Masei (Numbers 33, 1 – 36, 13) – settling the land of Israel
In the Torah reading of Masei, there is a verse that stands out in importance in the Jewish tradition relating to the settling of the land of Israel (Numbers 33,…
Matot (Numbers 30, 2 – 32, 42) – the Bible is Zionistic but not anti-diaspora
There is a remarkable passage in the Torah reading of Matot in which the tribes of Reuven and Gad have a discussion with Moses concerning the conquering of the…
Pinchas (Numbers 25, 10 – 30, 1) – is zealotry the way of God in the Biblical conception?
At the end of the previous Torah reading of Balak, Pinchas, who is a priest, takes a spear and stabs to death an Israelite man and Midianite woman, without due…
Balak (Numbers 22, 2 – 25, 9) – the Biblical opposition to magic and sorcery
The central figure of the Torah reading of Balak is not Balak, the king of Moab, but Bilaam, the sorcerer - and, the Torah reading of Balak is actually…