D’varim: A New Order
byUnlike Kalev, who believed in the power of the people to rise up & wage war, Moshe believed that Israel could succeed with miraculous assistance.
Culture
Matot: Talking to the Creator
byOur speech is not merely a natural skill but actually an extension of the Divine speech of the Creator.
Pinḥas: The Festivals & their Korbanot
byThe set order of Divine guidance is revealed through festivals on our calendar & their unique korbanot.
Balak: Bilaam & Nietzsche
byGreat 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
byPurification from the impurity of death is achieved through the mysterious ritual of the Red Heifer.
Koraḥ: He Saw Shmuel
byShmuel might’ve superficially appeared to institute Koraḥ’s ideal anarchistic society. But his actions ultimately led to stronger national institutions.
Shlaḥ Lekha: Good Intentions
byDue 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
byA 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
byThe 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
byWhen 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
byWithin the framework of nature, six represents creation & the seven represents a goal to be achieved within creation. Eight is beyond nature.
Emor: Holiness of the Kohanim
byThe power of the kohanim originates from two sources. Their separateness from Israel (above) & their connection to the nation (below).