Torah Study

By: Lindie  Henderson While reading Parashat Eikev in the Women’s Torah Commentary, I learned that there was a second set of tablets placed in a rebuilt ark, written by Moses’ hand from  God’s words. I thought about consequences and opportunities. The inscribed commandments on the tablets and Moses’ spoken message to the people formed his legacy. We each leave our own legacy as we evolve and move through our lives as well. These thoughts resonated with me because they reflected some recent discussions with sisterhood presidents. Apparently, we may have forgotten the importance of keeping records and passing information forward in our own sisterhoods. This information includes minutes of meetings, reports and evaluations of projects and programs, histories, traditions and stories. How important this knowledge can be to a new leader or committee chair and to our efforts now and in the future!

by Rabbi Geri Newburge As I prepared for this “Voices for WRJ” I was quite intrigued with the opening verses of this week’s Torah portion, Matot, about an individual’s vows to God. Particular note is given in these verses to vows sworn by females. The text explains that either a father or husband, upon hearing the vow, can revoke it. If he does not annul the vow at that point, the woman must fulfill the obligation. In either case, ultimate control over the situation lies with the male. As I fully disapprove of any kind of sexism, I turned to my usual commentaries to find something creative, instructive, and interesting about this a midrash or insightful interpretation to share with you. While my search was hardly exhaustive of the entirety of Jewish texts, nothing truly gripping presented itself. Yet in my studies I found something truly powerful and new. In Tractate Nedarim (“nedarim” means vows), the volume in the Babylonian Talmud dedicated to all issues pertaining to vows, the rabbis remind us that not only were we all at Sinai when the Torah was given but we all swore an oath to study Torah when we were there. This includes women. The men did not invalidate our oath (or if they did, no one is talking about it!). In addition, the Talmudic text asks, hypothetically, can one swear to learn a particular text or study at a certain time- or would that be an invalid oath, since we already swore at Sinai to this kind of study.  

By Marcy Frost Parashat Chukat states, in a matter-of-fact way, that Miriam died and was buried at Kadesh. Aaron’s death is also recounted in Parashat Chukat, but with more fanfare and thirty days of mourning. Aaron’s priestly vestments were handed down to his son, Eleazar, prior to his death, as commanded by Adonai. Thus, Aaron’s role as the religious leader of the people was transferred to Eleazar. In a later parasha, Vayeilech, the mantle of Moses’ leadership is passed on to Joshua.  The Torah, however, tells us of no successor to Miriam. Carol Ochs, in her “Contemporary Reflection” in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, posits that Miriam’s leadership was seen in her compassion for the vulnerable (think of baby Moses).  Sisterhoods throughout WRJ are committed to helping those in need, both financially and with “woman-power.” This Sunday night, I will be joining other women in my sisterhood, Temple Israel Sisterhood in Minneapolis, at a homeless shelter within our own four walls.  Temple Israel participates in a program that provides temporary emergency shelter to homeless families by providing a safe, secure, and supportive day center and housing the families overnight through a network of faith communities. Temple Israel Sisterhood has been a supporter, both financially and through providing the meal and volunteers for a night of the shelter, since Temple Israel joined the program in 2008. The tikkun olam embraced by sisterhoods carries on the tradition of Miriam.

By Hilda R. Glazer This week’s Torah portion includes the story of sending the scouts to Canaan and a number of laws about sacrifices and communal and individual wrongs. One of the things that I often wondered about was the origin of the challah. In this week’s portion is the answer. One of the offerings listed in Numbers 15 is that of the first dough – the challah. The Women’s Torah Commentary (p. 882) noted that the word challah is Hebrew for loaf and was derived from the verbal root ch-w-l, “to be round.”