Parashat Pinchas (son of Eleazer, grandson of Aaron)
Numbers 25:10 - 30:1
HafTorah Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3
Dear Friends,
In this week's portion, we begin with the further adventures of Pinchas ben Elazar HaKohane, the grandson of Aaron and the inheritor of the priesthood and a zealot for protecting the Commandments.
He kills an Israelite and a Midianite woman with whom he is cohabiting in a zealous rage and on the surface, he appears to be rewarded for it as a plague is lifted. However, when a leader is chosen to replace Moses, it is not a relative of Moses and certainly not Pinchas who will lead the children of Israel into the promised land, but the more even tempered and sympathetic Joshua. As we witness the political antagonism and raw feelings associated with elections, we might ask who is the better leader? Is it one who is a zealot like Pinchas, or one who has is less prone to emotional and physical outbursts and vigilante justice?
We have now entered what are called "the three weeks", the period between the 17th Day of Tammuz and the 9th Day of Menachem Av (Tisha B'Av), It is said that the walls of Jerusalem were breached on the 17th of Tammuz and the Temple destroyed and the long exile begun on the 9th of Av. As a result, we are now in a period of "semi mourning" when some observant Jews refrain from celebrations, getting haircuts, etc. and we read three consecutive weeks of Haftorot of Rebuke from the Prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. And in stepping back to recognize this sad time, we can reflect on what caused this disaster to befall our ancestors. Prior to the Babylonian and then the Roman conquests, we learn that there was chaos in the land. There was little regard for other people, abandonment of the mitzvot, and a general lack of kindness, respect, and morality, all of which weakened society as a whole and made the Hebrew nation vulnerable to outside invasion without the structure needed to defeat it. One does not need to be a Torah scholar to see how we are living in an age where many of these same negative character traits have become a part of our political and social infrastructure. We can use "the three weeks" to reflect on what has happened and what will happen if we continue to live in a world of discriminating against others, mistrust, name-calling, and lack of moral courage. At the end of "the three weeks" on Tuesday, August 13th, at 9:30 am, we will gather at the synagogue and on Zoom to observe Tisha B'Av by reading Jeremiah's Book of Lamentations (Aicha) and discuss how we can make our world into a better and a holier place.
Please join me and help make our minyan strong with our presence this evening at 7:30 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9:30 am in-person or virtually in Zoom as we read the portion of Pinchas in the Book of Bamidbar and hear and learn from the Prophet Jeremiah.
Shabbat Shalom!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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FRIDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Service, Friday 07/26/2024 7;30 pm
Time: Jul 26, 2024 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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____________________________________________________
SATURDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Saturday Service, 07/27/2024 9;30 am
Time: Jul 27, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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