Scrollers Preview - Parashat Vaetchanan

“I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘ O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan. . . .”

The parasha opens with these painful and personal words from Moses. And then it launches into Moses’ exhortations to the people to follow God’s laws and rules when they go into the land without him. The text becomes liturgical, poetic and philosophical. It is here that we find the Sh’ma “Hear, Oh Israel, YHVH is our God. YHVH alone. You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. . . .” And here too, Moses repeats the Ten Commandments.

The words we see repeated most are various forms of the following verbs: “sh’ma” or “listen,” “r’eh, or “look,” “chayyim” or “life,” and “shamor,” or “guard/keep.” These words occur in connection to constant reminders to follow God’s ways and not to stray.

Moses is so sad and so worried. He made one misstep, and now he can’t even enter the land. How much the more so are the people in danger of straying from God’s laws and being exiled. Moses pleads with God at the beginning, but the entire portion is a plea. Moses is pleading with the people to not make the same mistakes he did; to treasure the opportunity to live in the holy land and create a holy community in covenant with God.

As we read this parasha, are we worried, as Moses is? Do we have hope – not only in the generation of Israelites whom Moses is addressing, but in our own generations of living Jews? Are we able to see and listen, guard and keep, and live?

Scrollers Preview - Parashat Dvarim 2013

Moses, the man who pleaded with God that he was not an “ish d’varim,” a “man of words” is now about to speak to us for the entire book of Deuteronomy, which we begin this week. When God first commissioned Moses, he tried to get out of the job, saying that he was slow of tongue. But now he seems to have plenty to say!

Moses begins by giving a brief summary of the Israelites’ travels up to this point. He lingers on the retelling of two events – the delegation of his leadership to chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and so forth; and the devastating spy mission that ended with the older generation being barred from entering the land. Both of these incidents come across differently in Moses’ retelling than they do when we first read them in the books of Exodus and Numbers.

Moses also reviews the various military campaigns the Israelites pursued on the eastern side of the Jordan River. All of this sets up the new generation, to whom Moses is speaking, to cross the Jordan and conquer the peoples there without fear.

A strong theme in this parasha is that of fear and faith. Moses reminds the new Israelites of the fear of the older generation to face the challenges of the giants and fortified cities of the land of Israel. They are told not to fear the other peoples whom they will encounter, and they are told that the other peoples do fear them.

I see some parallels between the fear operating in this parasha and the fear that was operating in the interaction between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin that may have led to Trayvon’s death. I also wonder about how fear has been operating in Egypt lately.

I look forward this week to examining the dynamics of fear and faith as the Israelites turn and face the Promised Land and hear Moses retell the story of their parents’ failure to hold on to faith as they faced their fears.

Scrollers Preview - Parashat Matot-Masei 2013

This week’s double parasha concludes the Book of Numbers, and with it, the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness. The new generation has taken over, for the most part, and Moses is about to die. The people will pause here on the steppes of Moab, listening to Moses speak for the whole book of Deuteronomy, before they finally cross over, in the Book of Joshua. As we conclude this book, we will encounter many questions: about the autonomy of women and what it means to make a vow; regarding what we think about the fact that Moses is instructed to conduct a holy war as his last act; and what we and the Israelites see as we reflect on the journey and look ahead to conquering and settling the land.

Below, you’ll see a summary. I look forward to engaging with these questions, and with yours, tomorrow morning!

As we near the end of the Book of Numbers, we receive some additional laws, Moses receives his last task from God, and we begin to focus on the settlement of the Promised Land. The three main sections of the first parasha of Matot are:

1.) Laws regarding vows – Specifically, we learn about who is responsible for the vows or oaths of a woman, depending on her personal status (living in her father’s house, married, divorced, widowed.) A vow or oath is a powerful use of words, made binding by the use of God’s name.

2.) God asks one last thing of Moses before his death – to go to war against the Midianites. This war is meant to redress past wrongs, specifically the Midianites’ seduction of the Israelite men in last week’s parashah. Balaam reappears here as the mastermind behind that mass-seduction. Moses is unhappy when the Israelite armies only kill the men and not the women. So he sends them back to slay all male children and all women who have known men carnally.

3.) The tribes of Reuben and Gad claim the land on the East side of the Jordan as their inheritance and want to settle it because it is good cattle country. Moses is not happy; he is concerned that they won’t help the Israelites conquer the land. A compromise is reached in which the Reubenite and Gadite men will serve as “shock-troops” and will conquer the land before returning to their lands on the East side of the river.

Then, in the second parasha, Mas’ei, we review the marches and stopping points through the wilderness, 42 in all. We also get the boundaries of the land, more details on the cities of refuge and the other cities of the Levites,

At the very end of the parasha, the daughters of Zelophechad return, the laws of inheritance changed once again to insure that heiresses will marry within their tribes, therefore keeping land in its original tribal holding.

Scrollers Preview - Pinchas 2013

One of the best insights I’ve ever heard about what motivates a religious zealot or extremist is that the zealot believes that he or she is defending God’s honor. Last week’s parasha concluded with Pinchas, zealous for God, taking the law into his own hands. Without following any due process of law or justice, Pinchas kills an Israelite man and a Midianite woman who were about to engage in a prohibited sexual and idolatrous act. In this week’s parasha, Pinchas is rewarded with inheriting the line of the priesthood. And as part of this, God extends to him a “brit shalom,” a covenant of peace.

The sages seem to find Pinchas’ actions problematic, and they so some fancy footwork to try to justify why the Torah seems to reward him. They see the reward as God’s way of saying that Pinchas’ intentions were pure. The haftarah this week also has an example of zealotry, in the prophet Elijah. He too was a controversial figure. As we study this parasha I want us to ask ourselves whether zealotry is ever justified or necessary. Does God’s honor need to be defended by human beings? Or is this just an excuse for humans to act with violence and passion?

Although the parasha is named after Pinchas, there are a number of other folks who get the spotlight: Moses invests Joshua with his authority and leadership so that he can take over after Moses dies. The daughters of Zelophchad bring a complaint to God through Moses, asking why they can’t inherit their father’s portion of the Land, since he had no sons. We see here represented by Pinchas, Joshua and the daughters of Zelophchad, the next generation of Israelites taking the mantle of leadership and making their voices heard. A second census is taken at this point, to count those of this next generation who will make up the army that will conquer the Land.

I wonder what it was like to be Moses and the others of the older generation, watching this new generation take over. Did they see them in a favorable light? Is this new generation being celebrated in our text?

Looking forward to exploring together tomorrow!

Shabbat Shalom

Scrollers Preview - Balak 2013

A blind prophet, an angel with a sword, and a talking donkey walk into a bar…

I look forward to reading the Parasha with you this week, just to read it and enjoy the story. For once we have a comedy!

This week, our Torah takes on a completely new voice and perspective; it tells a story from the point of view of a non-Israelite nation, the Moabites. A Moabite King, Balak, sees our people encamped on his land, and he has heard of our military victory against the Amorites, and he is afraid. So he sends for a prophet, Balaam, to curse the Israelites. The curse turns into a blessing, to the great disappointment of King Balak. Along the way, Balaam tries to make his way to curse us, his donkey seems to understand things and see things more clearly than he can. In fact, his donkey can even speak.

The Parasha also includes poetry, as Balaam attempts to curse us three times, and instead, beautiful blessings flow in poetic form, expressing assurance that the Israelites will be fertile and secure in their future.

At the same time that the Torah seems to parody our enemies, it brings a serious message. According to Etz Chayyim, that message is that “God continues to watch over Israel and extend Divine protection to them, despite their recalcitrant behavior and lack of appreciation.” (p. 894)

The contrast with the previous few Torah portions is striking. For weeks, we’ve read about nothing but the Israelites’ rebellious behavior and God’s punishments. Here, when an outsider looks at us, we seem to be doing well, our tents are “goodly,” and there is even a sense of peace and respose in the poetry.

As we read this text together I’ll look forward to exploring some questions –

What is the role of vision and seeing in this story and why does Balak seem to think that if Balaam only sees a smaller portion of the people, he’ll be more likely to curse them?

Why is this story in our Torah? And why at this point in the book of Bamidbar?

Scrollers Preview - Korach 2013

After last week’s disastrous events, culminating in God’s declaration that none of the generation who left Egypt will be allowed to enter the Promised Land, the rebellions continue. This time, Korach and a band of chieftains rise up against Moses and Aaron, saying that they have gone too far, that all the community is holy, and that they have inappropriately raised themselves up above God’s congregation. The result is another disaster. After a test, involving incense and fire pans, God causes the earth to swallow up Korach, Datan and Aviram and their entire families. And then a fire consumes the remaining 250 followers. But this only causes the people to cry out louder against Moses and Aaron and a plague ends up killing off over 14,000 more Israelites as a result.

The parasha continues with a symbolic affirmation that Aaron and his ancestral house are indeed chosen by God. When each tribal chief brings a staff to be placed in the Holy of Holies, only Aaron’s staff sprouts, blossoms, and bears almonds. The last chapter of the parasha then goes on to outline how Aaron’s priestly household and the Levites who guard the Tabernacle will be sustained through the donations and tithes that the Israelites bring.

As we read this dramatic story together this week, with folklorist and storyteller Peninnah Schram in our midst, I think we’ll become aware of the dynamics of folktales. Most old stories have many versions, and the storyteller has to choose which version or combination of versions to tell at a given moment. The Torah is very similar. And in this story, we’ll see how at least two traditions seem to be woven together: one of Datan and Aviram who are swallowed by the earth and one of Korach who is consumed by fire. We’ll also see a feature of much folklore and myth. The “bad guys” are set up against the “good guys” in a battle, and the ending is meant to teach a moral lesson.

The commentaries have a field day with Korach, filling in the blank parts of the story with colorful descriptions of what made him such a bad guy. Most focus on the aspect of Korach of divisiveness – that he divides the people, and that even within his followers, there are divisions. They also focus on ego and the danger of leaders pursuing their own personal agendas for power.

A key verb in the parasha is “vayikach,” which translates as “ to take.” This is the word that opens the parasha, in fact. Korach “takes” or “betook himself” to rise up against Moses. Later during the plague, we see Aaron “take” his fire pan with incense and run out into the midst of the people to stand between the dead and the living, stopping the plague.  One of the questions I’d like to explore is what is an appropriate grasping or “taking” of power, and what makes Korach’s “taking” so problematic in God’s eyes.

Looking forward to celebrating Shabbat with you tonight through tomorrow evening, with Peninnah Schram and with each other, through stories and prayer, meals and study!

Scrollers Preview - Shlach-L'cha 2013

 Spoiler alert! This week’s Parasha is a huge turning point in the Torah. God instructs Moses to send 12 scouts over the border into the Promised Land to check it out and bring back a report.

Their report strays from the facts and turns into what commentator Nechama Leibowitz calls propaganda. All because of a tiny little word… “but.”  “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. BUT the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the Anakites (giants) there. . . .” (Numbers 13:27-28)

This report raises the anxiety of the Israelites to such a level that Caleb and Joshua, two of the scouts, has to quiet them down, reassuring them that they can “surely overcome it.” But it is too late. The remaining scouts feed on the negativity and fear and begin to blow things out of proportion to the point that the Israelites are ready to turn around and head back to Egypt.

God’s initial response is similar to that following the Golden Calf incident. God wants to destroy the people and start all over with Moses. Moses intervenes and persuades God to pardon the sin of the people. But God does this only on condition that all Israelite adults will be barred from entering the Land. They will be forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until the entire generation that knew Egyptian slavery dies off.

What struck me this year was the sense of futility. We began the Book of Numbers with a census of all adults from the age of twenty years and older, as the Israelites prepare to enter and conquer the Land. And now, God instructs Moses to go back through that census and take note that none of those recorded, except for Caleb and Joshua, will enter the land. Only their children will be allowed to enter.

So many questions – There have been failures of faith before, but why now is the punishment so thorough and devastating? Why is there no forgiveness for this generation? Do we see in our own lives the potency of negative messages and information over and above optimism? Can there be times when a positive message overrides negativity and doubt?