By Lesley Levin This week’s Torah portion is a double portion. The portions of Mas'ei and Matot are the last two portions in the book of Numbers. I am going to focus on the parshah Mas'ei (marches) that begins with a review of the Israelites’ travels through the wilderness. As Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Elizabeth Goldstein point out in “The Torah, A Women’s Commentary” women form the bookends of Israel’s journey from slavery. In the book of Exodus we learn about the midwives Shiphrah and Puah, Moses’s mother, Jochebed, his sister, Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter. The book of numbers ends with a recounting of the story of the five daughters of Zelophehad.

By Robin Plotnik Much of parashah Pinchas comes from looking toward the future, in terms of inheritance, leadership and laws. The portion opens by completing the story of Pinchas (25:10-18) which began in the previous parashah and continues with the description and enumeration of the census (the second census in the book of Numbers). (25:19-26:65) The story continues with the discussion of future division of land and the courageous tale of Zelophehad’s daughters, who challenge the current practice of excluding women from inheritance. (27:1-11) They not only receive the right to inherit (as daughters in a family with no sons), but successfully argue that the law should be changed for all. The portion continues with Moses learning that he will not enter the Promised Land and with the choice of a successor, Joshua. (27:12-23) Finally, parashah Pinchas ends with a list of special occasions and offerings (28:1-30:1) as summarized in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, (p. 962).

By fredi Bleeker Franks As a WRJ officer, I have the pleasure and the privilege of traveling around North America through the WRJ speaker’s bureau, visiting sisterhoods and sharing what I have learned about team building, mission statements, budgets, and other aspects of congregational and sisterhood life with women who are bright, funny, and passionately committed to their organizations. Often, these talented women are wed to a specific path - the “this is the way we DO it here” path, while loudly exclaiming that the sisterhood is dying without volunteers. And, often, as I am explaining why change is necessary, using the quote often attributed to Albert Einstein, “the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result”, I catch the eye of one or two women who nod slightly. Those women have tried to influence the group to change their mindset, to no avail. They are the women who have been largely absent from sisterhood events, no longer volunteering as they once did.

by Alison Auerbach In this week’s parsha, Chukat 19:1−22:1, we read the following: 20:1 The Israelites arrived at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. Miriam died and was buried there. These two lines on the death of Miriam seem a short shrift for a woman Rabbi Charles P. Sherman, in his sermon A Woman Worth Remembering describes thusly: Friends, this was no ordinary lady – not by any means. Yes, she was a fallible human being with faults. On occasion Miriam liked a juicy word of gossip – who doesn’t? But she was a woman of enormous love of life and of exemplary courage, and she played a central role in the exodus which should not be forgotten.

by Carmen Holzman This week’s Parashah highlights, in three small narratives, that behavioral acts are always measured with positive or negative consequences. The Parashah begins with the burial of Korach, his followers, and their 250 families, as a consequence of Korach’s arrogance, jealousy and rebellion against the leadership of Moses. (Numbers: 16:1-17:15) The second narrative in this week’s Parashah, contrasts Korach’s story and validates that good behavior is rewarded: “Moses placed each staff before G-d in the Sanctuary. On the next day… behold, the staff of Aaron was blossoming; it brought forth blossoms, produced fruit and bore ripe almonds.” (Numbers: 17:16-24) Aaron’s respect and sense of duty towards Moses clearly did not go unnoticed, for he was blessed with the task of managing the tent of meeting. The final narrative in this week’s Parashah, conveys when “the Kohanim and Levites are stablished and assigned the responsibility of managing the donations to the Sanctuary….” (Numbers: 18:1-32) Like Aaron, these communities were tasked with these new roles as a reward for their devotion and eagerness to create a society with peace and unity.

by Madelyn A. Davidson The central theme of this parashah is rebellion, but the biggest question it raised in my mind is not addressed in the many commentaries I have read to prepare this blog. The portion recounts the sending of scouts into Canaan before the Israelites enter the land. The suggestion for sending the scouts came from God and was executed by Moses. He sent one leader from each of the 12 tribes to find out if Canaan was indeed a land “of milk and honey.” They were tasked with bringing back samples of produce and reports on the current inhabitants of the land. God had already promised that the land would belong to the Israelites, but 10 of the 12 scouts returned with rumors of Giants and unconquerable people. Only Joshua and Caleb returned with positive reports of the Israelites’ future home. The negative reports played on the fears of the people and they cry and worry that they will all perish.

by Diane Kaplan B’haalot’cha means “when you bring up”. Well, the people of the Exodus brought up a lot! This week’s Torah portion, concerns the beginning of our journey from Mount Sinai toward the Promised Land. Much of the content, interpreted for modernity, could be the basis for Women of Reform Judaism’s by-laws, policies and procedures and the everyday workings of our individual sisterhoods. The first unit of the parshah 8:1-9:14 describes the laws of sacrifice and offerings as well as the responsibilities of the Levites. “Thus you shall set the Levites apart from the Isrealites…the Levites shall be qualified for the service in the Tent of Meeting”. (8:14-8:15) Our WRJ leaders are not G-d appointed but they are chosen…elected by us to lead our organization. They sacrifice personal time to attend to the workings of their sisterhoods, women’s groups, districts and the Board of WRJ. They offer up their best. They are our most qualified and committed members.

by Carol Berger Parashat Naso has many themes: the Levitical census, the Nazirite vow, the ordeal of bitter water endured by the Sotah, and the sanctity of the priestly blessing. Each of these themes has interesting ideas for us to navigate. Naso means to lift up, and in this week’s parashah the word is understood to mean to take a count. This is not the count of the full community, but rather is the count of the different Levitical clans, each of which had a special job in the Mishkan, the travelling sanctuary. This count includes only males aged 30-50. How interesting that the count was only males, and not even all males at that. This is not surprising - the role of women in the Torah is so often ignored. We know that women have always occupied a central place in our heritage; they must have shared in the work of the Mishkan along with the men. It is our choice today, as Women of Reform Judaism to include them in our telling of our story, knowing that the Torah and the tradition often left them out. Our community includes everyone.

by Susan Bass B’midbar.  Wilderness. Imagine the limitless expanse of desert surrounding the tribes of Israelites as they prepare to depart from Sinai.  How strange it must have been for the generation who knew slavery in Egypt to face such space and freedom.  How overwhelming it must have been to think about their future, surrounded by such conditions! The central theme of the book of Numbers is the transition of tribes into a nation – unified in their belief system, committed to serve the God who brought them out of Egypt.