“This is the statute/decree/law (chukat) of the Torah…and you shall take to you a red cow…” (Numbers 19:2) Why is the ritual of the red cow, used to purify those who had come into contact with a corpse, referred to as the law of the Torah. Shouldn’t it have been… Read More »NUMBERS 19:2 – THE RED COW
In June of 1980, after a year of learning at Machon Gruss in Jerusalem, I returned to the United States. A few days after unpacking, I flew off to Venice, California to help run a Shabbaton for the Flame, a campus outreach organization. We were spending Shabbat at a very… Read More »MOSES AND THE ROCK: California Dreaming
“This is the decree of the Torah that Hashem commanded, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel that you shall take to you a completely red cow, without blemish, upon which no yoke has come” (Numbers 19:2-3). Any person who thinks they are perfect and without faults is clearly someone… Read More »NUMBERS 19:2-3 – MANY BLEMISHES
“…you are taking too much for yourselves (rav lachem), you sons of Levi!” (Numbers 16:7) According to the Talmud (Sotah 13b) Moses was punished for saying these words and they came back to haunt him. When he was praying to be able to enter the Holy Land, G-d answered him… Read More »NUMBERS 16:7 – SPIRITUAL AMBITION
“Send out for yourself men who shall spy out the land of Canaan which I am giving to the children of Israel. You shall send out one man for each paternal tribe, and each one shall be a leader among them” (Numbers 13:2) The Hebrew word for leader here is… Read More »NUMBERS 13:2 – NOTHING AND SOMETHING
As Moses was about to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land, they requested to first send an advance party of spies. G-d consented, and Moses directed the 12 chosen spies to determine the strength of Canaan’s inhabitants and the quality of the land. After 40 days, the spies… Read More »FIRST THINGS FIRST
“Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) The last few verses in the book of Deuteronomy describe the death of Moshe. The Talmud discusses who actually wrote these verses. One opinion is that they were written by Joshua.… Read More »NUMBERS 12:3 – THE MOST HUMBLE
“The manna was like coriander seed and it is similar to the appearance of crystal” (Numbers 11:7) The sages of the Midrash teach that this heavenly food would have the taste of whatever you were thinking of. The Chafetz Chayim was once asked the Gerrer Rebbe what the manna would… Read More »NUMBERS 11:7 – THE TASTE OF MANNA
For modern Jews, wrestling with issues of faith is not unusual. Our very name “Israel” means to ‘struggle with G-d’. Many of us seek clarity amidst a confusing world of uncertainty. Woody Allen once quipped, “If only G-d would give me a clear sign – like making a large deposit… Read More »SEEKING G-D
“And they gathered the entire nation on the first day of the second month…according to the number of the names…” (Numbers 1:18). What is meant by “according to the number of the names”? Ramban (Nachmanides) explains: Hashem told Moses to count each and every person with honor and dignity. Don’t… Read More »NUMBERS 1:18 – EACH UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL
