Weekly Torah Reading, Beha‘alotekha, June 3, 2023

Numbers 8:1-12:16 The Good Old Days In the book of Ecclesiastes, the author advises, “Don’t say, ‘How has it come about that things were better in earlier times than now?’ for you are not asking about this out of wisdom” …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, BeMidbar, May 15, 2023

Numbers 1:1-4:20 The Nature of Holiness   This week’s Torah reading begins with a detailed census of Israel’s tribes. However, the Levites are not included in the census; they are listed separately afterwards. The reason for this reveals something basic …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, BeHar-Be-Ḥukkotai, May 13, 2023

Leviticus 25:1-27:34 The Slave’s Life   Twice, in this week’s reading, God tells Israel that they themselves will occupy the lowest rank in the society that they are to establish in Canaan. “For they are My slaves,” God says of …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Emor, May 6, 2023

Leviticus 21:1-24:23 Redivide the Verse   The possibility has always struck me that our ancient sages (heresy spoiler!) may have made a mistake in the way they divided up the verses in one crucial passage of the Torah. As is …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Aharei Mot-Kedoshim, April 29, 2023

Leviticus 16:1 to 20:27 Like Yourself   No doubt the most famous verse in this week’s double reading, Aḥarei Mot-Kedoshim, is Lev 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor like yourself.” Rabbi Akiva declared that this verse is nothing less than …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Tazri‘a-Metzora‘, April 22, 2023

April 22, 2023   The Anesthetized Rib This week’s double reading (Tazria’-Metzora‘) opens with an unusual law: “When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child, she will be ritually impure for seven days; just as with the …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Shemini, April 15, 2023

Leviticus 9:1-11:47   After the Crisis   After the crisis, people weren’t sure what had caused it, and they didn’t know what to do next. After the crisis, some people weren’t even sure there had been a crisis. It’s always …

Read More »

Weekly Torah Reading, Shabbat ha-Gadol, April 5, 2023

Haggadah Tips In four different passages of the Torah, Jewish parents are commanded to tell their children about the exodus from Egypt ((Exodus chap. 12:26-27, 13:8, 13:14, and Deuteronomy 6:20-21). We fulfill this commandment next Wednesday night by reading the …

Read More »