The Torah is a complicated book. Its origins are obscure, its contradictions are many, its stories range from heartwarming to confounding; some of its principles transcend generations while others are clearly of a different place and time. This week’s Torah portion provides an excellent opportunity for an exploration of the complex nature of our Torah text. The portion is called Chukat and you can find it here.  If you’ve ever traveled to Petra, Jordan, you’ve no doubt been struck by the red color of the natural stone formations (see pictures here). In the Bible, it is part of a region called Edom. Edom is related to the words adom, adam, adamah (red, human, earth). In this week’s Torah portion, the Edomites refuse to give the wandering Israelites safe harbor (you can read the portion here). The Torah holds that Jacob’s brother, the red haired Esau, is the progenitor of the Edomites. Given the fraught relationship portrayed between [...]

The Torah is a complicated book. Its origins are obscure, its contradictions are many, its stories range from heartwarming to confounding; some of its principles transcend generations while others are clearly of a different place and time. This week’s Torah portion provides an excellent opportunity for an exploration of the complex nature of our Torah text. The portion is called Chukat and you can find it here.  Rebellion and dissent were constant features of the Israelite wandering. You might think that their shared experiences – slavery and liberation, their encounter with the Divine at Mt. Sinai, and the wise leadership of Moses – would combine to create powerful unity. But the Torah’s account is filled with rebellions, complaints, dissent, and even the desire to return to slavery. This week’s Torah portion carries the classic Israelite complaint: “Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place?!” The people are [...]

The Torah is a complicated book. Its origins are obscure, its contradictions are many, its stories range from heartwarming to confounding; some of its principles transcend generations while others are clearly of a different place and time. This week’s Torah portion provides an excellent opportunity for an exploration of the complex nature of our Torah text. The portion is called Chukat and you can find it here.  Together with a grief counselor, I’m facilitating a Melton class on grief and loss. It’s both a support group and a chance to study Jewish practices and ideas associated with death. The very nature of the topic and the raw emotions of those participants who are still grieving makes for a powerful and enriching experience. The subject of death evokes a range of complex and powerful reactions. Though framed through the lens of antiquity, the Torah portion for this week explores the timeless discomfiture around [...]