Priestly Blessing

The Nazirite Vow: Connecting to a Higher Power

Jews are not ascetics – or at least, so we tend to think.... Parashat Naso gives us laws that lead us to focus on priestly rules and the purity of the Israelite camp. The adjacent appearance of laws on the sotah (adulteress) and the Nazirite invite us to consider the relationship between these two subjects.

D'var Torah By:

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow

Balancing Joy and Suffering, Struggle and Peace to Find Holiness

Davar Acher By:

Rabbi Michael Pincus

These words, ascribed to King David, reflect humanity's aspiration for holiness — k’dushah.

When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and stars that You set in place,
what is man that You have been mindful of him,
mortal man that You have taken note of him,
that You have made him little less than divine,
and adorned him with glory and majesty. (Psalm 8:4-6 )

Learning How to Say “Sorry”

"It's not my fault!"

We've all said it. It's rarely easy to accept responsibility for the mistakes we make or damage we cause. Sometimes we know instantly we've done something wrong; sometimes it takes time for us to realize the extent of our mistake. But even after that realization, it's always painful to say, "I'm sorry."

D'var Torah By:

Joseph A. Skloot

The Silent Third Partner

Davar Acher By:

Laura Novak Winer

In my teen years, during one of many moments of theological questioning, I asked my rabbi, "Do you believe in God?"

"Laura," he said. "God is, for me, that special connection, that sacred space that exists in the relationship between two individuals."

It seems that here in Naso, this is where God exists as well. "When men or women individually commit any wrong toward a fellow human being, thus breaking faith with the Eternal, and they realize their guilt . . . " (Numbers 5:6). When an individual commits a wrong against another, God too is harmed, experiencing a betrayal, a breach of faith.

Separation and Abstention

In this Torah portion, Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89), we learn about the Nazirite and the Nazirites now.

D'var Torah By:

Sheldon Zimmerman

Shlepping the Sacred

Davar Acher By:

Debra J. Robbins

The Nazir reminds us that our task is, as Rabbi Zimmerman explains, "not to separate from our community and people and not to abstain from life's joys but rather to affirm life at its best, to join

Holy Shlepping

Focal Point

D'var Torah By:

Susan Cosden

The Priestly Blessing

Focal Point

D'var Torah By:

Ira S. Youdovin

All Things Being Equal

Focal Point

D'var Torah By:

Andrew M. Paley

A Bag of Bones, Beauty, and Blessing

On the day that the Mishkan was fully erected, the princely chieftains were instructed to bring identical tribal offerings to the Mishkan (Numbers 7:10).

D'var Torah By:

Elyse Frishman

Pursuing the Common Good after the Collapse

Davar Acher By:

Jonah Dov Pesner

Rabbi Frishman makes a profoundly important argument at a critical moment of crisis in America and across the world.

The Spirituality of Eye Contact

There are few texts from the Torah more ubiquitous, more universally invoked than Birkat Kohanim: the Priestly Benediction. We Jews use it all the time. At weddings. And bat mitzvahs.

D'var Torah By:

Steven Kushner

Extending the Blessing

Davar Acher By:

Micah J. Citrin

Have you ever had an experience in life that you hoped would never end? Many of us can recall such an experience. We want to hold on to that moment a little longer.

The Torah on Women: Think Again!

Our ancient sages were obsessed with organization.

D'var Torah By:

Laurie Rice

Sotah: How Far Have We Come? How Far Do We Still Have to Go?

Davar Acher By:

Danny Burkeman

Whenever I read about the sotah I cannot help but think about the scene of the witch trial in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

We’ve Got to Stop It

The sign read, "We've got to stop it," and under it a woman sat alone at a table in the grocery store parking lot. The sign also contained the words "domestic violence," so I walked over.

D'var Torah By:

Lisa Edwards

And Give Us Peace

Davar Acher By:

Sandford Kopnick

At life-cycle celebrations, many look forward to the prayer known as the Priestly Benediction, Birkat Kohanim, which comes from this week's parashah, Naso (see Numbers 6:22-26).

Priestly Blessing

The Nazirite Vow: Connecting to a Higher Power

Learning How to Say “Sorry”

Separation and Abstention

Holy Shlepping

The Priestly Blessing

All Things Being Equal

A Bag of Bones, Beauty, and Blessing

The Spirituality of Eye Contact

The Torah on Women: Think Again!

We’ve Got to Stop It

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Priestly Blessing

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