commandment - for them to do so. We know they would ascend a raised platform (called a duchan) to lift up their hands in a strange way and bless the people on God's behalf.
It seems that life was not much different back then from what it is now. Marriages had problems. People felt guilty and needed some way to make it better. People needed somebody else to tell them - to pronounce - that everything would be alright. But rather than seeing a head shirker or marriage counselor, the palpable presence of God
Within their public life enabled a different and powerful avenue for dealing with these emotions and situations.
Perhaps, even today, although the 'rituals' have gone, we can still access the deep power and love of God to absorb some of the difficulties we face on a regular basis.
Shabbat shalom
R' David Bockman |
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