Recent Weekly Torah
Eichah: Praise, Rebuke, or Lament?
It is noted in Midrash Rabbah to Eichah, the Book of Lamentations, that three prophets each made a statement to Israel that begins with the word 鈥淓ichah,鈥 鈥渉ow.鈥 What is more, we will encounter each of those verses this week:
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Day Before You Die
In the first of this week鈥檚 double portion, Matot-Mas'ey one verse catches my attention: 鈥淎venge the Israelite people on the Midianites after which you will be gathered to your kin.鈥 (Numbers 31:2) Once Moses completes this task, he will die.
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On Zealotry and the Pursuit of Peace
Our Torah portion this week recalls a man named Pinchas, the great-nephew of Moses, who engages in an
act of vigilante violence. The Israelites are in the midst of a plague, brought down by God as penance for
rampant acts of sexual immorality. Pinchas responds by capturing a couple in flagrante delicto, and
executing them-- stabbing the pair of them through with his spear.
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Be the Blessing
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Rabbi Zushya on Moshe's Transgression
To Rabbi Zushya, an early Hasidic master who left behind no writings but many stories, belong two of the most darkly encouraging statements about human purpose: to him is attributed the saying, 鈥淓ach person should have a coat with two pockets鈥攐ne pocket with a note on which it鈥檚 written, 鈥業 am but dust and ashes,鈥 and the other pocket with a note on which it鈥檚 written, 鈥楩or my sake the world was created.鈥欌 Rabbi Zushya is also credited with exclaiming, tearfully, 鈥淲hen I am judged for the World-to-Come, I won鈥檛 be asked why I wasn鈥檛 more like Moshe, but why I wasn鈥檛 more like Zushya.鈥 These
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