Weekly Torah Reading, ‘Ekev, August 5, 2023

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25   Eat What I Say   The expression “Not by bread alone” has certainly gotten around. It is, among other things, the name of a website promoting a farmer’s market in Green Bay, Wisconsin; an anthropologist’s book about …

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Weekly Torah Reading, ‘Ekev, August 5, 2023

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 Eat What I Say The expression “Not by bread alone” has certainly gotten around. It is, among other things, the name of a website promoting a farmer’s market in Green Bay, Wisconsin; an anthropologist’s book about the Inuit …

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Weekly Torah Reading, Devarim, July 22, 2023

Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22 “How Could This Happen?” This week’s Torah reading is taken from the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy. It is always read on the Shabbat preceding the Ninth of Av, a day of mourning that commemorates the destruction …

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Weekly Torah Reading, Mattot and Mas‘ei, July 15, 2023

Numbers 30:2-36:13 The Right to Revenge   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 who, for example, injured someone was to be …

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Weekly Torah Reading, Pineḥas, July 8, 2023

Numbers 25:10-30:1   The Return of Pineḥas   This week’s Torah reading is named for its hero, Pineḥas (usually rendered in English as Phinehas or Phineas). His quick action in killing a flagrantly offending couple (Numbers 25:7) earned him a …

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Weekly Torah Reading, Balak, July 1, 2023

Numbers 22:2-25:9   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 …

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Weekly Torah Reading, Hukkat, June 24. 2023

Numbers 19:1-22:1 Overconfident This week’s reading relates that, toward the end of their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites ran out of water. They complained bitterly to their leaders, Moses and Aaron: “Why did you take us …

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Weekly Torah Reading, Korah, June 17, 2023

Numbers, chapter 16:1-18:32 Ganging Up on Moses This week’s Torah reading recounts the attempted revolt of Koraḥ and his allies. According to Num 16:3, the rebels “assembled” (vayyiqqahalu) against Moses and Aaron. The same verb appears again in Num 16:19, …

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