Kol Ramah

Parashat B’ereshit [Genesis 1:1-6:8], the first parashah in the Book of Genesis, begins our annual journey through the Torah. Those of you who have been with us from the beginning know that this is our 7th journey of meeting nearly weekly to discuss the Torah and what it might mean to us, and to you. That hour or so of meeting [we discuss amongst ourselves before we record] has long been one of the highlights of my week On the face of it, the parashah is disturbing. It is not unreasonable to think that the peak of the parashah is the 3 verses beginning in chapter 2 which describe the 1st Sabbath in verbs, suggesting that there is an active component to rest, at least from God’s point of view. But then things deteriorate so quickly that God wants a do-over by the end of the parashah. What began with such promise is now a source of regret, from no less than God. We recorded on the third anniversary of 10/07, and that informed our discussion. In terms of the parashah we discussed creation, the very beginn

The parashah this week, Ve-zot Ha-b’rakhah [Deuteronomy 33-34] has the unusual distinction of not being read on Shabbat in the Diaspora. Because the observance of Simchat Torah is separated from Sh’mini Atzeret, Simchat Torah never falls on Shabbat in the Diaspora. The festival days of Sh’mini Atzert/Simchat Torah are associated with the end of Sukkot, and with the end of the weekly reading of the Torah, but also, since 2023, with 10/07, the war against Israel perpetrated by Hamas. The event itself and its commemoration resonates with Yom HaShoah and Tisha B’Av. We try to make sense of it all in our conversation. Let us know what you think. Shabbat Shalom v-Chag Same’ach!

There is no parashat ha-shavu’a this week since the beginning days of the holiday of Sukkot are on Shabbat and Sunday. As it turns out, the Torah reading on both days is the same, Leviticus 22:26-23:44, with the maftir from Numbers 29:12-16. We focused on the holiday as an expression of the attitude of gratitude, by discussing the rabbinic teaching from Talmud Menahot, which says that one is obigated to say 100 blessings each day. Is 100 meant literally or figuratively? What does it mean conceptually? The time passed very quickly though this turns out to be one of our longer shows. Shabbat Shalom! Hag Sa’me’ah!!

This year parashat Ha’azinu [Deuteronomy 32:1-52] coincides with Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Shuvah, which is the first word of the haftarah. There it appears as a verb, but in the phrase Shabbat Shuvah many translate it as a noun, the Sabbath of Repentance, which is the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Most of our conversation focuses on the idea of return and repentance, and is nearly exclusively focues on inynana d’yoman, the matter of the day, rather than the Torah reading.,

Parashat Nitzavim-Va-yelekh [Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30] is the last of the 7 shabbatot of comfort following Tisha B’Av [the 9th of Av, commemorating the destruction of the 2 temples, among other disasters to befall the Jewish people]. The Torah reading puts forth the claim that the covenant being concluded is not just with the people in the Plains of Moab, but also those who are not there [29:14], which was the spring board for the beginning of our discussion. We then moved on to the passage 30:11-20, which contains the verse made famous by the story of the Oven of Akhnai, לא בשמים היא [lo ba-shamayyim hee, “it is not in heaven”]. This led to a discussion of teshuvah [return to God or repentance] and tahanun [the penitential prayers recited after the amidah]. Finally, we considered some verses from Va-yelekh [31:7-8] regarding the appointment of Joshua as the successor to Moshe, with the command to חזק ואמץ [hazaq ve-amatz, “be strong and resolute’]. Since we will not be recording next week, when the first day

Parashat Ki Tavo [Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8] features one of my favorite Torah passages, the ritual of the bringing of the first fruits. The Israelite farmer is instructed to bring his first fruits to the kohen [priest] and recite a sacred history, recounting how his ancestor was a wandering Aramean who descended to Egypt few in number, became a great and numerous nation, was treated badly, enslaved, and oppressed until God heard his outcry and saw his affliction and rescued him with signs and wonders and led him to the Promised Land. And now having settled on the land the farmer brings his first fruits as a sign of God’s redemptive power and as a fulfillment of the divine promise. The rabbis take this passage and make it the heart of the Passover seder in the wake of the destruction of the Temple. Redemption no longer takes place in the Land in historical time; it takes place through the telling of the story at a meal infused with symbolic meaning. Shabbat Shalom!

Parashat Ki Tetze [Deuteronomy 21:9-25:19 is, to use a phrase that Eliot likes to use, the most mitzvah dense parashah, meaning there are more mitzvot in this parashah, over 70 of the 613, than in any other. That astounding fact raises some intriguing questions, the first one perhaps being why? Why this parashah? Do we say to ourselves when we get here, this is really what the Torah is about? This was the foundation of our conversation. Along the way, we happened to discuss some of the laws! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parashat Shoftim [16:18-21:9] is another rich parashah in Sefer D’varim [Book of Deuteronomy]. Jeffrey Tigay divides into two major sections: Civil and Religious Authorities [16:18-18:22] and Judicial and Military Matters [19:1-21:9]. Our conversation also divided into two parts: a discussion of 16:20, with its key phrase צדק צדק תרדוף [tzedeq tzedeq tirdof; Justice, justice you shall pursue] and some laws of warfare. We recorded on the eve of the first day of Rosh Hodesh Elul. Tomorrow night we begin reciting Psalm 27 in evening and morning prayer services, formally ushering in the High Holy Day Season. Shabbat Shalom!

Parashat Re’eh [Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17] is filled with interesting material, including the centralization of the cult in the Temple in Jerusalem, false prophets, dietary laws, the sabbatical year, and a holiday calendar. In our conversation this week we focused on simhah [joy], and how to understand the commandment to rejoice. We hope you are happy with it! Shabbat Shalom!!

Eytan interviewed by our own Solelim camper Rafi Carter

Parashat Va-et’hanan [Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11] features the Ten Commandments and the 1st paragraph of the Shema, to which we customarily refer as the Shema and Ve-ahavta. There are also a number of p’suqim [verses] which made their way into the liturgy. And there is still more. For example, the discerning reader/listener will note that part of the reading will seem familiar, due to the fact that it is the Tisha B’Av morning reading. Off hand, I believe this is the only time a Shabbat Torah Reading includes a Torah Reading for a special occasion earlier in the week. Despite the richness of the parashah, we spent most of our time talking about Tisha B’Av, the Jewish national day of mourning, since we recorded Thursday afternoon. Near the end we worked in the parashah, discussing Moses’ final plea to God to be allowed to enter the Promised Land. With Tisha B’Av now behind us, we look forward to Shabbat Nahamu [haftarah from Isaiah 40:1-26, which has its own riches]. We have progressed another major step towa

Josh Archibald (Gesher '26) interviews Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, in the studio of Radio Kol Ramah, Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.

This week is Shabbat Hazon, taking its name from the opening word of the Haftarah [Isaiah 1:1-27], the 3rd haftarah of admonition or rebuke before Tisha B’Av. The Torah reading is parashat D’varim [Deuteromonomy 1:1-3:22], the 1st parashah in Sefer Devarim [Book of Deuteronomy]. As Jeffrey Tigay outlines Deuteronomy in his JPS Torah Commentary, the parashah consists of a Prologue [1:1-5] and the beginning of the 1st Discourse [Deuteronomy 1:6-4:43], which will conclude in next week’s parashah. It seems an odd way to begin the book, so we used most of our time to situate the book in the context of the Torah but also in the context of other great speeches [Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and King’s I Have a Dream Speech]. The conversation meandered perhaps more that usual, even for us; we hope you like it! Shabbat Shalom!!

Great interview by Tess Kenter of Amy Skopp Cooper on Camp Ramah!

Parashat Matot-Masei [Numbers 30:2-36:13] is the double portion that concludes our reading of the Sefer B’midbar [Book of Numbers]. As befits a double portion, the longest Torah reading of the year, it is filled with a variety of material, including the annulment of oaths and vows made by women at the beginning of Matot [Numbers 30:2-17] and the itinerary of wilderness journeys [Numbers 33:1-49] at the beginning of Masei, among other passages of great interes. A perhaps minor note about this wilderness itinerary is the associated command [33:2] to record them in writing. We spent almost our entire conversation on the phenomenon of writing in the ancient world and why this particular passage required a written record. We hope you enjoy it. Shabbat Shalom!

Parashat Pinchas [Numbers 25:10-30:1] has a lot of interesting material, such as the denoument to the Pinchas episode from last week [25”10-18], the daughters of Zelophechad receiving the inheritance from their father [27:1-11], and the holodiay readings [28:1-30:1], But since this Shabbat is July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we devoted the show to the religious significance of that event and how we might mark the day religiously. Occasionally we made connections to the parashah as well! Shabbat Shalom and Happy Birthday America!

Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. The double parashah Chukat-Balak [Numbers 19:1-25:9] is rich with interesting material, including the red heifer [Numbers 19], Moses & The Rock [Numbers 20:1-13], the prophet Balaam and the scene with the talking donkey [Numbers 22-24], and the first half of the story about Pinchas [Numbers 25:1-19]. We find it difficult to pass up any opportunity to discuss Moses & The Rock, and it is to that story that we devoted most of our conversation. This morning Jeremy’s grandson, Eliyahu Aviv, was welcomed into the covenant of Abraham. Mazal Tov! Shabbat Shalom!!

Parashat Korach [Numbers 16-18] is described by Jacob Milgrom as “Encroachment on the Tabernacle”. We know it better as the multi-layered account of a series of rebellions, the best known of which is Korach’s rebellion. However, the discerning reader can identify relatively easily 2 or 3 more, each distinguished by a different rebel or set of rebels, and a different object. Korach himself is unhappy that Moses has received the leadership position and Aaron the priesthood; he makes the claim that all the people is holy. We discuss the character of Korach and how we best understand him: as a demagogue, as a person with a legitimate claim, or perhaps some mixture of the two. The good news this week, and the reason for the delay of our podcast, is the birth yesterday of Jeremy’s [and Amy’s] first grandchild, a boy. Mazal tov to both sets of grandparents [Ira and Sheri Balsam], and of course the parents, Didi and Ariel Kalmanofsky.

The main story in parashat Sh’lach [Numbers 13:1-15:41] is the tragedy of the spies. In some ways, this sin, the failure of the Israelites to recognize that their destiny is to conquer the land no matter what the odds, is their greatest sin. For the rabbis, there seems to be little question, for they associate the sin of the spies with Tisha B’Av, the worst day on the Jewish calendar, whereas the sin of the Golden Calf is associated with the 17th of Tammuz, a prelude to Tisha B’Av. The verb la-tur, “to seek out, spy out, explore”, which is repeated many times througout the narrative of the spies, is picked up in the final section of the parashah, which we know as the third paragraph of the Sh’ma. There, the tzitzit, the ritual fringes, are intended to prevent Israelites from being led astray by their hearts and eyes. In a sense, this paragraph comes to remind us that the very act of la-tur, seeking out, is fraught with danger. Whether the initial command comes from God or Mose, or even the people themsel

Parashat B-ha’alotcha [Numbers 8:1-12:16] is a particularly rich parasha, with passages about, among other things, the menorah, the second Passover for those unable to make the Passover sacrifice in Nisan, the trumpets whose blasts would summon the people to act in certain prescribed ways, and various complaints by Moshe and the people whose resolution required divine intervention. Our conversation focused on the second Passover [9:1-14] and the trumpets [10:1-10]. Feel free to leave comments below. Shabbat Shalom!