Matot: Talking to the Creator
Our speech is not merely a natural skill but actually an extension of the Divine speech of the Creator.
Pinḥas: The Festivals & their Korbanot
The set order of Divine guidance is revealed through festivals on our calendar & their unique korbanot.
Balak: Bilaam & Nietzsche
Great hostility towards the nation of Israel manifests at historical moments when we prepare to assume a serious leadership role on the world stage.
Ḥukat: The Logic of the Red Heifer
Purification from the impurity of death is achieved through the mysterious ritual of the Red Heifer.
Koraḥ: He Saw Shmuel
Shmuel might’ve superficially appeared to institute Koraḥ’s ideal anarchistic society. But his actions ultimately led to stronger national institutions.
Shlaḥ Lekha: Good Intentions
Due to their deep love & genuine concern for the people of Israel, the spies committed a terrible transgression that still holds lessons for us today.
B’haalotkha: Redemption from Below
A second chance is offered for one very important mitzvah because being part of the nation of Israel requires one to deeply self-identify as having been personally liberated from slavery in Egypt.
Nasso: Near & Far
The Torah’s different ways of addressing the personal crises people face might carry a dangerous side effect of too heavily focussing on the individual.
Bamidbar: The Collective & the Individual
When confronting the challenges of Bamidbar, the Torah strikes a balance between the value of the individual & the importance of the collective.
Beḥukotai: In Your Anger May You Remember Compassion
Within the framework of nature, six represents creation & the seven represents a goal to be achieved within creation. Eight is beyond nature.
Behar: A Visitor or a Resident?
Because we’re not currently threatened by the over attachment to our land Shmita is meant to offset, legal innovations to bypass some of its laws help us to better live according to the Torah’s higher ideals.
Emor: Holiness of the Kohanim
The power of the kohanim originates from two sources. Their separateness from Israel (above) & their connection to the nation (below).