Mas’ei

August 2, 2024

Herds, Hearts, and Hashgacha: A D’var Torah on Mattot-Masei

Here is a D'var Torah for Parashiyot Mattot-Masei, the end of the book of B'midbar (Numbers), specifically chapter 32. The best two-word opening to a story probably in the whole Bible is cattle — lotsa! ומקנה רב umikneh rav. To me it’s right up there with “In the beginning” and “God tested Avraham.” The first… Continue reading

Calendar, High Holidays, Holidays, Mas’ei, Mattot, Moshe, Parashat Hashavua, Spirituality, Torah, Yamim Noraim
July 20, 2021

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — A Map of Spring and Summer 2021

I've been wanting to get this down for weeks…. I’ve been very affected since March by Torah time – by how the cycle of reading the Torah in synagogue has mapped onto our experience of the pandemic since its one-year anniversary. The first anniversary of the formal declaration of the pandemic and the massive shut-downs… Continue reading

B’haalotcha, B’midbar, Behar, Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Elul, High Holidays, Holidays, Ki Tetze, Ki Tissa, Korach, Leadership, Mas’ei, Mattot, Metzora, Naso, Numbers, Parashat Hashavua, Patience, Pekudei, Pinchas, Re’eh, Rosh Hashanah, Shmini, Shoftim, Study, Tisha B’Av, Torah, USA, Vayakhel, Vayikra, Yamim Noraim
July 20, 2020

Rubik’s Cubes and Cities of Refuge

This is my D'var Torah for Parashiyot Mattot-Mas'ei, on July 18, 2020. This is a Rubik’s Cube: The Rubik’s Cube starts all jumbled up, with random colors mixed together all over each side. The goal is to get every one of the six sides to be entirely one single color. This is tricky because whenever… Continue reading

Calendar, Community Relations, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Ethics, Inclusion, Justice, Leadership, Mas’ei, Mattot, Numbers, Parashat Hashavua, Patience, Torah, USA
July 25, 2014

E-Maggid: 42 Travels

Parashat Mas'ei, the end of the book of Numbers, opens with an enumeration of the "goings-out for the travels" of the Israelite "troops" from Egypt to the edge of the Land of Israel. Forty-one times the community set out. The forty-second time will be the last, from east of the Jordan across into the land. What is… Continue reading

E-Maggid, Mas’ei, Parashat Hashavua, Spirituality
July 29, 2011

Parashat Mas’ei: Planning the Ideal City (from G-dcast)

Haven't posted in a while! Here is a terrific look at this week's parasha, Mas'ei, courtesy of G-dcast. Shabbat shalom! Continue reading

Mas’ei, Parashat Hashavua, Tikkun Olam, Torah
July 8, 2010

Parashiyot Mattot-Mas’ei: A Sense of Place

As the Israelites ready to move into Eretz Yisrael, Moshe is approached by the tribes of Reuven and Gad. They tell Moshe that the land that the people have been going through on the way, on the eastern side of the Jordan, is great for pasturing their herds — "and your servants have herds." And… Continue reading

Mas’ei, Mattot, Parashat Hashavua

Mas’ei

Herds, Hearts, and Hashgacha: A D’var Torah on Mattot-Masei

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — A Map of Spring and Summer 2021

Rubik’s Cubes and Cities of Refuge

E-Maggid: 42 Travels

Parashat Mas’ei: Planning the Ideal City (from G-dcast)

Parashiyot Mattot-Mas’ei: A Sense of Place