PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

  • Convert to Judaism
  • Online Rabbinical Program
  • Donate

Parsha Behaalotecha – Miriam and Intermarriage

June 10, 2015 by Russell McAlmond

Wedding_rings

In this week’s parsha of Behaalotecha (don’t ask me to pronounce it) we have Miriam being given a severe punishment.  Her ‘crime’ was chastising Moses for his treatment of his wife, Tzipporah.  Tzipporah had given Moses two sons (Gershom and Eliezer), had saved his life at one point, but was now being separated from Moses.  Miriam knew that Tzipporah had been a wonderful wife to Moses and could not understand why he was doing this.  She knew Moses had a good marriage – and it was an intermarriage.

Tzipporah was a beautiful woman and utterly faithful to Moses.  His marriage to her (a Midianite) was what today we would call an “intermarriage” – Jew to Non-Jew.  Some Jews today would consider such a marriage to be a betrayal of the Jewish people or of our lineage.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As Miriam recognized, Tzipporah was a incredible addition to our people, not a subtraction.  We should all be proud to have her in our family.

Intermarriage rates in the US are over 50% and climbing.  Some Jews make the argument that in order to ‘preserve’ Jewish continuity that a Jew must marry another Jew.  This is not true.  Jewish continuity is not dependent on this kind of marriage.  Moses, our greatest leader, was not dependent on this kind of marriage.  Judaism is preserved by making a difference in the lives of human beings, not simply because it has been around a long time.

Marry the person you fall in love with no matter where they come from.  Judaism will survive, or not, based on its own merits.

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud) Tagged With: behaalotecha, intermarriage, keturah, miriam, tzipporah

Parsha Chukat: An Anthology Of What Is Wrong With Me (Num.19:1 – 22:1)

June 26, 2012 by Jeremiah

If Chukat is about faith in Hashem’s covenant to provide a home and good health to those who choose to follow him why has this week’s Torah portion done nothing but distract me during my meditation since early childhood? Why does it feed my naturally ingrown neurosis and “Jewish” flavored guilt? If I knew the answer to that then I would be a fully realized Jew and unfortunately for me I am light years away from being a fully realized anything.

For me personally, there is just way too much going on in Chukat that I can link directly to my life. First, Miriam dies in Zin meaning she never sets foot in the promised land. When I was young I used to have this recurring dream that I was at my Aunt and Uncle’s house, their last name is Zinn, in these dreams I am [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Rants Tagged With: chukat, Circle Pit The Bimah, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, Guilt, jeremiah, miriam, Moses, numbers, online conversion, Parsha Chukat, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier

Parsha Beshalach: Following the Hardcore Punk Handbook’s rule that at least one song have an unnecessarily long title and last for only 30 seconds. (Ex. 13:17 – 17:16)

February 2, 2012 by Jeremiah

Beshalach is a tough one not because of moral ambiguity but because the most recognizable Torah tale takes place right here in this week’s portion. Yep this week Moses parts a large body of water and if that is not enough sweetens water to quench thirst, negotiates for daily quail, and survives an impressive endurance test during a battle with the Amalekites.

My Dvar for this week is deliberately short because we all know this portion better than any other and since Circle Pit the Bimah is a reference to a hardcore punk dance move it is appropriate to have a least one brief parsha.

So here we go, Beshalach is about being a leader and focal point for our Jewish communities. Unlike the Shoah we do not have individual accounts of triumph and tragedy we have Moses being the focal point as the leader and with Hashem as provider, we have Miriam as the feminine focal point leading the dance, we have Aaron and Hur being focal points of support. Be Jewish, be yourself, be the focal point.

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud) Tagged With: Aaron, Circle Pit The Bimah, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, exodus, jeremiah satterfield, miriam, Moses, online conversion, Parsha Beshalach, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier

Stereo Sinai Video Podcast

January 16, 2012 by Patrick Beaulier

Our first video podcast featuring “Biblegum pop” duo Stereo Sinai. Stereo Sinai’s infectious Europop/electronica sound mixed with “lyrics stolen from God” is at once amazingly beautiful and commanding in message. Watch our first Video Podcast with the band.

httpv://youtu.be/k372K07L8j8

Visit Stereo Sinai online.

Filed Under: Jewish Media Reviews, Podcasts & Videos Tagged With: alan, hebrew music, jdub, jewish music, jewish pop, jewish punk, Judaism, miriam, patrick aleph, punk torah, punktorah, STEREO "Sinai Peninsula" stereo sinai

PunkTorah Inc.
PO Box 1641
Midlothian, VA 23113

questions@punktorah.org
YouTube
Facebook

Read our DMCA notice

Search the PunkTorah Blog Archive

What We Do

Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary: Online Rabbinical Program

Now Hiring: Rabbis, Educators & Creatives

Become a Jewish Spiritual Leader

  • Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud)
  • Judaism & Belief
  • The G-d Project Videos
  • Podcasts & Videos
  • NewKosher (Recipes)
  • Converting To Judaism
  • LGBTQ & Women
  • Shabbat & Holidays

Copyright PunkTorah Inc.© 2023