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PARSHA POSTS: HUKAT

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Jun 27, 2026, 10:08 PM

From Ego to Bitul to Blessing: Parshas Korach, Parshas Chukat, and Parshas Balak

The Torah's arrangement of Parshas Korach, Parshas Chukat, and Parshas Balak is far more than a chronological sequence. Together, these three parshiyos trace a profound spiritual progression: from the dangers of ego and self-assertion, to the humility born of...

Alexander Seinfeld

Jun 26, 2026, 8:36 PM

Is Life Always Messy?

What do you think - real or AI-generated?

Thank you to all those who showed appreciation for last week's joke-evolution post. This week I received one of the biggest compliments of my life. A 20-something who has started reading the Art of Amazement said to me, "I can't believe you created this...

Menachem Creditor

Jun 25, 2026, 6:30 PM

Friendship Over Fear (Chukat-Balak)

There is no shortage of wisdom in this week’s double Torah portion, Chukat and Balak. But this year, I found myself returning to the teaching of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory, whose clarity often feels not only wise,...

Jun 25, 2026, 3:40 AM

Dark Energy and Divine Light: A Hasidic Framework for the Structure of Reality.

The Hidden Light of Darkness: Dark Energy, Chasidut, and Human Struggle. I am going to present, in English, a free translation of a Hasidic discourse delivered by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, in 1953. When you read (or...

Menachem Creditor

Jun 23, 2026, 8:24 PM

Blessings Not to be Missed (Chukat-Balak)

If we read the five books of Torah as one great arc, Genesis is the family story. Exodus begins the national story, and from there through Deuteronomy, Moses stands at the center: prophet, teacher, intercessor, and, alongside God, the...

Mordechai Silverstein

Jun 23, 2026, 9:58 AM

The Mystery and Meaning of Ritual

Without a doubt, the rite of the Red Heifer (Parah Adumah) is striking in its strangeness, both in its purpose and its preparation. It was intended to produce ashes that, when mixed with spring water, were sprinkled upon those...

Amanda Goldstein

Jun 23, 2026, 5:19 AM

The Holy Place We Keep Trying to Skip

Jewish tradition understands the human need for beginnings and endings. We mark our transitions with care. We build rituals to tell us when one chapter has closed and another has opened. We count days, name stages, and construct order...

Jun 21, 2026, 11:11 PM

Parashat Chukat: An Outstretched Hand and a Sword in its Sheath

Parashat Chukat is not usually regarded as a political parashah. It deals with a wide range of topics, including the red heifer, the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, and the waters of Merivah. And yet, toward its end, a...

Jun 21, 2026, 3:01 PM

One World, Many Realities: How Perspective and Bitachon/Trust Redefine Limits

How two people never see the same rainbow. The idea that a person can shape their own destiny despite external limitations is often dismissed as motivational rhetoric, yet both modern science and classical Jewish thought offer a far deeper and...

Jun 19, 2026, 11:52 PM

The Pierced Ear: Torah’s Ownership Mark

The image tells two stories side by side. On the left, a Hebrew servant stands willingly at the doorpost. His master pierces his ear with an awl. The servant smiles with joy and devotion, choosing permanent service out of...

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