Why does Parashat Behar begin by telling us that, "The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai"? Don't we know that already by now? What purpose does this serve when introducing the laws of the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee? Is it important? Very much so. How? Read more in the 5 Minute Torah commentary on Parashat Behar (Leviticus 25:1-26:2).
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 Posted May 28, 2018 - 6:21am
Yesterday, rather than going to my normal gym, I went with a friend to his gym and exercised with him on his exercise routine. Today, I am reaping what I have sown: pain, tenderness, soreness, stiffness, and wonderful feelings of growth, strength, and accomplishment. For years and years I avoided the gym, simply because the thought of it was just too painful. Why would anyone in their right mind take time out of their busy schedule to put themselves through hell and back day after day? Just thinking about exercising nearly made me reach for the ibuprofen and an ice pack. One of the side effects of Western culture in a post-modern society is that we don’t have a concept of anything beyond the current moment. Why should I take an hour or more to prepare a healthy meal when I can drive through McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A and eat it now? Why set back a portion of my income each week for the future, when I could use that money now? Why invest in a skill that takes years to develop, when I can settle for a decent-paying job now (that will probably lay me off in a year)? Many times we choose to forego the investment into tomorrow to satisfy the demands of today. We rob Peter to pay Paul and continue to slide away from a life of fulfillment and stability into a constant scouring for how we can be fulfilled in our current moment. Or how we can be entertained when we are unsatisfied with the choices we have made that have lead us to this point. Yes, growth is painful. But there is a reward, a beauty, and a sense of confidence that come as a result of the pain of growth. Sure, we can avoid pain, but only at the expense of atrophy. Growth, however, brings with it a cost. And if you’re willing to pay that cost, little by little, then you will grow and become something better, stronger, and more confident than what you were yesterday, a week, or a year from today. |
 Posted May 25, 2018 - 10:47am
The Power of BlessingIn this week’s parashah, we continue learning about the responsibilities of the Levitical tribes to transport the Tabernacle and its components. In the previous portion we learned about the responsibilities of the Kohathite family, and in our current portion we learn about the responsibilities of the tribes of Gershon and Merari. However, the Torah then transitions into the test for the sotah, the wayward wife, and the laws of the Nazarite. Our parashah concludes by recounting the various offerings brought by the tribal heads for the inauguration service of the Tabernacle. The topic we are going to explore now, however, is six short verses wedged in between the laws of the Nazarite and the dedication offerings. Numbers 6:22–27 records for us what is commonly called the Birchat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing, also known as the Aaronic Benediction:
The LORD instructed Aaron and his sons, the Kohanim (the priests), to bless the Children of Israel with this liturgical formulation. Every day across the world, this tripartite blessing is bestowed upon the Jewish people. When it is recited in the synagogue, the congregation turns their eyes away from the Kohen or the one reciting it in the absence of a Kohen. This is to remind us that blessings, particularly this blessing, do not come from the Kohen, but they are something that comes directly from Hashem, as we read, “and I will bless them.” The Kohen is merely the conduit through which this blessing is imparted. |
 Posted May 18, 2018 - 8:04am
Disciples of MosesParashat Bamidbar begins our study of the book of Numbers. Chapter one starts off with the LORD’s command to take a census of the males among the Children of Israel who are of the age to go into battle. Every male twenty years old and older was to be counted. The Torah then lists out the census results according to each tribe. In chapter two, after giving the results of the census, the LORD gives Moses instructions for how the Children of Israel would both encamp and how they would travel. The Tabernacle and the Levites would be surrounded by the entire army of Israel. The tribal legions would be a buffer of protection for both the priestly tribe and also the holy house in the event of a military engagement. Chapter three, however, begins entirely different:
Chapters three and four of the book of Numbers cover the responsibilities of the Levites for packing up and transporting the Tabernacle and its furnishings when traveling. However, the Torah introduces this topic in a unique manner. It begins by saying, “These are the generations of Aaron and Moses.” In the original Hebrew, the word for generations is toldot. As we have discussed previously, the primary meaning of the word toldot is offspring. But if this is the case, why does the Torah only discuss the sons of Aaron and is completely silent regarding the offspring of Moses? |
 Posted May 11, 2018 - 11:12am
The Rejection of IsraelThe double portion of Behar-Bechukotai is the last reading in the book of Leviticus. And although the bulk of the book of Leviticus deals with laws of the sacrificial system and the inauguration of the levitical duties, it ends on quite a different tone. Parashat Bechukotai begins with a reminder that if the Children of Israel heed Hashem’s instructions and obey His commandments, they will be blessed. It begins, “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,” and is followed by a list of things that will happen as a result of their obedience. However, immediately following is a stern warning of what will happen if they refuse to obey his Torah and walk in His ways. This list of curses is nearly three times as long as the blessings for obedience. When reading this list of afflictions that will come upon the Israelites, it seems that God will be angry enough to wipe them off the face of the earth entirely. He tells them:
This seems to confirm what many within the church believe has happened: God has rejected Israel just as He promised. Because of a misunderstanding of Paul’s language in Romans 11, there are entire denominations within Christianity that believe and teach that the Jewish people have been forsaken by God due to their rejection of Yeshua as Messiah. They believe that the Jewish people are no longer the true people of God, and that they have been displaced by a “truer” people of God, namely Christians. But is this really what Paul meant? If so, this would contradict what the LORD had already promised in the Torah: |
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