The daughters of Tzelophehad claimed their rights as individuals, rather than as a group. Yet individualism is also synonymous with chaos. Thus, the tribes as a society formed the organizing principle of Judaism. Therefore, their rights were offset by the tribal rights of the male relatives.
Rabbi Sacks asks the question: Why did Moshe’s prayer for a successor appear here, instead of 7 chapters earlier, when God informed him that he would die in the wilderness? He identifies the first clue—if the daughters of Zelophechad could inherit, then why couldn’t his sons? The second clue is that he wanted to die like Aaron, whose sons inherited his position.
Rabbi Ruditsky writes that while the parashah, at first glance, focuses on societal order, it is substantially concerned with vows and oaths. Rabbi Ruditsky explains these as personal declarations of self-affirming choices, whose power rests in the commitment and integrity of the one making the affirmation.
Rabbi Ruditsky writes about the various concepts of ownership–both of land and of Torah.
Imagine if Cinderella were a panic-stricken college student, laboring at the last hour to compose a term paper on the portrayal of women in 19th-century literature.
It is with great pleasure and excitement that I officially announce that the congregational vote was overwhelmingly positive to hire Rabbi Ira Rosenfeld and we will now immediately proceed with the contractual process so that Rabbi Ira will be able to start July 1, 2023.
Cantor Heather Hoops Seid will be singing with the San Diego Master Chorale on June 24, 2023.
Rabbi Sacks writes about Korach’s political perceptiveness in knowing exactly how to incite a rebellion. However, the rebellion could not have succeeded in any case, since the groups had different objectives.
Please follow the link below to the Sephardic University article on Sephardic Jews in the American Revolutionary War:
The spies feared success, not failure. This is the common mistake of deeply religious men. God wanted the Israelites to create a model society, where the Shechinah could become close to the people.