Torah Readings
Numbers 24:1-25 - Defeat of Amorites; Moabite King hires Balaam as soothsayer to curse Israel
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Numbers 24:1-25:9
Haftarah Reading
Micah 5:6-6:8 - God's protection of Israel against Balaam and others in the past and the duties God now requires
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1 Samuel 10:1-27 - Samuel prophesies kingship of Saul
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There are many pieces of our liturgy which have their origins in the Torah. The Shema, perhaps the most recognisable prayer, is really a collation of three passages from different parts of Torah sewn together. Indeed, we read the third paragraph from the Torah a few weeks ago. This week we encounter another prayer in its original context - Mah Tovu.
"How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!" (Numbers 24:5)
This prayer has been taken from here to be used as an introductory prayer to services held in the synagogue, showing respect for the place as a setting for worship. The tents and dwellings in the original are far more literal, though. Balak, the king of the Moabites, was worried his people would be defeated by the Israelites and so he sent Balaam to curse them. Balaam wasn't able to do so - instead blessing them three times including this now-famous line in the final blessing.
It is interesting to note that this is the only prayer whose words are attributed to someone who is not Jewish - not just not Jewish, but specifically a diviner or soothsayer which is explicitly prohibited according to the Torah. Whilst he may bless the people here, he is a figure of wickedness in the Rabbinic literature.
Yet, we put this person's words at the very beginning of our services - quoting him as we start our prayers. Whilst we may find our synagogues to be good places, the prayer encourages us to strive to make our communities a place which even those who are our enemies are forced to praise. We have to aim to be a light to the nations - setting such a good example it cannot be denied.
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Make sure to check out our podcasts, including "Rabbiting On" with Rabbis Debbie Young-Somers, Miriam Berger and Robyn Ashworth-Steen discussing events in their lives, the Jewish world and the wider world, and "Progressively Jewish", our weekly podcast in conjunction with Liberal Judaism.
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On Sunday it is Tzom Tammuz - the fast of the seventeenth day of the month of Tammuz. This also marks the start of a period known as the three weeks, which goes from this fast to the fast of Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of Av. According to tradition, Tzom Tammuz marks the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Romans which led eventually to the destruction of the Second Temple three weeks later on Tisha B'Av. The Mishnah recounts a number of other disasters associated with the date, including Moses smashing the tablets of stone at Mt Sinai and the erection of an idol in the Temple. These fasts closely linked to the Temple, and hopes for its reconstruction, can be tricky for Reform Jews - as Rabbi Adar from the US reflects. The destruction of the Second Temple is linked to Sinat Chinam - baseless hatred. This is a theme which is very much relevant to us today - taking the time to reflect on how we achieve harmony in our Jewish community may be a meaningful way to mark this period.
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Many of our communities are sharing their events and inviting you to join. Have a look at the listings on RJ Communities TV to see which events might appeal to you.
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Balak contains one of the instances of talking animals in Torah stories, as Balaam's donkey speaks to him on his way towards the camp of the Israelites. "Noah's Bark" and "Beautiful Yetta" both also have some talking animals playing starring roles!
Please contact Sara at PJ Library (skibel@pjlibrary.org.uk) if you would like to borrow a copy of one of these books for this weekend.
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RSY-Netzer, the youth movement of Reform Judaism, is currently accepting registration for Shemesh, their summer camps. We're sure all of our young people are even more keen than usual to have a fun adventure this summer, so please share the details with your communities.
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The Chair of the Movement for Reform Judaism, along with many other communal leaders and clergy, has urged the Prime Minister to leave intact the provisions of the Human Rights Act. According to the Equality and Human Rights commission, this law "sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that everyone in the UK is entitled to". The signatories of the letter note that it has its roots in "Europe’s response to the horror of the Holocaust". Rene Cassin, the Jewish voice for human rights, has more on this connection here. Jewish experience and human rights protections are incredibly closely linked, according to Professor Francesca Klug. You can watch a video from answering the question - "what has the Human Rights act ever done for us?". It is more than you may expect! In the words of the President of the Board of Deputies, Marie van der Zyl, "we cannot be complacent" when it comes to human rights. Maybe by bringing this conversation to our communities, we can ensure we are not.
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Thank you for joining our weekly emails - please feel free to share if you find them useful!
If you've seen something you like, or have something you'd like to share, we would love to hear from you!
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