The Israelites were almost within sight of the Promised Land. They had successfully waged their first battles. They had just won a victory over the Midianites. There is a new tone to the narrative. We no longer hear the querulous complaints that had been the bass note of so much of the wilderness years. We know why. That undertone was…
…about Rabbi Rabinovitch, please see the Covenant & Conversation essay entitled “My Teacher: In Memoriam”, written for Matot-Masei. [3] According to midrashic tradition (Midrash Aggadah, Pesikta Zutreta, Sechel Tov et al.), Judah was “sent down” or excommunicated by his brothers for convincing them to sell Joseph, after the grief they saw their father suffer. See also Rashi ad loc. [4]…
Near the end of the book of Bamidbar, we encounter the law of the cities of refuge: three cities to the east of the Jordan and, later, three more within the land of Israel itself. There, people who had committed homicide could flee and find protection until their case was heard by a court of law. If they were found…
Etre ailleurs, “To be elsewhere – the great vice of this race, its great and secret virtue, the great vocation of this people.” So wrote the French poet and essayist Charles Peguy (1873-1914), a philosemite in an age of Anti-Semitism. He continued: “Any crossing for them means the crossing of the desert. The most comfortable houses, the best built from…
During the three weeks between 17 Tammuz and Tisha b’Av, as we recall the destruction of the Temples, we read three of the most searing passages in the prophetic literature, the first two from the opening of the book of Jeremiah, the third, next week, from the first chapter of Isaiah. At perhaps no other time of the year are…
A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible I Believe is a personal and intimate demonstration of how Rabbi Sacks came to see the world through listening attentively to the Torah and its message for the present and all times. This book is the last instalment of the Covenant & Conversation series of themed books, written by Rabbi Sacks on the…
This week’s parsha opens with an account of the laws of vows and oaths. What is it doing here near the end of the book of Numbers, as the Israelites approach the destination of their journey to the promised land? Vows and oaths are obligations created by words. They are commitments to do something or refrain from doing something. A…
The Israelites are almost within sight of the promised land. They have waged a victorious campaign against the Midianites. We feel the tempo quicken. No longer are the Israelites in the desert. They are moving inexorably toward the Jordan, to the west of which lies their destination: the land ‘flowing with milk and honey’. The members of the tribes of…
…trust. Leaders are people who put the interests of the group above those of any subsection of the group. They care for, and inspire others to care for, the common good. Matot: Conflict Resolution Great leaders are great not just because they care for their own people – everyone except a self-hater does that – but because they care for…
…- Matot-Masei -The Imperative of Education – Dr Tanya White The course has been generously sponsored, and is therefore free to all participants. Sessions must be booked in advance for those who wish to attend. Once you complete your booking, you will receive a link to attend online. If you cannot attend the live session, look out for the recording of…