Torat Moishe - Moishe's Torah

Parshat Balak

Bamidbar 22:2 – 25:9

Own your Jewish Karma  

by Zvi Bellin, MHHQ

Holy Blessings Batman!

When Balak, the King of Moav, enlists the desert dwelling prophet Bilaam to curse the Israelite nation, words of  blessing emerge that become timeless as part of our daily prayer. Balaam is summoned to an overlook where he can see the entire Israelite encampment. He intends to curse the people, but has promised that he will only speak the words that God puts into his mouth. Balaam closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, and chants these famous words that have found their way into scripture:

ה  מַה-טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ, יַעֲקֹב; מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ, יִשְׂרָאֵל.	5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
ו  כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ, כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר; כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע יְהוָה, כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי-מָיִם.	6 As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side; as aloes planted of the LORD, as cedars beside the waters;
ז  יִזַּל-מַיִם מִדָּלְיָו, וְזַרְעוֹ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים; וְיָרֹם מֵאֲגַג מַלְכּוֹ, וְתִנַּשֵּׂא מַלְכֻתוֹ.	7 Water shall flow from his branches, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
ח  אֵל מוֹצִיאוֹ מִמִּצְרַיִם, כְּתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לוֹ; יֹאכַל גּוֹיִם צָרָיו, וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם יְגָרֵם--וְחִצָּיו יִמְחָץ.	8 God who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows.
ט  כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא, מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ; מְבָרְכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ, וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר.	9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesses thee, and cursed be every one that curses thee.

Balaam’s prophecy is a timeless blessing that includes us, the current generation of Jewish people. Our pluralistic and progressive homes are tents of Jacob and dwelling places of Israel. And so they are good. What is the goodness that this familiar line (verse 5) of prayer is talking about? Perhaps there are clues to be found in the lesser known continuing lines.

How exciting that verses 6 and 7 contain beautiful images from the natural world! “Gardens by the river side,” and “water shall flow from his branches.” Our generation is engaged in the process of exploring the deep bond between Jewish identity and caring for our planet. True to Balaam’s verses, we are discovering that our homes are good places because we do not see them as completely separate from the world outside of our windows. We know that we need to use natural resources responsibly in order for goodness to continue.  

Verses 8 and 9 are less politically correct and so perhaps, a bit harder to digest. The blessing connects our relationship to a God of war and power. Is that what we need God for? To eat up nations and crush their bones?

I want to suggest that we read the end of the blessing as a progression. We began with the need for a God that destroys our enemies (verse 8), but we head towards a relationship whereby we have the power to bestow blessings and curses because of a connection with God within (verse 9).

Stephanie Nash is an actress and meditation teacher that talks about the resonance between two pitchforks. If you strike one pitchfork at the end of a gymnasium, a second pitchfork at the other end of the room will begin to chime in tune. Human relationships are guided by this phenomenon too. When we watch a movie and witness strong and powerful emotions we begin to experience the same feelings. Might the same be true for the blessings and curses that we put out into the world.

“Blessed be every one that blesses thee, and cursed be every one that curses thee.” If we choose to see truth in these words, then it is our responsibility to ensure that we act in ways that people will bless us, so we can all (Jews and non-Jews) benefit from increased blessing in the world.

Parshat Chukat

Bamidbar 19:1 – 22:1

7 Tammuz 5773 / June 14-15, 2013

Moishniks Making Meaning…Mmmm good!

by Jordan Fruchtman, MH CPO, MHHQ 

Parshah Chukkat contains a few short yet powerful stories. In this week’s portion we read of yet another instance of kvetching through the desert; the Israelites are thirsty and there is no water, so they complain. Moses is commanded to ask a rock for water, instead he strikes it, and though water begins to flow, Moses now will not be allowed into the promise land. Later we also learn of the death of Aaron, the erection of a giant serpent statue, and the lyrics to an ode to water wells. But there is one more story contained within this portion about the “red heifer” that I found to particularly interesting.

The portion goes into the details on the purification rituals one must practice after touching a dead body. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that it involves some very particular ways to spread a cow’s ashes on someone who is deemed “ritually impure.” I am less interested in the details of the ritual, and much more fascinated on how little sense the law actually makes.

This parsha gets it’s name, Chukkat, from the term chukkim, or decrees, which actually refer to an entire series of mitzvoth that have little rhyme or reason. One interpretation suggests that the chukkim are beyond our understanding and highlight the importance of faith and trust in the divine. I don’t want to pick on the chukkim themselves, but rather the notion of having laws and traditions we just don’t understand.

I would argue that following traditions with no understanding, or that provide no meaning in our lives, could be worse than not following traditions at all. To phrase in the positive, I appreciate people who take the time and care to create their own thoughtful, and meaningful traditions. Working at Moishe House is a source of constant inspiration for me. On a daily basis I have the opportunity to witness and learn about young adults who are molding, reinventing, remixing, and morphing our ancient traditions to fit their passions and beliefs.

To me, our traditions and laws are valuable to the extent they can inform our lives in a positive way. Judaism has a unique appreciation for trying to understand ancient customs and texts in a modern context. While major Jewish institutions often struggle with making Judaism relevant to our generation, Moishe House residents are finding unique, powerful, and successful ways to do this every day.