The torahs weekly portions numbers chukatbalak 101. Parsha commentary the torah commentary and teachings in this section are selections from a workin progress, entitled az yashir moshe moshes song of life. The second continues with the theme that was discussed in. This deep dive into the torah employs jewish commentary and ancient christian texts to reveal messiah in the books of moses. Experiencing torah through reckless abandon in the.
In depth commentary written by rabbi tuvia bolton for parshat chukat. Hadar is an educational institution that empowers jews to create and sustain vibrant, practicing, egalitarian communities of torah learning, prayer, and service. Five new passover picture books for 2020 lisa silverman, april 3, 2020 this years roundup of the latest passover picture books includes a number of different takes on the holiday. Granted, john did not write with verse and chapter markers, but ruakh hakodesh the holy spirit knew, and yochanan wrote both books via the inspiration of the ruakh. Moses is given the unusual ritual law chukat hatorah of the red. At the seder, we eat different special foods, we tell the story of our. In her urj commentary on chukat, the gift of grief, she argues that unaware grief and unresolved loss can lead to grave consequences as in this case. The name is derived from the second verse of the reading. Near the end of this weeks portion, chukat, we read the strange story of the brass serpent. Weakness the fatal flaw our sidra this morning tells of one of the most painful episodes in biblical history, one which was seared into the consciousness of the people of israel.
Instruct the israelite people to bring you a red cow without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid. Instruct the israelite people to bring you a red cow without blemish, in which. Torah reading, haftarah, links to audio and commentary. We learn that the ashes of the parah adama the red heifer make the pure impure and the impure pure, a concept that rebbe. The new book by rabbi lord jonathan sacks out on 12th march 2020. Zot chukat hatorah ashertsivah adonay lemor daber elbeney yisrael veyikchu eleycha farah adumah tmimah asher eynbah mum asher loalah aleyha ol. The parsha weekly torah portion for the week ending june 19 is chukat. Ashlag could compose a full commentary on it in the 1930s and 1940s. The torah commentary and teachings in this section are selections from a workin progress, entitled az yashir moshe moshes song of life. The hufftorah is an overview of the torah reading of the week, which is found in the book of numbers 19. After the law of the red heifer comes perhaps one of the most important stories in all of the israelites travels, a sure turning point in the book of numbers. Jul 08, 2019 granted, john did not write with verse and chapter markers, but ruakh hakodesh the holy spirit knew, and yochanan wrote both books via the inspiration of the ruakh.
As chief rabbi of jaffa, rav kook was responsible for religious affairs in the surrounding communities. The verses are cryptic, and the talmud berachot 54ab fills in the details with the following story. Study the bible online using commentary on numbers 21 and more. There is another point of view, expressed in this portion, chukat, which indicates that the peoples birthplace is in the wilderness. Get inspirational teachings on the torah portions delivered to your inbox free every week. This work is written in english in the style of classical hasidic commentaries in which the emphasis is on revealing new dimensions and perspectives on life. Order now uk order now row, except uscanada out in the uscanada on 1st september 2020. The equinox crowley, aleister, blavatsky, helena petrovna, fuller, j. Wednesday night count 7 this weeks torah reading is shemini upcoming holiday is second passover may 8. Chukatbalak 6 achareikedoshim 5 parshah 4 shavuot 4 abraham 4. Israels declaration of independence states that the land of israel is the birthplace of the jewish people. This page contains a link to every dvar torah ive written since 2003 at least, every one to which i can currently dig up a working link, sorted by parsha as an fyi. You can find book commentaries in magazines and online. He wrote two books that left a tremendous mark on the beit midrash to this day.
There is another point of view, expressed in this portion, chukat, which indicates that. In exodus, we read that hyssop functioned as a brush for the israelites to apply blood to the doorposts and lintels of their homes. Rabbi lisa edwards believes these seemingly unrelated events are linked. Limits shemini 5780 download the accompanying family edition here. Moses is taught the laws of the red heifer, whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead body. This weeks portion, chukat, opens with the laws of the red heifer, which describe how a person reestablishes ritual purity after having become impure via contact with the dead. The story of nadav and avihu, aharons two eldest sons who died on the day the sanctuary was dedicated, is one of the most tragic in the torah it is referred to on no less than four separate occasions it turned a day that should have been a national celebration into one of deep grief aharon, bereaved, could not speak a. The torah reading concludes with an obscure reference to the book of gods wars, describing the arnon canyon near the border between the land of israel and moab. His mother was a prostituteand, for that reason, his halfbrothers prevented him from claiming his inheritance, and expelled him from their home. Family edition is a new and exciting initiative from the office of rabbi sacks read more. One of the cryptic descriptions of the wanderings of the people of israel in the wilderness appears in our weekly portion, chukat. Apr 02, 2020 born and raised in panama city, panama rabbi david cohenhenriquez brings a diverse, multicultural perspective and passion for jewish education and. Apr 02, 2020 five new passover picture books for 2020 lisa silverman, april 3, 2020 this years roundup of the latest passover picture books includes a number of different takes on the holiday.
The word occurs ten times in scripture, primarily in the five books of moses where it was used in purification ceremonies. Chukat, hukath, or chukkas hebrew for decree, the ninth word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah is the 39th weekly torah portion, parashah in the annual jewish. The highlight of pesach is the observance of the seder, a unique ceremony performed on the first two evenings of passover. Chukat means decree in hebrew and is the ninth word and first distinctive word in. Haftarat chukat tells the story of a man named jephthah. This week we have a double torah portion, chukat balak, and so we read the hafarah for balak, from the book of micah. Then, in an unusual shift, the narrative jumps ahead thirtyeight years to the death of miriam, the sister of moses and aaron, and a righteous woman in her own right. Chukat, hukath, or chukkas hebrew for decree, the ninth word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah is the 39th weekly torah portion, parashah in the annual jewish cycle of torah reading and the sixth in the book of numbers. On the eighth day, following the seven days of their inauguration, aaron and his sons begin to officiate as kohanim priests. Chukat chukat is the thirtyninth reading from the torah.
Now in this uptodate fourth edition, the new bible. Chukat means decree in hebrew and is the ninth word and first distinctive word in the portion. Now in this uptodate fourth edition, the new bible commentary is positioned to maintain its standing as the leading onevolume commentary on the whole bible well into the 21st century. Parshat chukat is a very important parsha as it has one of the deepest teachings in the entire torah. They shall be a keepsake for the israelite community to be used for the sprinkling. This collection of prophecies can be a bit confusing, as its not exactly clear which historical events form the context for the preaching, but for today, its enough to know that the basic. Chukat presents the mysterious laws of the redheifer ceremony for purification after contact with human death. Born and raised in panama city, panama rabbi david cohenhenriquez brings a diverse, multicultural perspective and passion for jewish education and. Miriam, whose death is recorded in parashat chukat, embodied the honor and glory of the women of israel. They shall be a keepsake for the israelite community to be used for the sprinkling water, as a means of purification. Commentaries tend to be more direct and express the commentators views regarding the book. It is instructive to see how he took to task individuals and groups for infractions. Welcome to the website of rabbi lord jonathan sacks.
A commentary for the ages numbers, copublished by ou press and maggid books weakness the fatal. A commentary for the ages numbers, copublished by ou press and maggid books. Moses hits a rock to bring forth water rather than speaking to it. It is one of the most mysterious and powerful rituals of torah. Moses is taught the laws of the red heifer, whose ashes purify a person who has been contaminated by contact with a dead body after forty years of journeying through the desert, the people of israel arrive in the wilderness of zin. In her urj commentary on chukat, the gift of grief, she argues that unaware grief and unresolved loss can lead to. Preorder here sacks has produced a work of extraordinary depth, beauty, urgency, and erudition. In this torah portion, god instructs moses and aaron regarding the red heifer. The torah portion chukat prepares us by beginning with a ritual that purifies us at those times when we come into contact with death. A ritually clean person shall gather up the cows ashes, and place them outside the camp in a clean place.
For commentary arising out of the later books of the tanakh, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Parshat chukat weekly torah portion aleph beta aleph beta. Read numbers 21 commentary using commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible. Read the full text of parshat chukat in interlinear hebrewenglish. When the jews complained about the bland taste of manna, gd first sent serpents to kill them and. Voted one of christianity todays 1995 books of the yearfor 40 years, the new bible commentary has set the standard for works of its kind. Rarely do i look at reference material or commentaries. The purpose of the ashes mixed into a vessel of running water was to purify someone who had become defiled by touching a dead body. Although the book of zohar was written in the 4th century, only rabbi y. Yet i do receive many such books and today i want to mention some of the more notable ones that have come across my desk recently. Harolds depth of exegesis of the text is here evident. The reason for the concealment of the zohar from the 4th to 11th century and the lack of a complete commentary on it for 16 centuries is explained in the introduction to the book of zohar. The hebrew name of the fourth book of the torah, the book we read this at this time in the jewish year, is called bmidbar, in the wilderness the book of numbers.
When do we lose trust that our words, that speech, that just saying what we want, or need can make an impact. The great blessing of chukat is the knowledge that whatever our defilement and whatever our mistakes, we can always return to our essential purity. According to jewish tradition, these instructions were initially given to moses in the second year of the exodus, on nisan 1, the day the mishkan tabernacle was first erected, but appear at this point in the narrative because of the need to purify the people after miriams death mentioned in the following chapter. We learn that the ashes of the parah adama the red heifer make the pure impure and the impure pure, a concept that rebbe nachman explains in likutey moharan 55.
Or for the 3 most recent posts, please choose below. Parashat chukatbalak, sefer bamidbar, torah portion of the week. This stuffs beyond understanding, god says to moses. The quote below, from a letter written in 1912, illustrates his method of respectful and loving reproach. Chukat presents the mysterious laws of the redheifer ceremony for purification after contact with human. This is the statute of the law which the lord has commanded numbers 19. It is one of the most mysterious and powerful rituals of. It is instructive to see how he took to task individuals and groups for infractions of jewish law.
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