Balak
Numbers 22:2 - 25:9
Précis: Balak, the King of Moab, is fearful because of the success of the Israelites against other Canaanite peoples. He hires a local magician named Bilaam to place a curse upon the Israelites. Bilaam begins the journey riding upon his ass, which refuses to proceed and actually talks to Bilaam, protesting Bilaam’s foul treatment of the poor beast. Bilaam sees an image of an angel, and he refuses to complete Balak’s mission. Balak reiterates his command to Bilaam to curse the Israelites, but instead Bilaam pronounces a blessing, frustrating Balak.
The parasha ends with an interesting narrative episode: Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, sees an Israelite having sexual relations with a Midianite woman (a violation of a commandment not to fraternize with the Canaanites), and he slays both of them and, in the process, staves off a plague that had been threatening the Israelites.
Numbers 25:1-9 “While they were staying at Shittim, the people began to commit harlotry with the Moabite women….Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite women over to his companions…in the sight of the whole Israelite community….When Pinchas…saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand…stabbed them both…”
Aaron’s grandson Pinchas slays a fornicating couple at the conclusion of the parasha. At the beginning of the following week’s reading (25:10-13), Pinchas is rewarded with the hereditary High Priesthood.
Some commentators applaud Pinchas’ actions, while others condemn him as an out of control zealot who appoints himself judge, jury and executioner. While we will probably never come to a conclusion one way or the other, we can all agree that the story of Pinchas is about a passion for God.
As Rabbi Eric Yoffie has pointed out, the Jewish tradition has always struggled to find the correct line between opposites: between study and action, between ritualism and faith, between justice and mercy. We need the contemplative ability to calmly and meticulously study Torah, but we also strive for the ecstatic kavanah in prayer.
Today, we are all too intent on the “contemplative” and far too afraid of “passion,” particularly as it relates to God. Why? Part of it is the intellectualizing of society; part is a distrust of those who take horrid actions in the name of religion or faith. But we must come to terms with this dilemma, because if we lack a spiritual fervor, our Jewishness becomes mere intellectual curiosity and habit.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
The importance of a big sister
Chukat
Numbers 19:1 - 22:1
Précis: The parasha begins with a discussion of the Red Heifer, used for ritual purification after one comes into contact with a dead body. The story then shifts to the death of Miriam, and the mourning by the entire people for her in the wilderness of Zin. With her death, the well of water which had accompanied their travels disappears, and Moses strikes a rock to provide water to the People, and learns that as a result he will not enter the Land. Soon thereafter, Aaron also dies and the Israelites engage in warfare with the Canaanites in a series of battles which end the parasha.
Numbers 20:12 "Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them."
One might think that the Bible would tell us more about the crisis which suddenly puts an end to the leadership of Moses. For what appears to be little reason, he is denied entry into the Promised Land. His twice striking of a rock to produce water needed by the Israelites (instead of speaking to it as God had ordered him to do) seems wholly inadequate to justify his most cherished ambition.
As is often the case, when the text itself offers little explanation, the rabbinic literature seems to rush in to fill the void. As noted by Ismar Schorsch, writing in the Chancellor’s Parashah Commentary (6/16/99), paying attention to the sequence of events can give us clues to what is not explicitly stated.
In our parasha, in rapid-fire order, the people arrive at the Wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies, and is buried. The people demand water, and Moses strikes a rock, with the dire consequences we observe. The Sages saw a connection between Miriam’s death and Moses’ actions: the lack of water came about because she had died. While Miriam lived, God providing a travelling well to accompany the People. When she died, the well disappeared, and Moses was forced to find an alternative source, leading to his downfall.
Imagine, for a moment, how important Miriam must have been to Moses. He owed life to her, since it was she who protected him in the Nile and persuaded Pharaoh’s daughter to allow his birth-mother to serve as his baby nurse. She helped lead the celebration at the Sea. When she died, his capacity to lead the People, based on his unlimited love of the People, disappeared. He bitterly calls them “rebels” as he strikes the rock that will bring his doom. As Rabbi Schorsch reminds us, “Prophecy is as much about defending Israel before God as it is about delivering God's will to Israel.”
Lessons? I see that there is room in our tradition to revere the role of women in our lives, not only in the background, and not only in ways limited to their gender. We also learn here that the “feminine” attribute of unreserved love is a necessary to attain prophetic status. Speaking as a male, since we seem to be fairly short of prophets these days, we’d certainly all be better off if we sought to fashion our actions after Moses, who himself was best guided by his sister.
Numbers 19:1 - 22:1
Précis: The parasha begins with a discussion of the Red Heifer, used for ritual purification after one comes into contact with a dead body. The story then shifts to the death of Miriam, and the mourning by the entire people for her in the wilderness of Zin. With her death, the well of water which had accompanied their travels disappears, and Moses strikes a rock to provide water to the People, and learns that as a result he will not enter the Land. Soon thereafter, Aaron also dies and the Israelites engage in warfare with the Canaanites in a series of battles which end the parasha.
Numbers 20:12 "Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them."
One might think that the Bible would tell us more about the crisis which suddenly puts an end to the leadership of Moses. For what appears to be little reason, he is denied entry into the Promised Land. His twice striking of a rock to produce water needed by the Israelites (instead of speaking to it as God had ordered him to do) seems wholly inadequate to justify his most cherished ambition.
As is often the case, when the text itself offers little explanation, the rabbinic literature seems to rush in to fill the void. As noted by Ismar Schorsch, writing in the Chancellor’s Parashah Commentary (6/16/99), paying attention to the sequence of events can give us clues to what is not explicitly stated.
In our parasha, in rapid-fire order, the people arrive at the Wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies, and is buried. The people demand water, and Moses strikes a rock, with the dire consequences we observe. The Sages saw a connection between Miriam’s death and Moses’ actions: the lack of water came about because she had died. While Miriam lived, God providing a travelling well to accompany the People. When she died, the well disappeared, and Moses was forced to find an alternative source, leading to his downfall.
Imagine, for a moment, how important Miriam must have been to Moses. He owed life to her, since it was she who protected him in the Nile and persuaded Pharaoh’s daughter to allow his birth-mother to serve as his baby nurse. She helped lead the celebration at the Sea. When she died, his capacity to lead the People, based on his unlimited love of the People, disappeared. He bitterly calls them “rebels” as he strikes the rock that will bring his doom. As Rabbi Schorsch reminds us, “Prophecy is as much about defending Israel before God as it is about delivering God's will to Israel.”
Lessons? I see that there is room in our tradition to revere the role of women in our lives, not only in the background, and not only in ways limited to their gender. We also learn here that the “feminine” attribute of unreserved love is a necessary to attain prophetic status. Speaking as a male, since we seem to be fairly short of prophets these days, we’d certainly all be better off if we sought to fashion our actions after Moses, who himself was best guided by his sister.
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