Thoughts on Parashat Mattoth
by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
As the Israelites prepared to enter the promised land, the tribes of Reuben and Gad approached Moses with a request. They stated that they had many flocks, and that they preferred not to cross the Jordan. They wanted to establish themselves on this side of the Jordan, and were willing to forego territory in the land of Canaan.
Thoughts on Parashat Pinehas
by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
In this week's Torah reading, God tells Moses to ascend the mountain and look at the promised land. Although Moses is granted this view, he is told that he will not be allowed to enter the land. He will die outside the land, while the people he led will go ahead without him.
The Judges of Your Generation: Thoughts on Parashat Shofetim, September 6, 2008
by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
When the Talmud cannot answer a question definitively, it sometimes uses the word "Teiku". This is understood to be an acronym for the words; Tishbi yetaretz kushyot ubaayot i.e. Elijah the prophet (when the Messiah comes) will resolve these difficult questions and problems.
Market Volatility, Spiritual Tranquility
Thoughts on Parashat Ki Tavo, Shabbat September 20, 2008
by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
The stock market is volatile. The real estate market is in trouble. The world economy is nervous. Huge companies have gone bankrupt. Other companies have been bailed out by the US government. Thousands of people have lost their jobs, their homes, their savings, their pension funds.
This week's Torah reading includes the story of the 12 Israelite spies who toured through Canaan in advance of Israel's entering the promised land. The Torah makes it clear that these spies were the top leaders of the 12 tribes.
Thoughts on Parashat Balak
By Rabbi Marc D. Angel
Balak, king of Moab, hired Bil'am to curse the people of Israel. Balak feared the advancing Israelites, and believed that Bil'am had the power to curse enemies and thereby destroy them. The Torah portion describes Bil'am's various attempts to curse Israel--but each time, God put words of blessing into his mouth. He simply was not able to curse Israel.
When Sarah died, the Torah tells us that Abraham came "to eulogize Sarah and to weep for her." Rabbi Haim David Halevy, late Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, noted that this passage seems to describe things in the wrong order. Normally, we would expect that a person weeps when learning of the death of a loved one; then, at a later point, the mourner offers words of eulogy. Yet, the Torah states that first Abraham eulogized Sarah, and then afterwards he wept.
Angel for Shabbat--by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
Gossips and Slanderers: How to Stop Them
by Rabbi Marc D. Angel
This week's Torah reading commands us to remember what God did to Miriam while the Israelites were in the wilderness. This refers to Miriam's (and Aaron's) sin of speaking against their brother Moses. As punishment for their evil talk, Miriam (who apparently bore most of the guilt) was stricken temporarily with leprosy. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra notes the correctness of the rabbinic interpretation linking the word metsora (leprosy) with the phrase motsi shem ra (slandering the reputation of another person).
This Shabbat's Torah reading begins by informing us that Jacob dwelled in the land where his fathers dwelled. Rashi comments that Jacob thought he had finally found some peace and quiet, after a lifetime of suffering and conflict. Yet, no sooner did Jacob settle down than a new tragedy befell him. Strife among his sons led to the disappearance of his beloved son Joseph.
Jacob's experience is repeated endlessly in the lives of human beings. We face a crisis, we overcome it, we think we can relax, and then another crisis arises. It seems that we can never let down our guards.