Jewish Texts

Balaam's death by sword at the hands of the Israelites is ironic retribution for his verbal power over them.

Though we may challenge the severity of Moses' and Aaron's punishment, we affirm sacredness by trying to comprehend it.

Unlike Jewish prophets, Balaam was merely a mouthpiece for the word of God, not an active participant.

The verses recited when the ark (and today the Torah) was carried remind us of our own restless wanderings.

We can all heed Moses' reminder to God, to live up to God's reputation of being slow to anger.

A midrash on the Sotah ritual emphasizes the lengths to which we go to bring peace between spouses.

Commentaries on the three paragraphs of the Shema read Jewish concepts both out of and into the text.

We should respond to major historical events and to personal decisions with the question, "Where are we morally?"

The land of Israel is sacred by virtue of the sacred actions performed by its inhabitants.

The request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad to settle outside of the Land of Israel raises the issue of balancing communal and individual needs.

Being constantly engaged in learning allows us to guard against the pervasive forgetfulness around us.

The specific complaints of the Israelites in the wilderness illustrate their inability to develop mature, adult relationships.