Naso: In this week’s Torah reading are the three-fold priestly blessings: “May the Ever Present One bless you and protect you; May Ever Present One deal kindly and graciously with you; May Ever Present One be present for you and grant you wholeness” (Numbers 6:24-26) As you may note, I have chosen to translate YHVH as “Ever Present One” rather than the…

Shavuot begins on Saturday night. It is customary to spend that night in study in anticipation of the reenactment in the morning of the revelation at Mount Sinai. Although the Bible account is of God addressing the people with the Ten Commandments, the rabbis expanded the holiday to encompass the giving of the entire Torah. A preschooler this morning asked me, “Why do…

“If” (אם) is repeated twenty-eight times in parashat B’Hukotai, such as “if you follow my laws….; if you do not obey me… if these things fail to discipline you…if a person consecrates to the Lord purchased land….” The repetition of “if” emphasizes free will and that action has consequences. After entering the Promised Land, success will depend on making good choices, marked…