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This week we begin the fourth book of the Torah, Sefer Bamidbar. We turn away from Priestly responsibilities centered in the tabernacle, and return our focus to the narrative of the Children of Israel wandering in the desert, in Hebrew “Bamidbar.” There is a passage in this Parshah that always grabs my attention, “And these are the offspring of Aaron and Moses on the day that God spoke with Moses on Mt. Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the firstborn was Nadav, and Avihua, Elazar and Ithamar. These were the names of the sons of Aaron…” (Num. Read more...

"The total number was 603,550" - Numbers 1:46   The Book of Numbers begins with a head count of the entire Jewish People, before they depart from their Sinai encampment, on the way to the Promised Land. Moses organizes this massive endeavor, with the help of representatives from each of the Tribes, and in the end comes to a count of approximately 600,000 people who make up the Israelite nation. Read more...

Who goes first? This question is central in my household nowadays, as my eight year old son and five year old daughter frequently argue over who gets the first turn at everything. They debate who gets to tell me first at dinnertime how their day was at school. To resolve this argument, I made a chart listing the days of the week with their names alternating as to who gets to recount their day first. Then they argue over a flaw in the chart. They noticed that since there are seven days of the week and two children, one child invariably gets the first turn two days in a row. Read more...

In our studies during the second semester we looked at Rabbinic sources from the Gemara, the halacha / the code of law, and even some Chassidic sources that dealt with models of leadership. It was a means for us to understand how we stand in the world as rabbis, and what the strengths and challenges of the multiple paradigms are. It was also an opportunity for us to look at ourselves and question 'how is it that we, individually, see our path in leadership?' Read more...