Rabbi’s Blog | Adath Israel

Questions for Pinchas

Pinchas: Death and taxes ~ Look closely at what God tells Moshe regarding Moshe’s death. What is it doing here, just after the apportioning of the land? ~ Can you find a connection between this scene and the story of the daughters of Tzelofchad? ~ This is the second...

Remarks for the Installation

It is with immense gratitude that I am experiencing this celebration – a new ritual that raises the awareness of our collective partnership. You might not know, but this is a first for me, and I am incredibly grateful for this moment. I am indebted first to the...

Some Answers for Shabbat Balak

Bilam is one of the few characters in the Torah for whom we do have an archeological proof of existence. In 1967 an archeological dig found an inscription on the wall of a structure in a city called De’ir Alla. The inscription has been dated to near 9th century BCE....

Questions for parashat Balak

Balak Numbers 22:2-4 to 22:36-38                 894-899 Haftarah                 Micah 5:6-6:8                    915 == The basic story of our parsha is fairly simple: Balak, king of Moab, hires Bilam, a well-known seer, to curse the Israelites. Balak sees them as a...

Korach and the month of Tammuz

Korach ~ Korach and his followers rebel against Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership and are killed; God instructs Aaron regarding laws of the priesthood. In the aftermath of the two rebellions, God again talks about destroying the entire community – twice....

Vayikra ~ Why such a book?

Triennial – Leviticus          3:1-5    to 4:24-26       Etz Hayim p. 592 Haftarah           Y’sha’yahu 43:21-44:23                   Etz Hayim p. 607 === Our reading deals with the burnt offering, the cereal offering, the well-being offering, the purification...