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Rabbi's Torah
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Rabbi Marc Kline’s thoughts and views on this week’s Parashah!
“Amen.” “AMEN!” “amen.” “Amen?” How does one say that word? I guess, in part, it depends on what preceded it. Perhaps the bigger question revolves around what one intends in saying this universal word of affirmation. When someone says a prayer, and you answer, “amen.” What are your intentions? I am sure that it comes […]
I hate war. Yes, hate is a strong word, but truthfully, the only thing I hate more than war are war-mongers: people who thrive on the conflict for the sake of their own search for power over others. As I read the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, I knew that I had to respond. […]
I am struggling. I read the Bible, and I scratch my head. What part of this stuff don’t people get? In pretty explicit language, this week’s Torah portion instructs us to appoint judges and police officers who are not buyable and who will maintain order in the best interest of all of society – including […]
I love it when Torah says controversial things. Of course, it can say lots of things, and we can make it controversial or not. That said, I read this text to spark controversy. From Deuteronomy 15:7-10: “If, however, there is a needy person among you, in any of your settlements in the land that Adonai […]
I remember reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series. I envisioned how Gandalf, Frodo, or Gollum might appear. Who might they resemble? The imagery describing Saruman, Nazguls, Orcs, and Elves might have been more intriguing than even the well-written plot of the book series. Aragorn was a handsome but ruddy, sturdy, and strident […]
Yesterday, I turned 60. I did not wake up to anything new. Despite reaching the milestone, I do not have any new aches or pains, no new insights than yesterday, and no discernible way to distinguish being 59 from being 60. Perhaps the only significant occurrence that set yesterday aside was that it was also […]
“Aelu devarim … These are the words …” We begin a new book of the Torah: Deuteronomy. In Hebrew, the name is “Devarim,” drawn from the first significant word in the text. Devarim means “words” or “things.” Moses begins the last book of the Torah by recounting the Torah story. He is about to leave […]
Forty years. We got back to the River Jordan. We stand ready to cross, as Moses will recount the whole story of our journey. It almost seems like a graduation ceremony. Each tribe stands prepared to go its own direction, as they here the school principal intone their journey through the wilderness (Primary and secondary […]
I had an idea for this week’s commentary that revolved around the role of women in the religious traditions of the world. A guy named Tzelophechad died, leaving only daughters. The tribe was going to take his estate and return it to the tribe. The daughters stood before Moses and God and demanded that they […]
Do our ears here what our mouths are saying? This line repeats throughout the Rabbinic tradition. We speak about “non-Israelite Biblical figures” as being the “other” when it comes to God. Yet, God speaks to Jacob’s father-in-law, to Moses’ father-in-law, and this week, to Bilaam. None are MOTs (Members of the Tribe), and yet, each […]