by Lyn Feldman In Parashat Sh'lach L'cha ("Send for yourself"), Moses’ leadership is challenged first by tribal leaders, and ultimately by the entire populace. The parashah begins with the Israelites nearing the end of their wilderness trek as they prepare to enter the land of Canaan. At God's command, Moses prepares for the invasion by choosing scouts — one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel — to reconnoiter Canaan for the purpose of assessing the strength of the indigenous populations and the strongholds in which they reside, and investigating the productivity of the land. Upon completing the mission, all of the scouts except for Caleb and Joshua, conclude that the prospects in Canaan are poor, an opinion which is soon shared by the entire community. These scouts focus on the negative features, mainly the formidable population and cities in the land.  Reacting to the frightening description by these scouts, the Israelites clamour to return to Egypt instead of entering the Promised Land.

by Ellen Petracco "Bring us back to You, O God, and we shall return, renew our days as of old." This week’s Torah portion, B'haalot'cha is about spiritual experience and second chances. To believe or not to believe, that is the question! According to the commentary "L'ma'an Achai V'Rei'ai," the lesson of this story is that a person always gets a second chance. We don't only see this when the impure people ultimately are given another opportunity to bring the Passover offering; even their initial request implies that they expect a solution to be found! How did they learn this attitude? Why do they assume that they will be given a second chance?  Does God always offer a second chance, and should we as well?

by Linda Kates I had never thought of asceticism as a Jewish practice until I read Naso, the second portion in the book of Numbers, which explains the procedure for a man or woman (yes, it specifically mentions women) to become a nazir, or one who dedicates his or her life to God. The nazir takes a vow, usually for a specific period of time, to refrain from wine  and grape products, contact with dead bodies (even of their own relatives), and cutting of the hair. At the end of the stated period, the nazir sacrifices a burnt offering, a sin offering, and an offering of well-being. Biblical commentators disagree on the merit of being a nazir. Some see virtue in separating oneself from worldly passions and pleasures, and in serving as an example for those who need to moderate their behavior. Others, such as Maimonides, believe that there is holiness in all the good things on Earth and that they should be enjoyed in moderation unless they are forbidden. Indeed, Rabbi Eleazar points out that it is because of the sin of denying themselves the enjoyments of life that nazirs must make a sin offering at the end of their vows.

by Andrea T. Cannon This week’s Torah portion is B’midbar, from the book of Numbers: a book that begins our people’s journey through the wilderness into the desert. At the start of B’midbar, a population census was taken of the Israelite community. As I read through the various numbers throughout this portion, I think about Women of Reform Judaism’s numbers, the impact we have made, and how WRJ has contributed to the Reform Jewish community. On the first day of the second month, Moses and Aaron conducted the census by gathering the whole community, who were registered by the clans of their ancestral houses—the names of those aged 20 years and over were listed, head by head. The descendants of Reuben, Israel’s first born; the descendants of Simeon; the descendants of Gad and Judah; and so on.

by Judy Silver Weisberg Sometimes we have to dig deep to find a connection of a particular parashah to contemporary society; but the lessons of B’har-B’chukotai are very clear and relevant. One theme revolves around the care of the land and distribution of its products. The portion states that the land must lie fallow every seventh year. Not only is this is good agricultural practice, but it reflects the supremacy of God, to whom Israel and the land belong. During this fallow time, “… you may eat whatever the land may produce—you, your male and female slaves, the hired and the bound laborers who lives with you, and your cattle and the beasts in your land may eat all its yield" (Leviticus 25:2-7).

by HarrietAnn Litwin Parashat Emor delves into rituals of the priests and the prohibitions about coming into contact with the dead, marriage, the eating of ritual food, and instructions around the major Jewish holidays and festivals, and ends with a story about a blasphemous young man. Initially, I had difficulty identifying ways to link these topics. When I realized that they all dealt with separating, or not separating, people and rituals, I saw the connection. For priests, it is forbidden to come in contact with a corpse. For most priests, an exception is made for his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and virgin sister. Notably separate is the priest’s wife. In marriage, the priest must follow a set of rules in selecting a wife who is ritually clean. She may not be a divorced woman or a harlot. Similar rules exist around the partaking of the ritual food, which is allotted only to the priests and their relatives. A woman from a priestly family who marries outside the priestly class is no longer entitled.

by Trina Novak During this Torah cycle we combine Parashat Archarei Mot and Parashat K'doshim. Parashat Archarei Mot continues to define ritual purity, and includes details regarding how to purify the holy shrine, commandments about animal sacrifice and food, limitations on sexual behavior, and a description on how to ritually observe what will become our holiest day, Yom Kippur. Parashat K'doshim extends the concept of holiness to all aspects of life, including ritual, family, civil, and criminal conduct, and how we are to feel and act toward others. The laws are not limited to the priesthood and to the male heads of households; the laws encompass the entire community. When Moses encountered God at the Burning Bush, he asked God to tell him God's Name. God’s response was, “I will be what I will be.” Our God is one of transformation, and because we are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, we, too, are capable of transformation. How does a person undergo transformation? How does a community change?

Ten years ago I became a bat mitzvah, and I read from M'tzora. I still give the same summary of the parashah that I gave then: it tells us how to clean lepers of leprosy, how to clean houses of mold, and clean women when they menstruate (a ritual more commonly known as the mikvah). This year, we read Tazria and M'tzora together—Tazria adds how to clean women after childbirth and begins the remarks on leprosy. People's eyes still widen as I tell them this. "But that's the worst one of the year!" they exclaim. I cannot disagree. The Torah: A Women's Commentary, along with whatever translation I read back then, emphasizes the treatment of lepers, moldy houses, menstruating women, and new mothers as 'ritual purification.' Certainly, as presented, that is the tie that binds these acts together. But that was never what struck me about this portion. Reading M'tzora, all I could see was exile. The lepers and the menstruating must leave their homes and molded homes must be left.

by Connie Kreshtool This week’s parashah, Sh’mini (“eighth”) opens with a description of the ritual occurring the day after the seven-day ordination ceremony of Aaron as High Priest. Moses instructs Aaron and his sons with specific directions for bringing offerings to the sanctuary to atone for sins that they or the people may have committed. After completing the purgation offering, the burnt offering and the offering of well-being Moses and Aaron bless the people. When fire erupts on the altar burning everything the people interpret this as a sign that God has accepted the priesthood.