by RabbiOlivier | Jul 15, 2017 | Torah Reflections
Pinchas Numbers 25:10 – 30:1 Rabbi Moses There is a beautiful passage in this week’s Torah portion where God tells Moses to ascend a mountain and, from its peak, to gaze at the Promised Land before him. After that, God says to him, you “shall be gathered to your...
by RabbiOlivier | Jul 7, 2017 | Torah Reflections
Balak Numbers 22:2 – 25:9 Happiness Beyond Thought This week’s Torah portion tells the story of Balak and Balaam. Balak is king of Moab. As the parashah opens, his kingdom is threatened to be invaded by the Israelite armies encamped at his borders. He and his...
by RabbiOlivier | Jun 19, 2017 | Torah Reflections
Sh’lach L’cha Numbers 13:1 – 15:41 Why The Spies Were Wrong This week, in Torah, we meet again the story of the twelve elders, leaders of the Hebrew tribes, whom Moses sends to spy upon the Land of Canaan ahead of the Israelites’ invasion. Returning...
by RabbiOlivier | Jun 2, 2017 | Torah Reflections
Nasso Numbers 4:21 – 7:89 The True Purpose of Blessing In our Torah reading this week we happen upon one of the central blessings of our tradition; the Priestly Blessing. And the Eternal spoke to Moses, saying; Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying; Thus you...
by RabbiOlivier | Jul 15, 2016 | General
Chukat Numbers 19:1 – 22:1 The Dissolving Power of The Light of Truth Since we left last week’s Torah portion and opened our books again to study this week’s, thirty-eight years have passed. The generation of Israelites who had known the slavery of Egypt has...