This week marks the completion of eight years of Derech Tsofeh. Thanks to our readers and guest writers. Dear Scouts, This week, Parasha Beshalach deals with a recurrent theme in the Torah – water. Recall a few weeks ago, when we learned Pharaoh tried to control the strength of the Israelites, who […]
Dear Scouts, Last week, we learned of the first seven of the Ten Plagues. This week, in Parasha Bo, God sends the last three plagues upon Egypt: swarms of locusts that covered the entire land; six days of intense darkness; and the death of the first born of all people and animals, except the […]
Dear Scouts: Parasha Va’era teaches us about the first seven of the 10 Plagues: – The water in the Nile and everywhere else in Egypt except Goshen, where the Israelites live, turned to blood. – Frogs came up from every body of water. – Lice came up from the dust. – Beasts swarmed freely […]
Dear Scouts: In this week’s parasha, Shemos (Exodus), we begin the story of – you guessed it – the Exodus. Since much of the rest of the Torah is the tale of a 40-year hike, it’s appropriate that we are also introduced to a classic piece of Scout equipment – the hiking stick. In fact, we learn about the world’s […]
Dear Scouts: This week’s parasha, Vayechi, is taken up with the death of the last of the Patriarchs, Jacob, and his son, Joseph. Jacob is very old and knows that he will die soon. He asks Joseph to promise that Joseph will take him back to Canaan to be buried. Before his death, Jacob […]
This week, I study thinking of all those – Jews and non-Jews – targeted for violence because of their faith, and pray for an end to such hatred. Dear Scouts, This week, in Parasha Vayigash, we come to the final act in the story of Joseph and his brothers. Last week Joseph, […]
Dear Scouts, This week we read Parasha Mikeitz, one of the most dramatic stories in the Torah. Last week, we learned that Joseph’s 10 older brothers sold him into slavery, and that ultimately he ended up in Egypt. The end of last week’s parasha covers what happens to Joseph once he gets to Egypt. The caravan […]
Dear Scouts, There is trouble in Jacob’s family, and we read about it this week in Parasha Vayeishev. Jacob’s 12 sons work in the family business – raising sheep – except for Joseph, who is 17, and Benjamin, who is just a child. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite, and the other sons sense this. Jacob even […]
Dear Scouts, This week’s parasha, Vayishlach (“and he sent”) is about sending messages. Jacob and his large family and household of servants, together with his many flocks and herds of animals, are on the journey from the home of his father-in-law, Laban, back to Canaan. Jacob knows he will encounter his brother, Esau. […]
Dear Scouts: This week’s parasha, Vayeitzei, tells us about the 20-year journey of our father, Jacob, and his family. The title, Vayeitzei (“departs”), comes from the first sentence in which the Torah says Jacob departed Beersheva. Rashi explained that his departure is important, because when a righteous person leaves a place, he takes its glory, splendor and […]
Dear Scouts, I hope everyone is enjoying Thanksgiving, and their family traditions. This week, in Parasha Toldos, we learn about family traditions through lives of Isaac and his wife, Rebecca. They are childless, as Isaac’s parents were for so many years, so Isaac prays for children. The couple is rewarded with twin boys, […]
Dear Scouts, This week’s parasha is Chayei Sarah, “The Life of Sarah,” but it is really about her legacy. The Torah records that Sarah died at the age of 127, described as one hundred and twenty and seven. Our Sages explain this is because she was as beautiful at 100 as she was at […]
Dear Scouts, Parsha Vayeira continues the story of Abraham’s journeys and trials. It’s also the story of Abraham, the good Scout! The parsha starts with Abraham recovering from having circumcised himself. Very Brave, and quite a feat of First Aid. God knows how much Abraham loves to take care of strangers, and […]
This week, I study in memory of my dear father-in-law, Milton Freedman, Mendel ben Sholom. He was the proud grandfather of many Scouts. Dear Scouts, This week’s parasha, Lech Lecha, teaches us about the beginnings of the Jewish people, with the first Jew, the Patriarch Abraham. We encounter Abraham on a journey. […]
I write this week in memory of my beloved mother, Ethel Block (Etel bat Avraham Avigdor), whose jahrzeit is next week. She was the sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother of many Scouts, and an active supporter of Scouting. Dear Scouts: This week, we read Parasha Noach – the story of Noah. At […]
Dear Scouts, Once again, we begin the cycle of reading the Torah, with the story of the creation of the universe, Parsha Bereishit. You’ll recall that God creates things on different “days”. (The rabbis disagree on whether these were 24-hour days.) Let’s review what God created on each day: Day 1 – Light […]
Thanks for the idea of this week’s d’var Torah to my friend and teacher, the late Rabbi Joseph Radinsky of United Orthodox Synagogues, Houston, and a strong supporter of Scouting. Dear Scouts: We are nearing the conclusion of a very special three weeks. We observed Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur, when looked at how we […]
Dear Scouts, Sunday night we start the festival of Sukkot, when we get to camp out in our home-made huts and recall the kinds of booths our ancestors lived in during the Jewish people’s travels in the Wilderness. It’s interesting how Sukkot is just a few days after Yom Kippur, and how they […]
Shanah Tovah – Happy New Year! This week’s parasha is Vayelech, in which we learn about some of the things that happen on the last day of Moses’ life. On that day, Moses installs Joshua as his successor. Because Yom Kippur is next Tuesday night and Wednesday, instead of studying Vayelech, we prepare for Yom Kippur with one […]
Dear Scouts, This week’s parasha, Nitzavim, Moses gathers the people together. It’s the day before he dies. He says “You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord, your God.” He goes on to describe everyone who is gathered there – the heads of tribes, elders, officers, men, children, women, those who have converted and the people […]
Dear Scouts, The opening portions of this week’s parasha, Ki Tavo, describe the offering of the Bikurim, when farmers offered the harvest’s first fruits at the Temple, to thank God for providing them food. The person bringing the Bikurim made a confession, to recall how his ancestors were enslaved in Egypt and were redeemed by God, brought to the Land of […]
Dear Scouts, This week’s parasha, Ki Seitzei, contains more mitzvot than any other parasha in the Torah. Among them are how a soldier is to treat a beautiful woman whom he captures in battle and wants to marry; how children inherit a parent’s wealth; what parents are to do with a rebellious son; the obligation to return lost items; marriages […]
Dear Scouts, In Parasha Shoftim (judges) this week, we learn about many leaders of the Children of Israel – judges, prophets, Kohanim (priests), the special Kohen for war, the Levites who cared for and guarded the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and later the Temple, and the king. No, not Elvis, but the real king. Here’s what we learn about the king. – When […]
Dear Scouts: This week, in Parasha Re’eh, God describes many mitzvot the Children of Israel are to perform when they reach the Land of Israel: To destroy the places of idol worship in Israel, to worship only at the places God shall choose for the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) and bring the offerings there, to not eat the […]
Dear Scouts, In Parasha Eikev, Moses continues his review of the mitzvot. He explains that, when the Jewish people follow the Torah and obey the commandments, they will be rewarded with fruitful families and lands, with abundant crops and flocks. Then, Moses describes how Scouting works! He describes how God took the Israelites through the Wilderness for 40 […]
Dear Scouts, This week’s parasha, V’Eschanan, begins with our review of many important laws already covered in the Torah. This review is why Devarim (Deuteronomy) is often called the Mishna Torah (Repetition of the Torah). This parasha includes such important things as the Ten Commandments and parts of the Shema. The parasha also includes […]
Friday night and Saturday are Tisha B’Av, the 9th of Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, which is a day of mourning (more details below). Because we do not mourn on Shabbat, we observe the mourning customs of Tisha B’Av on Saturday night and Sunday. I offer this d’var Torah in memory of […]
Dear Scouts, This week we read the double portions of Mattos and Masei. Masei means journeys, and the parasha begins with a recitation of the encampments of the Jewish people. As we arrive close to the end of the Torah we recount the journey from Egypt to the Land of Israel. Rashi in his commentary on the Chumash (Numbers 33:1) explains that […]
Good camping to everyone at the World Scout Jamboree at the Bechtel Summit Reserve! Dear Scouts: In Parasha Pinchas this week, we have an interesting discussion of leadership. God reminds Moses that he will not enter Israel, as punishment for having struck the rock for water in the Wilderness of Zin instead of asking it for […]
Dear Scouts, This week, we learn the lesson that some people just cannot learn a lesson. In Parsha Balak, King Balak of the Moabites hears that God has given the Israelites victory against the nearby Amorites. Balak fears the Israelites. He seeks out Balaam, the prophet that God has given the non-Jewish nations. Balak sends messengers to […]
Dear Scouts, This week, Parasha Chukas reminds us of how important our friends and family are to one another. The parasha begins with a description of the decree (chukas) of the Red Heifer. A completely red cow that has never pulled a cart or plow is slaughtered and burned together with cedar, hyssop […]
Dear Scouts, There has been rebellion in the Wilderness. First, the Children of Israel, fresh from leaving Egypt and seeing all the miracles God performed to take them out of there, create and worship the Golden Calf. Then, they get tired of the manna, say they miss the fruits and vegetables they […]
Dear Scouts, This week, in Parasha Shelach, we learn why the Children of Israel wandered 40 years in the desert. It’s because of the scouts. Not the Boy Scouts, but the meraglim, the “scouts” or “spies” who went to see Canaan and gather information about it to prepare the people for entering, […]
Dear Scouts, This week, Parasha Beha’aloscha teaches us some interesting lessons in leadership. God commands Moses on the way in which the Menorah is to be lit. The Menorah provides leadership in the Mishkan by providing light so everyone can see. God commands Moses and Aaron to consecrate the Levites, who will […]
Howdy from Philmont! Dear Scouts, In Parasha Naso, we learn about a wide variety of topics: There is a census of two of the families of the Tribe of Levi, Gershon and Merari, and they are given their jobs in moving and erecting the Mishkan. (The family of Kohath was counted and […]
Dear Scouts, This week, we begin the Book of Bamidbar with Parasha Bamidbar. In English, the book is called Numbers, because it begins with a census of every male among the Children of Israel who is 20 years and older, the “Legion of Israel”. In Hebrew, Bamidbar means “in the Wilderness”. The story […]
Dear Scouts, Lately we get a lot of messages about the end of civilization. Think of all the movies, television shows and video games bringing you stories about fictional events like the zombie apocalypse, space alien attacks, out-of-control viruses and giant meteors striking Earth. These things probably will not happen, just like the prediction […]
Dear Scouts, In Parasha Behar, we learn of the Shmittah year. After six days of the week, we rest. After six years of being worked, the Land (literally) of Israel rests. During the seventh year, we are not permitted to plant or work the land, but we can harvest any crops that grow on […]
Dear Scouts, This week’s parsha, Emor, is named for the seventh Hebrew word in the opening sentence – emor means “say”. The sentence begins, “God said to Moses: Say to the Priests …” The word “say” usually means “open your mouth and speak words”. But the real meaning of “say” in this portion […]
Dear Scouts, This week, the parasha is named Kedoshim, meaning “holy,” as the opening sentence states: “God spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak to the entire assembly of the children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I am holy, the Lord your God.’” Among the many things that God […]
