Adat B'rit

This week's reading begins the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Five Books of Moses. Moses begins his final monologue, five weeks before his passing. He recounts the story of the Israelite's travel through the desert, placing emphasis on, and rebuking them for, the story of the spies. He describes Israel's conquest of the Emorites and the Bashanites. Moses fast-forwards 38 years. The generation which left Egypt had perished. Now their children were ready to enter Canaan. But first G‑d instructs the Israelites regarding three nations whose land was off-limits for them: Seir (Edom), Moab and Amon. These lands were the rightful inheritance of the descendants of Esau and Lot. Instead, the Israelites circled these lands and approached the land of Sichon, king of the Emorites, and requested passageway through his land. Sichon refused the Israelites' request.

This week's Haftorah from Isaiah is the third of a series of three "Haftarot of affliction." Isaiah relays to the Jews a G‑dly vision he experienced, chastising the residents of Judah and Jerusalem for having rebelled against G‑d, criticizing them for repeating their errors and not abandoning their sinful ways, even after having been reprimanded and punished. Harsh words are employed, comparing the Jewish leaders to the rulers of S***m and Gomorrah. G‑d states his distaste for their sacrifices and offerings which were flavored with pagan customs. Isaiah then speaks gentler words, encouraging the people to repent sincerely and to perform acts of justice and kindness towards the needy, orphans and widows, and promising them the best of the land in return for their obedience. The Haftorah concludes with a promise that G‑d will eventually reestablish Israel's judges and leaders, when "Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitents through righteousness."

In this week’s Torah reading, Matot-Massei, the Tribe’s journey begins with the laws of oaths. The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned lots of cattle. Seeing that the eastern bank of the Jordan had abundant pasture, they asked Moses if they could remain and settle on the eastern bank. Moses angrily responds that they are following in the footsteps of the spies and discouraged the entire nation from doing so. The Reubenites and Gadites respond that they will leave their cattle and families behind in fortified cities, and all their men will proceed into Israel with their brethren and lead them in the conquest of the land. Only after all the land has been conquered and settled would they return to the other side of the Jordan. Moses accepts the offer of the Reubenites and Gadites, and informs Joshua and Elazar the High Priest of the agreement. These two Tribes, along with half of the Tribe of Manasseh, settle on the eastern bank of the Jordan, and conquer many of the areas wherein they encountered opposition. The Torah then recounts the journeys of the Jews in the wilderness, the 42 journeys which took them from Egypt to the banks of the Jordan.

This week’s Haftorah is the second of a series of three “Haftarot of affliction.” These three Haftarot are read during the Three Weeks of mourning for Jerusalem, between the fasts of 17 Tammuz and 9 Av.
The prophet Jeremiah transmits G‑d’s message to the Jewish people, in strong tones chastising all the sectors of the people, including the leadership, for their abandonment of G‑d. He reminds them of the kindness G‑d did for them, taking them out of Egypt, and leading them through the desert and settling them in the Promised Land, yet they repaid kindness with disloyalty.

Jeremiah then goes on to foretell the suffering the Jewish people will suffer at the hands of their enemies, and also their allies: “Your evil will chastise you, and you will be rebuked for your backslidings; and you shall know and see that your forsaking HaShem your G‑d is evil and bitter.”

The Haftorah ends on an encouraging note, assuring the people that if they return to G‑d with sincerity, they will be restored to their full glory.

Shabbat Shalom.
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An important passage from the week’s Torah Portion.

This week's Torah reading, Chukat, or “Statutes“ details the purification process for an individual or object which has contracted this form of impurity from a co**se. A red heifer is slaughtered and is burned together with a few added ingredients. Water from a stream is added to the ashes. On the third and seventh day after contracting tum'at met, the mixture is sprinkled upon the individual or object. After immersion in a mikvah (ritual pool), the person or object is freed of this impurity. The impure individual cannot not enter the Tabernacle or Temple until the purification process is completed. Miriam dies in the fortieth year of the Israelites' sojourn in the desert. With Miriam's death, the waters which flowed from the miraculous "Well of Miriam" dried up. The people complain bitterly about the lack of water. G‑d tells Moses and Aaron to take a staff and gather the people in front of a certain rock. They should speak to the rock, and it will give forth water. Moses and Aaron gather everybody, and Moses strikes the rock and it gives forth water. In the course of this episode they committed a grave error, being that they struck the rock instead of speaking to it. Moses and Aaron are punished and barred from leading the Jews into Israel.

Finally, Moses sends messengers to the King of Edom requesting permission to pass through his land on the way to the Promised Land. Despite Moses' promises not to cause any harm to the land whilst passing, Edom refuses the Jews passage. The Jews are therefore forced to circumvent the land of Edom, and approach Canaan from the east.

Our Haftorah this week is Judges 11: 1-33. It describes how the people of Israel were attacked by the nation of Ammon. The Israelites engaged Jephtah to lead them in battle against this military threat. Jephtah first sent a missive to Ammon, declaring his peaceful intentions. In his message, he also discussed the Israelites' conquest of the lands of Sichon and Og, victories which are related in this week's Torah reading.

When the nation of Ammon attacked the people of Israel, Jephtah was called upon to lead the Israelites in battle. Jephtah agreed, on one condition: "If you bring me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and G‑d delivers them before me, I will become your head." The Israelites accepted his terms. Jepthah tried to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict by sending messengers to reason with the king of Ammon; but the latter remained inflexible. Jephtah then successfully led his countrymen in battle, and they trounced and eliminated the Ammonite threat.

This week’s Torah portion is Korach. In it, Korach stages a rebellion against Moses, accusing him of a power grab. In our triennial portion, G‑d instructs Moses and Aaron: "Separate yourselves from the community, and I will destroy them in an instant." And indeed, a plague struck the nation, and many thousands were dying. Moses tells Aaron to quickly take a firepan with incense and go into the midst of the congregation and atone for their sin. Aaron does so. He stands "between the living and the dead," and the plague is halted. Then there is a discussion about the "test of the staffs." G‑d tells Moses to take a staff from each of the twelve tribes, with the name of each tribe's prince written upon their staff. Another staff was taken to represent the tribe of Levi, and Aaron's name was written on that staff. These staffs were placed overnight in the Holy of Holies chamber of the Tabernacle. The next morning they were removed, and miraculously Aaron's staff had budded with almond blossoms and almonds. This was further proof that Aaron was G‑d's choice for High Priest.

Our Haftorah this week is Isaiah 66. This Haftorah is read whenever Shabbat coincides with Rosh Chodesh, or the new moon. It touches on several themes, from the G-d as creator of the world, his omnipresent, a prophecy in which G-d is represented as a midwife helping Zion to give birth to her son, and offers a theme of universal worship, in which all people of the world will recognize HaShem’s glory, and Jews around the world will be brought to Jerusalem to become Levites and priests.

Finally, Isaiah prophesied that these universal changes will be permanent: “And new moon after new moon, and Sabbath after Sabbath, All flesh shall come to worship Me.”

This week’s Torah portion is Sh’lach or “to send.” Moses sends twelve spies to the land of Canaan. Forty days later, they report on a lush and bountiful land. But ten of the spies warn that the inhabitants of the land are giants and warriors “more powerful than we;” only Caleb and Joshua insist that the land can be conquered, as G‑d has commanded. The Jewish people rejected the pleas of Joshua and Caleb, and decided to stone them. G‑d intervened: G‑d informs Moses of His decision to instantaneously wipe out the Israelites in a massive plague, due to their persistent lack of faith. Moses intervened, and G‑d agreed not to immediately wipe out the Israelites, but said that this generation would not enter the Land. G‑d instructs the Jews to reverse course, and to head back to the desert. We are then instructed on the details of the punishment. The Israelites will wander in the desert for forty years. During that time, all males over the age of twenty - with the exception of Joshua and Caleb - would perish. The next generation would enter the Promised Land. A group of people awoke the next day and decided to "go it alone," and enter the Land of Israel despite Moses' warning that their plan would not succeed, for it was not sanctioned by G‑d. This group is cut down and massacred by the Amalekites and Canaanites.

This week's Haftorah tells the story of the spies that Joshua sent to scout the city of Jericho, prior to the Israelites' invasion of the Holy Land, a point in common with this week's Torah reading. Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, where they lodged at an inn located in the city's walls, operated by a woman named Rahab. Their presence was quickly discovered by the king who sent for Rahab and asked her to turn in her guests. Rahab responded that her guests had already left the city when actually she had hidden them on her rooftop. At Rahab's request, the two spies assured her that she and her family would not be harmed during the conquest of Jericho provided that she would tie a scarlet thread and hang it from her window. This would be a symbol that this home is a safe haven. The spies escaped safely and returned to report to Joshua.

In this week’s Torah portion we read

In this week’s Torah portion we read the following. Shabbat Shalom.

This week’s Torah portion stresses this very important passage. Shabbat Shalom

This week's reading, Emor or “say,” discusses the laws which pertain to Kohanim (Priests), and various laws which relate to sacrifices. Our triennial portion discusses blemished animals which are disqualified for sacrificial use. It forbids the castration of animals, sacrificing animals before they are eight days old, and slaughtering a mother animal and her child on the same day.

Then, there is a lengthy discussion about the Jewish holidays. After making brief mention of the Shabbat, the Torah talks about the holiday of Passover and the mitzvah of eating matzah. On the second day of this holiday, an "omer" barley offering is brought in the Temple. This is followed by a seven-week counting period that culminates with the holiday of Shavuot. After discussing the Shavuot Temple service, the Torah briefly interrupts the holiday discussion to mention the obligation, when harvesting fields, to leave certain gifts for the poor.

Our Haftorah is Ezekiel 44:15-31 and also discusses various laws that pertain to the Kohanim, the Priests. Ezekiel prophesies about the service of the Kohanim in the third Holy Temple which will be rebuilt after the Final Redemption. The prophet describes their priestly vestments, their personal care, whom they may and may not marry, and their special purity requirements which preclude them from coming in contact with a co**se, unless it's for a specific next of kin. He also discusses their calling as teachers and spiritual leaders.

The prophet conveys G‑d's word: "You shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession." The Kohanim do not receive a portion in the Land of Israel, instead they partake of the sacrifices as well as various tithes.

This week’s Parashah of Kedoshim begins with the statement: “You shall be holy, for I, HaShem, your G‑d am holy.” This is followed by dozens of mitzvot (divine commandments) through which the Jews sanctify him - or herself - and relates to the holiness of G‑d. These include: the prohibition against idolatry, the mitzvah of charity, the principle of equality before the law. We are also instructed to keep the Shabbat, refrain from sexual morality, be honest in business, honor one’s parents, and keep the sacredness of life. Lastly, We are introduced to the laws of "orlah," the prohibition against eating the fruit of a new sapling for the first three years, and the obligation to sanctify the fruits of the fourth year.

Our Haftorah is Ezekiel 22:1-16, and is mostly a list of offenses committed by the people. The people of Jerusalem were guilty of killing innocent people. They have oppressed the downtrodden: strangers, orphans, and widows. Children have humiliated their own parents. Sexual impropriety is rampant – the people have engaged in adultery and in**st, and have slept with menstruating women. Worst of all, G-d concludes, “You have forgotten Me.” He will not let these deeds go unpunished, Ezekiel promises. He reports on HaShem’s plans: “I will disperse you through the lands; I will consume the uncleanness out of you. You shall be dishonored in the sight of nations, and you shall know that I am HaShem” (22:15-16).

May we never forget

This week’s Parashah, “Acharei Mot,” means “after the death of,” and follows the deaths
of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu. Then G‑d warns against unauthorized entry “into the holy.”
Only one person, the HaKohen HaGadol (High Priest), may, but once a year, on Yom Kippur,
enter the innermost chamber in the Sanctuary to offer the sacred sacrifices to G‑d.

Next, the Torah discusses a list of prohibitions. The Jews are forbidden to offer sacrifices anywhere other than the Tabernacle or Temple. We are told not to consume blood. When slaughtering fowl or undomesticated animals, we are commanded to cover their blood with earth. The Jews are admonished not to follow the depraved ways of the Egyptians and Canaanites. We are now provided a list of prohibited sexual relationships. The list includes adultery, cohabiting with a menstruating woman, and forbidden close relatives. The prohibitions
against homosexuality and be******ty are mentioned. The Jews are then warned
that engaging in these forbidden relationships will result in their expulsion from
the Land of Israel.

Our Haftorah this week is Amos 9 7:15, and foretells the exiles and punishments that will befall the Jews because they strayed after the ways of the heathens.
The prophet Amos delivers G‑d's message, reminding the people of G‑d's kindness to them — taking them out of Egypt and singling them out as His chosen nation. Nevertheless, because of their misdeeds, G‑d will destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel; but will not completely destroy the house of Jacob. The Jews will be scattered amongst the nations, but eventually they will return to their land on the day of the redemption. G‑d will then reinstall the House of David to its former glory, and there shall be peace and abundance upon the land.

This Haftorah ends with G‑d's promise: "And I will return the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall rebuild desolate cities and inhabit [them], and they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their produce. And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no longer be uprooted from upon their land, that I have given them, said HaShem your G‑d."