By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah 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 importance […]
Posts with the Torah tag
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: RE’EH (DEUTERONOMY 11:26-16:17)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah 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 […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: EKEV (DEUTERONOMY 7:12-11:25)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah 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 […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: VETCHANAN (DEUTERONOMY 3:23-7:11)
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 […]
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 […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: BALAK (NUMBERS 22:2-25:9)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant Parsha BALAK begins with the Israelites continuing their journey to Canaan. They have already defeated their enemies in many nations; and, have settled their next encampment on the border of Moab. Based on the victories the Israelites had achieved in other nations, Balak, the King of Moab was justified […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: KORACH (NUMBERS 16:1-18:32)
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 […]