Weekly Torah Reading, Shofetim, September 3, 2022
Kings, Think Twice! “The ancient Near East,” wrote the Egyptologist Henri Frankfort, “considered kingship the very basis of civilization. Only savages could live without a king. Security, peace, and justice could not prevail without a ruler to champion them. …
Weekly Torah Reading, Re’eh, August 27, 2022
Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 No Slashing This week’s reading contains an odd interdiction: “You are children of the Lord your God,” God says. “You shall not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead” (Deut 14:1). Ancient scholars …
Weekly Torah Reading, ‘Ekev, August 20, 2022
Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 Not Only Bread This week’s Torah reading includes a famous saying. Human beings do not live “by bread alone,” that is, we don’t survive merely by the material things of life. Rather, we survive thanks to the …
Weekly Torah Reading, Devarim, August 6, 2022
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22 An Ox and a Donkey Know This week’s Torah reading, from the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy, is always read on the Shabbat preceding the Ninth of Av (Tish‘ah be-Av), a day of mourning that …
Weekly Torah Reading (In Israel), Mas‘ei, July 30, 2022
Weekly Torah Reading (in Israel), Mas‘ei, July 30, 2022 Numbers 33:1-36:13 The Lex Talionis One of the most widespread legal principles in the ancient world was the lex [or “ius”] talionis, the law [or “right”] of retribution. A person …
Weekly Torah Reading (in Israel), Mattot, July 23, 2022
Numbers 30:2-32:42 Taking Care of Business In this week’s reading, Moses is commanded to punish the Midianites for their role in leading Israel astray with the Midianite women. The blunt language hardly requires explanation. “Exact revenge from the Midianites,” …
Weekly Torah Reading, Balak and Pinehas, July 16, 2022
Weekly Torah Reading (in Israel) Pineḥas, July 16, 2022 Numbers 25:10-30:1 The Return of Pineḥas Last week’s Torah reading ended with a certain Israelite hero slaying a flagrantly offending couple, thereby turning aside God’s wrath. The name of the hero …
Weekly Torah Reading (in Israel) Balak, July 9, 2022 (outside Israel) Hukkat
Numbers 22:2-25:9 A People Dwelling Apart? In this week’s Torah reading, the pagan seer Balaam is hired to curse the people of Israel, but every time he tries, he ends up blessing them instead. In the first of these blessings …