LIFE BY NUMBERS This Shabbat we begin the fourth book of the Torah, commonly called Bemidbar, “In the desert,” a key word from the opening verse. In Rabbinic literature, however, it is referred to as Chumash HaPekudim — “The Torah-book of Counting.” This parallels the Greek title in the Septuagint, Arithmoi, meaning “numbers.” The ancient...
NOTICING WARNING SIGNS Recognising the early signs of a problem and addressing it before it escalates is a vital lesson we learn from this week’s parasha. “Should your brother become poor and is struggling, vehechezakta bo—then extend him support.” (Vayikra 25:35) The Hebrew phrase vehechezakta bo comes from the root chazak, meaning to be strong....
MAKING EACH DAY COUNT This week’s parasha includes the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer—Counting of the Omer—a commandment that directly relates to the period we are currently in. What’s striking is that we are not merely asked to know what day it is, but to say it aloud. This Shabbat, we declare: “Today is the 34th...
VE DAY AND THE CALL TO BE HOLY This week, we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day—Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945—coinciding on this Shabbat with the reading of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, two Torah portions deeply concerned with moral reckoning and the pursuit of holiness. As we reflect on both, the connections...
FROM ISOLATION TO ILLUMINATION Last Monday night, our shul was fuller than I have ever seen it. People were even sitting in the aisles upstairs as they crowded in to hear Eli Sharabi, a man who had survived 491 days of brutal captivity in Gaza. Eli sat before us with quiet dignity and deep pain,...
