PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

Parsha Bamidbar: Batman and Math Dyslexia

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I have a confession to make: I have math dyslexia. It’s never been diagnosed formally, but I have always had a sense of it.

Sometimes, when I read math problems, the numbers mix up in my head. A clock that says 7:30PM looks like 3:70PM. Although I am the Executive Director of PunkTorah, I don’t do our books but instead have a volunteer look over them, because it’s not my strong point.

Perhaps that’s why Parshah Bamidbar, otherwise known as the first book of “Numbers”, is a little off putting.

Luckily, this parshah isn’t about math. It’s about being a chosen people, about that aching feeling when you don’t know what to do next…and like all great stories of the Hebrew Bible, it can somehow be related to Batman.

http://punktorah.org/parsha-bamidbar-collect-em-all-num-11-420/
http://punktorah.org/racism-and-the-bible-parshat-bamidbar/
http://punktorah.org/parshat-bamidbar/

CPTB Split EP Vol. 5 (Matot and Masei)

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This week’s Torah portion is a double portion and continuing in the format used for other double portions the Dvar for this week will follow the split 7 inch record format where each chapter gets its own track. So here you have it folks Circle Pit The Bimah Split EP Vol. 5…

Parsha Matot (Numbers 30:2 – 32:42)

1. The Oath That Keeps Me Free

Parsha Matot begins with a discussion on everything to do with oaths. Each and every one of us has at some point taken an oath and kept it but we have all deliberately and accidentally broken well intentioned promises. Oaths, when made, form an emotional bond with the taker and any witnesses admitting later that you broke something that important can really take a mental toll. Torah a lot of times gets a bad rap from detractors with claims of sexism, racism, and calls to violence but what is [Read more…]

Parsha Pinchas: The Spear, A Dead Man, And The Sisters (Num.25:10 – 30:1)

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Parsha Pinchas: The Spear, A Dead Man, And The Sisters (Num.25:10 – 30:1)

It’s easy to read Pinchas and think that with a just argument Hashem is open to reevaluate some Halacha, and I agree with that. It is also easy to look towards Pinchas for legitimizing righteous rage, and I would also agree with that. When I re-read Pinchas a few days ago I realized that this week’s portion is also about how often Hashem, Torah, Judaism, and religion as a whole is misrepresented.

Part of the human condition are conscience acts carried out in hopes of receiving a positive return. Pinchas and the five daughters of Zelophehad (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah) are perfect examples of this trait. The circumstances surrounding Pinchas and the five sisters are very different but they both are the direct result of others misrepresenting what Jews and Judaism is.

Our portion begins with its namesake, Pinchas [Read more…]

Parsha Balak: Not Just A Jew Thing (Num.22:2 – 25:9)

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Worried that the Hebrew tribes are an unstoppable military force, Moab’s king Balak commissions the non-Jewish prophet Balaam to curse the Hebrews before they can turn their attention to Moab. Balaam then sets out on his donkey to do what he does best and that’s curse the enemies of Moab. While on his way to rain down curses Balaam’s donkey seeing an Angel of the L~rd refuses to continue. Incensed, Balaam begins to beat his ride when Hashem opens the mouth of the donkey who pleads to know why Balaam is blind towards the angel. Parsha Balak is such an important portion not only because it’s a crowd pleaser (like you never giggle when the “A” word is dropped in Shul) but because it reiterates that Hashem is not just a “Jew” thing: He is a “for everybody” thing.

Sometimes its easy to see the world as an Us versus Them place [Read more…]

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

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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…]

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