PARSHA POSTS: MASAI

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Aug 13, 2024, 12:58 AM

We Were Born To Win This War

Tracing the Jewish Art of Survival Against All Odds After the stunning assassinations of two of the world’s most dangerous men, Iran is threatening to attack Israel directly. The world is shaking—trembling in fear—as all the nations of the Middle...

Elchanan Poupko

Aug 7, 2024, 10:19 PM

Matot-Masei: Nobility of Difference

Carol Greider is one of America’s greatest scientists. A molecular biologist and biochemist at Berkley’s University of California, Greider discovered telomerase, an enzyme that protects chromosomes and is an essential component of cancer research, bone marrow, and lung disease....

Aug 5, 2024, 9:43 PM

The Desert Transformation – Matot-Masei 5784

Eight years ago this week -- almost to the day -- I found myself in Israel, co-staffing a 10 day Birthright Israel trip with a bus full of eager twentysomethings. We spent a week and a half galloping around...

William Hamilton

Aug 2, 2024, 5:49 PM

Emotions in motion

Israel prepares for Shabbat this week with frayed nerves. Authorities have instructed Sabbath observant Jews to keep their radios on, tuned to the silent channel, ready for emergency instructions. Those with limited mobility have been told to pray at...

Aug 2, 2024, 3:03 PM

Last stop: Moshiach

Did you ever notice how our level of tolerance for traffic is directly correlated with the length of our trips? The shorter the trip is, the more the traffic will irk us. For example: if we have to run a...

Aug 2, 2024, 8:18 AM

Us Jews are just not that athletic

Yeshiva boys play basketball with their Kipot and Tzitzit on full display. Credit NossonL

With all the hype around the Paris games, there is no shame in saying it: we Jews are not very athletic. Occasionally, we produce a Sandy Koufax or a Mark Spitz, but the fact that there are more Jewish...

Aug 2, 2024, 8:09 AM

Ain't no river wide enough

Just as the Jordan River did not break the bonds of the Israelite tribes on its opposite sides, neither will the seas between Israel and Diaspora Jewry (Matot/Masai)

Ben-Tzion Spitz

Aug 2, 2024, 12:34 AM

Pillars of the Universe (Matot-Masai)

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. -Carl Zwanzig What is the basis of creation? What keeps our world afloat? Ancient myths believed in a giant turtle...

Aug 1, 2024, 11:32 PM

Natural or Supernatural? (Matot-Masei)

The book of Bamidbar draws to a close with an account of the cities of refuge, the six cities – three on each side of the Jordan – set apart as places to which people found innocent of murder,...

Aug 1, 2024, 8:00 AM

Parshat Masai: Protecting the Land and the Soul

Star of David - Israel Map

This Parsha is overlooked many times due to it being connected to the previous one in most years. What most know about it is what its name has to offer, “These are the travels sons of Israel…” We...

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