Sam Berrin Shonkoff tackles the multiple challenges of this double parashah; the sexism of men nullifying women’s promises, genocide of the Midianites, ethnic cleansing of the current inhabitants of Canaan, and questions how we can meaningfully engage with such texts. He writes that we cannot evade, ignore, or whitewash the narrative, but must approach the Torah in its entirety, cultivating true shalem—wholeness in the world. Read the article