Parsha Massei

Travelogue and Land Claim

The Torah gives a detailed list of all the stops on the way from Egypt to Canaan. Some of the names have been mentioned elsewhere in the Torah. Others have not. But there is no comprehensive record of how long they stayed at each location. It is a matter much argued about, how long they stayed and where and all…

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Parsha Massei

Vengeance

The Goel Hadam, the person who avenges the blood, meaning the death of a close relative, even if it is accidental, is an ancient tradition that goes back much earlier than the Torah. In parts of our world is carried out to this day and tolerated by people who still live in the dark ages. It is one of those…

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Parsha Massei

Blood Letting

The last chapters of the book of Bamidbar culminate in the final preparations to invade Canaan. They deal with demarcating the territory the Israelites will claim and allocating the land between the tribes. But the reading begins with blood and ends with blood. It starts with the destruction of the Midianites and makes very uncomfortable reading. It ends with the…

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Parsha Massei

Detached From Community

This week the Torah lists all the places the Children of Israel camped at during their 40-year trek from Egypt to Israel. The lands conquered and not yet, are then allocated to the tribes as the narrative of the Torah concludes before the final push over the river Jordan into the Land of Israel. Remember the last book of the…

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