By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant In last week’s Torah Parsha (DEVARIM), we heard the words of Moses, as he explained to the Children of Israel the sins and transgressions committed by their forefathers, with the consequence that God banned them from entering the ‘Promised Land’. He also told them the reason he believed the […]
Posts with the Bissel of Torah tag
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: DEVARIM (DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:21)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah 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 […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: MATOT-MASSEI (NUMBERS 30:2-36:13)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah 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 […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: PINCHAS (NUMBERS 25:10-30:1)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant 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 […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: CHUKAT (NUMBERS 19:1-22:1)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week, we read a double Parshiot (CHUKAT), followed by Parsha (BALAK). In an almost imperceptible yet seismic shift, each of these Parshiot leap several decades ahead of our most recent Torah reading; and, the narrative of each read like a riddle inside of a riddle. The Torah Parsha […]