Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Nasso "Elevate the Head"Torah: B’midbar (Numbers) 4:21 - 7:89 The maintenance and moving of the “Tent of Meeting” was a huge task. What we find in this week’s Torah portion is the depth of detail in that organization. There are three sons of Levi. Kohat, Gershon and Merari. Moshe and Aharon were the grandsons of Kohat. All the priests that served in the Tent of Meeting and the later Temple were direct descendants of Aharon. … [Read more...] about Organized Labor
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Rosh Chodesh Sivan
At sundown, Shabbat, 5/23/2020, the month of Iyar comes to its end and Rosh Chodesh Sivan begins. Rosh Chodesh is not a prescribed monthly Shabbat but it is commanded to be “observed”. In 1Samuel 20, we see that particular Rosh Chodesh was being observed for two days . Some use this recorded biblical event as proof that the current calendar based method of determining the arrival of Rosh Chodesh today was in use earlier than the construction of the first Temple. … [Read more...] about Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Counting The Army
Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: B’midbar – In the wildernessTorah: B’midbar 1:1 – 4:20 ** Taking a census in Israel was a big deal. Only a few were taken in ancient Israel and the last one cost seventy thousand Israelites their lives. I think that Avinu asked for the census for Moshe’s sake rather than for His information. B’midbar 1:1 ¶ And Avinu spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second … [Read more...] about Counting The Army
If You…I Will
Weekly Torah Lesson - 2 Parasha: B’Chukkotay in My statutesTorah: V’Ikra 26:3 – 27:34 “If you…I will..” ** There are hundreds of such statements in the Scriptures. I like to call them ‘contingency clauses’ because the ‘I will’ depends on ‘if you ??’. One of my favorite ‘contingency clauses’ is: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9 NKJV) ** So what happens if you don’t confess … [Read more...] about If You…I Will
The Promise of Shabbat
Weekly Torah Lesson - 1 Parasha: b’Har On the Mountain Torah: Vay Ikra 25:1-26:2 ** This week we read about what will be expected of Israel when they are settled in the promised land. Vay Ikra 25:1 And Avinu spoke to Moshe in mount Sinai, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Shabbat to Avinu. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six … [Read more...] about The Promise of Shabbat
A Holy Priesthood
Weekly Torah Lesson Parasha: Emor (say, speak )Torah: VaYikra (Leviticus) 21:1 - 24:2 Yikra 21:1 And Avinu said to Moshe, Speak to the priests the sons of Aharon, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: 2 But for his kin, that is near to him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother. 3 And for his sister a virgin, that is near to him, which has had no … [Read more...] about A Holy Priesthood