The ongoing attempt to curse the Jewish People and to change the way we are seen, and if that wasn't enough, the attempt to change how we perceive ourselves, as a People -- as an Am. This Parsha demonstrates that the Curses only turn into Blessings. As my Catholic friends will often say: Better … [Read more...]

Eyes wide closed: when survival is at stake, where are our friends now? Driving the Jack-Ass as the rider or ridden, cursor or cursed? What is right before us is important. Eyes wide closed. וַיְגַ֣ל יְהֹוָה֮ אֶת־עֵינֵ֣י בִלְעָם֒ וַיַּ֞רְא אֶת־מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהֹוָה֙ נִצָּ֣ב בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ … [Read more...]

Life and Death are in the power of the tongue: Who is speaking and who is listening, and who is affected . . . It is no longer simply the speaker of antisemitic tropes, the words, or what any of the phrases have come to mean -- "it" now includes the effect "it" has on the audience. And for … [Read more...]

When relying on the way 'things used to be' . . . 'things' can get very ugly, really fast: Not to even mention: 'Sacred Cows' can 'turn you' or 'turn against' you. Numbers Chapter 20: וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃ The community was without … [Read more...]