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Click on the Parashah name to read the summary:
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The Tribes of Israel...
Shavuah tov, chaverim! This week we will read a "double portion" of Torah that concludes Sefer Bamidbar, or "the Book of Numbers." Our first Torah reading (i.e., Mattot) begins with Moses instructing the heads of the tribes of Israel regarding the laws of making vows (nedarim). A vow (either to do something or to abstain from doing something) was regarded as binding before the LORD, though it could be annulled in certain limited circumstances. For example, a father had the authority to annul the vow of his daughter and a husband the vow of his wife if he does so within 24 hours of hearing the vow's declaration.
The LORD then commanded Moses to take vengeance upon the Midianites for their role in plotting the moral destruction of Israel (through the evil counsel of Balaam of Beor). Led by Pinchas, 12,000 Israelite warriors (1,000 from each tribe) attacked and killed every male Midianite - including the archenemy Balaam and the five kings of Midian. When the victorious Israelites returned to the camp, they took Midianite women, children, cattle and other possessions as spoils of war. Moses was not happy about this and reprimanded the officers for keeping the women alive, since they were the cause of the plague on the Jews in the first place. Moses therefore ordered that all the Midianite prisoners of war were to be executed, except for 16,000 virgin girls.
The warriors, unclean by contact with the dead, were then required to stay outside the camp for seven days to undergo ritual purification. The spoils of war were then divided equally between the warriors on the one hand, and entire congregation on the other hand. The soldiers - grateful for their miraculous victory (not a single Jew was killed) - contributed 1/50th of their spoils to the Levites and made an additional freewill offering at the Mishkan.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad (and half of the tribe of Manasseh) then asked permission to settle in the pasture land of Gilead (on the east of the Jordan), since they had large herds of cattle. At first Moses hotly disapproved of their request, since he feared that the other tribes would lose heart if these tribes stayed behind during the conquest of Canaan. However, when the tribal leaders made a vow to join the fight while their families remained in Gilead, Moses finally agreed.
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The Journeys of Israel...
In our second Torah reading for this week (Masei), Moses recounted the various "stations" of the journey, and instructed that when the people crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, they were to drive out all the inhabitants and to utterly destroy all traces of their culture and religion. After this, the land would be divided by lot according to tribes of Israel, based on the size of each tribe. God then warned Moses that if the Israelites would not drive out the inhabitants of the land, they would become a "snare" to them, and God would then judge and exile the Israelites as he intended to do to the Canaanites.
The Israelites were then instructed to assign towns with surrounding pasture lands to the Levites. There were to be a total of 42 towns, chosen by lot and distributed throughout the land according to the size of each tribe. In addition, six more cities were to be given to the Levites and designated as "cities of refuge" to which a person who unintentionally killed another may flee to take refuge from an "avenger of blood" (i.e., next of kin). Of these six cities of refuge, three were to be located east of the Jordan, and three located in the land of Canaan. However, these cities were not meant to harbor murderers, who would be tried in court and put to death at the hand of an avenger of blood. The death penalty required testimony from at least two witnesses and admitted of no "ransom" (plea bargain) to be offered in place of the murderer's execution. On the other hand, a person responsible for involuntary manslaughter of another was required to dwell within the confines of a city of refuge until the death of the High Priest, after which time he was free to return to his home without fear of retribution from an avenger of blood.
The Book of Numbers – and the historical narrative of the Torah itself – concludes with the resolution of the question of legal inheritance in the land just before Joshua would lead the people into the land of Canaan. The book ends with this statement: "These are the commandments and the rules that the LORD commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho."
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The Three Weeks of Sorrow
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According to Jewish tradition Moses shattered the tablets on the 17th day of the 4th month, after he came down from Sinai and found the people worshipping the golden calf. Today, this tragic date is commemorated as a fast day (i.e., the "Fast of Tammuz"), which marks the beginning of a three week period of mourning that culminates on Tishah B'Av (i.e., the date when the people tragically believed the evil report of the spies and were sent into exile).
During this three week period of national mourning, the weekly readings from the prophets are all "Haftarahs of Rebuke" that warn the people about imminent judgment from heaven, and therefore the theme of most Jewish religious services is teshuvah (repentance). In addition, weddings or other joyous events are usually not held during this time of year. Indeed, among the very Orthodox, the last nine days of the three weeks are the most rigorous and solemn. Beginning on the first day of the month of Av, traditional mourning customs are practiced in anticipation of the most solemn fast day of Tishah B'Av, when the Book of Lamentations (Megillat Eichah) is plaintively recited during the evening service.
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Dates During the Three Weeks of Sorrow:
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The Month of Av...
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The fifth month of the Hebrew calendar (counting from the month of Nisan) is called the month of Av (i.e., Chodesh Av, "the month of the Father"), which begins sundown Tuesday, July 14th this year (this is also the anniversary of the death of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel, see Num. 33:38).
The month of Av is regarded as most solemn among the Orthodox. The ninth day of this month (Tishah B'Av) marks the date when the people believed the evil report of the spies and were sent into exile by the LORD (see Num. 14:28-35). Later, the destruction of both the First Temple (in 586 B.C.) and the Second Temple (in 70 AD) occurred on this same date, resulting in the worldwide exile (diaspora) of the Jewish people. In somber recognition of this we observe Tishah B'Av (תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב), or the "ninth of Av," as a fast day for mourning the lost vision of Zion. This year Tishah B'Av begins Wed. July 22nd at sundown.
Since Rosh Chodesh Av marks the time of mourning for Zion, we humbly ask the LORD to help us prepare for the coming time of teshuvah:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֵיךָ יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ
וֵאלהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ חדֶשׁ טוֹב
בַּאֲדנֵינוּ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ אָמֵן
ye·hi · ra·tzon · mil·fa·ne'·kha · Adonai · e·lo·hei'·nu
vei·lo·hei · a·vo·tei'·nu · she·te·kha·desh · a·lei'·nu · cho'·desh· tov
ba'a·do·nei'·nu · Ye·shu'·a · ha·ma·shi'·ach · A·men
"May it be Your will, LORD our God and God of our fathers,
that you renew for us a good month in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Amen."
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Blessing before Torah Study:
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Some terms:
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- Parashah is the weekly Scripture portion taken from the Torah. Each parashah is given a name and is usually referred to as "parashat - name" (e.g., parashat Noach). For more information about weekly readings, click here.
- Aliyot refer to a smaller sections of the weekly parashah that are assigned to people of the congregation for public reading during the Torah Reading service. In most congregations it is customary for the person "called up" to recite a blessing for the Torah before and after the assigned section is recited by the cantor. For Shabbat services, there are seven aliyot (and a concluding portion called a maftir). The person who is called to make aliyah is referred to as an oleh (olah, if female).
- Maftir refers to the last Torah aliyah of the Torah chanting service (normally a brief repetition of the 7th aliyah, though on holidays the Maftir portion usually focuses on the Holiday as described in the Torah). The person who recites the Maftir blessing also recites the blessing over the Haftarah portion.
- Haftarah refers to an additional portion from the Nevi'im (Prophets) read after the weekly Torah portion. The person who made the maftir blessing also recites the blessing for the Haftarah, and may even read the Haftarah before the congregation.
- Brit Chadashah refers to New Testament readings which are added to the traditional Torah Reading cycle. Often blessings over the Brit Chadashah are recited before and after the readings.
- Mei Ketuvim refers to a portion read from the Ketuvim, or writings in the Tanakh. Readings from the Ketuvim are usually reserved for Jewish holidays at the synagogue.
- Perek Yomi Tehillim refers to the daily portion of psalms (mizmorim) recited so that the entire book of Psalms (Tehillim) is read through in a month. For a schedule, of daily Psalm readings, click here.
- Gelilah refers to the tying up and covering the Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll) as an honor in the synagogue.
- Divrei Torah ("words of Torah") refers to a commentary, a sermon, or devotional on the Torah portion of the week.
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