by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2023 | Pinchas
Our portion picks up where last week’s left off, in the aftermath of a plague. Phineas is blessed by God for his actions, and a new census of the people is taken. The brotherless daughters of Zelophehad appeal to Moses for a share in the land of Israel, and God...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2023 | Balak
This week’s portion demonstrates the scope of the Israelites’ reputation during their desert travels. Balak, the king of Moab, hears what befell the Amorites when they stood up to God’s people, and decides he does not want to meet a similar fate. He opts to hire...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2023 | Chukat
This action-packed portion begins with the laws of the red heifer, an unusual ritual which causes the participant to become pure, but those involved in the preparation to become impure. From there, the narrative picks up again with the death of Moses’s sister, Miriam,...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2023 | Korach
This portion deals primarily with the rebellion of the eponymous Korah and his followers against the authority of Moses and Aaron. A cousin to the leading brothers, Korah protests Moses’s concentration of power in the family, insisting the entire nation is holy. Only...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 11, 2023 | Shelach
This week’s portion focuses primarily on the Sin of the Spies, which results in God’s decree that the Israelites must wander in the desert for forty years instead of entering the land of Israel directly. It also includes details regarding a number of laws, such as the...
