By Rav Rachel Adelman, Hebrew College Faculty Haftarat Ki Tetzei Isaiah 54:1-10 The recent events in Israel-Palestine have thrust me back to the day after October 7th—and liturgically back to Tisha be-‘Av, the most mournful day of the Jewish year. I dedicate this teaching to the memory of the six hostages killed in Gaza last week: Ori Danino z”l (age 25) Carmel Gat z”l (age 40) Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l (age 23) Alex Lobanov z”l (age 32) Almog Sarusi z”l (age... Read more

By Julia Spiegel, Hebrew College Rabbinical Student Parashat Re’eh Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 Two weeks ago, I bought lychees and cucumbers from my local makolet (grocer) in Jerusalem. It was Erev Shabbat, and the feeling was tense. “Ma yihye?” The man behind the counter asked. “What’s going to happen?” He spoke the question we were all asking; the question I felt hanging in the air in my quieter-than-usual walks in the days prior. I wished I had an answer. Instead I said,... Read more

By Deborah Anstandig, Hebrew College Rabbinical Student Parashat Eikev Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 It rained nearly every day at camp in the Poconos Mountains last month. Sometimes a drizzle, sometimes a storm—and every time it rained, I marveled. Having spent nine months in Israel this past year, rain ended by February. I was yearning for a rainstorm to break the humidity in Tel Aviv this past June. But it never fell. I’ve had a fascination with rain since I first learned the... Read more

By Rabbi Daniel Klein ’10 Parashat Maatot-Mas’ei Numbers 30:2-36:13 As we conclude the Book of Numbers this week, the wanderings and journeys of the people of Israel have come to an end in the Torah. They have arrived at the steppes of Moab, the threshold of the Promised Land, and will remain there throughout the Book of Deuteronomy until they enter the land as chronicled in the Book of Joshua. The Torah turns now to the final stages of preparation... Read more

By Rabbi Steven Lewis, HC ’11 Parashat Pinchas Numbers 25:10-30:1 “Is this a law of history or simply what must change?” – Adrianne Rich, Sources After the bodies are removed (24,000 plague-stricken sinners and the two who died to prevent more), after the spear is cleansed or discarded, Pinchas receives divine commendation for his zealous killings; two covenants: a בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם (covenant of peace) and בְּרִית כְּהֻנַּת עוֹלָם (covenant of perpetual priesthood). Pinchas’s action stops the plague created by God’s... Read more

Parashat Chukkat Numbers 19:1-22:1 Chukkat is a portion preoccupied with loss, limitation and attempts to cope with the consequences of human mortality. The very name of the parashah refers to a mysterious ritual for dealing with dead bodies described in the opening chapter. And this is followed by narratives of the deaths of two of the three leaders whom “[God] sent before you” (Micah 6: 4) as essential guides. The second leader to die is Aaron, brother of Moses and... Read more