By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah Parsha (KI TEITZEI) occurs as the Children of Israel are at the brink of embarking on war with hostile nations, as they tirelessly struggle to reach the ‘Promised Land’. The Parsha comprises seventy-four of the Torah’s six hundred and thirteen commandments; including marital issues; release of […]

By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant   In previous Parshiot in the Book of DEUTERONOMY, we learned how God began preparing for the establishment of a new nation in the ‘Promised Land’. Equal portions of the land were allotted, according to the population of each of the tribes. Last week’s Torah Parsha (RE’EH) emphasized the […]

By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant “See, I am setting before you today the blessing and the curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your GOD, which I am giving to you today; the curse if you disobey the commandments of the Lord your GOD” (1). These are the first words […]

By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant In this week’s Parsha (EKEV), Moses continues his closing address to the Children of Israel, which he began in Parsha (DEVARIM), and expanded upon in last week’s Parsha (V’ETCHANAN). Moses clearly understands the risks for this new generation. They may not remember the miracles, which God had performed, to […]

By Joy Scott, Congregant This week’s Torah Parsha (DEVARIM) is the first in the last Book of the Torah, DEUTERONOMY. The entire book denotes a major shift from each of the four earlier Books. We read how Moses served as the liaison between God’s Word and the Israelites; their leader and teacher for over forty […]

By Joy Scott, Congregant This week, we read a double Parshiot (MATOT-MASSEI), which consolidate to comprise the finale of the Book of NUMBERS. The contents of these Parshiot are remarkable for the discontinuity of the narrative; the paradoxical elements of God’s commandments; and, seemingly incoherent directives and laws. The first of the Parshiot (MATOT) begins […]

by Joy Scott Last week’s Torah Parsha (BALAK) was somewhat fanciful and surreal; although, ending in tragedy, when thousands of Israelites lost their lives, as a consequence of being lured into illicit relations with the Moabite women. Parsha (PINCHAS) transitions to more serious themes, which include not just a diverse set of narratives; but, also […]

By Joy Scott, Am Hasklah Congregant A ‘Prophet for hire’, a talking donkey, and flying angels: This is not a child’s fairy tale; but, rather the essence of this week’s Torah Parsha (BALAK). The Parsha begins with the Israelites continuing their journey to Canaan. They have already defeated their enemies in the land of the […]

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In an almost imperceptible yet seismic shift, this week’s Torah Parsha (CHUKAT) jumps several decades ahead in the journey of the Israelites; and, its narrative reads like a riddle inside a riddle. The Torah Parsha begins: “This is the statute of the Torah which the Lord commanded…”(1), and proceeds […]

By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In last week’s Torah Parsha (SHELACH), twelve ‘spies’, after scouting the land of Canaan for forty days, returned with a blatantly exaggerated falsehood, pertaining to the strength and size of the inhabitants. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the other ten men rejected the assumption that the people […]