There have been times when one passage in this week’s parsha was, for me, little less than lifesaving. No leadership position is easy. Leading Jews is harder still. And spiritual leadership can be hardest of them all. Leaders have a public face that is usually calm, upbeat, optimistic, and relaxed. But behind the façade we can all experience storms of…
The Parsha in a Nutshell This summary is adapted from this week’s main Covenant & Conversation essay by Rabbi Sacks, available to read in full via the left sidebar (or below, if you are viewing this on your phone) In this week’s parsha, Moshe reaches his lowest ebb. The cause seems trivial. The people were engaged in their favourite activity:…
…given to the collection of essays by the late Jacob Herzog. It was also the theme of the autobiography of Israeli diplomat, and brother of Israel’s former Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, the late Naftali Lau-Lavie (Balaam’s Prophecy: Eyewitness to History [ Jerusalem: Toby Press, 2015]). [2] Published by New York: Schocken, 2012. [3] Sifre, Behaalotecha, 89; Rashi to Gen….
In this week’s parsha, Moses has a breakdown. It is the lowest emotional ebb of his entire career as a leader. Listen to his words to God: “Why have You treated Your servant so badly? Why have I found so little favour in Your sight that You lay all the burden of this people upon me? Was it I who conceived…
David Brooks, in his bestselling book, The Road to Character,[1] draws a sharp distinction between what he calls the résumé virtues – the achievements and skills that bring success – and the eulogy virtues, the ones that are spoken of at funerals: the virtues and strengths that make you the kind of person you are when you are not wearing…
In this week’s parsha Moshe reaches his lowest ebb. Not surprisingly. After all that had happened – the miracles, the exodus, the division of the sea, food from heaven, water from a rock, the revelation at Sinai and the covenant that went with it – the people, yet again, were complaining about the food. And not because they were hungry;…
The Summary This summary is adapted from this week’s main Covenant & Conversation essay by Rabbi Sacks. This week the people’s complaints lead to Moshe’s breakdown. He cries out to Hashem, asking to give up. It is the lowest emotional point of his entire career as a leader. But what causes such a strong reaction? Moshe has never reacted with…
The sedra of Beha’alotecha speaks about the exquisite silver trumpets – clarions – Moses was commanded to make: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two trumpets of silver; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you to summon the congregation [edah], and cause the camps [machanot] to journey.” Numbers 10:1-2 This apparently simple passage became a springboard for…
It was the worst crisis in Moses’ life. Incited by the ‘mixed multitude’, the Israelites complain about the food: ‘If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna.’…
Tanach, the Hebrew Bible, is remarkable for the extreme realism with which it portrays human character. Its heroes are not superhuman. Its non-heroes are not archetypal villains. The best have failings; the worst often have saving virtues. I know of no other religious literature quite like it. This makes it very difficult to use biblical narrative to teach a simple,…