Parshat Hashavua

The Book of Numbers, full of bloodshed and division, ends with a call for unity and a discussion of the sanctity of life.

The list of places through which the Israelites traveled in the wilderness teaches us to understand Judaism through our everyday experiences.

By asking the priests to bless the people, God gives them an opportunity to serve as role models of caring for the people.

Parashat Beha'alotcha illustrates three paths of achieving meaning in life.

Miriam and Aaron's criticism of Moses, and Miriam's punishment of leprosy teach lessons of sibling and communal responsibility.

The Israelites receive instructions regarding Passover, journey forth from Sinai and complain to God on several occasions.

The prohibition against the direct counting of the Israelites cautions us to remember the human faces behind abstract statistics.

The Rabbinic and Hasidic understandings of gossip focus on the impossibility of repairing the damage it causes.

The duty of the Levites to accompany the Tabernacle service with music and song reminds us to serve God with joy.

The Israelites' troubles, and indeed our own troubles, begin when we turn away from God.