TORAH READING FOR 14 SIVAN 5783 June 2-3, 2023

June 2, 2023 by templekol

JUNE BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Mazal Tov – Mazal Bueno to all those celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or significant event during the Month of June. If we were together at Temple Kol Hamidbar, we would extend a Tallit over you, say a special prayer for you, and recite the following blessing (cf Num. 6:24-26):

May the Eternal One bless you and protect you!
May the Eternal One deal kindly and graciously with you!
May the Eternal One bestow favor upon you and grant you peace!

KËIN YEHI RATZON (Let it be so!)

From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/naso-ii

Naso II (II נָשֹׂא – Hebrew for “Take a Census”) – Numbers 6:1-7:89

The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: If any men or women explicitly utter a nazirite’s vow, to set themselves apart for the Eternal, they shall abstain from wine and any other intoxicant.” – Numbers 6:1-2

SUMMARY

The obligations of a nazirite vow are explained. They include abstaining from alcohol and not cutting one’s hair. (6:1-21)
God tells Moses how to teach Aaron and his sons the Priestly Blessing. (6:22-27)
Moses consecrates the Sanctuary, and the tribal chieftains bring offerings. Moses then speaks with God inside the Tent of Meeting. (7:1-89)

NOTE: Sometimes Parashat Naso is separated into Naso I and Naso II as follows:

Naso I (Numbers 4:21-5:31)

Naso II (Numbers 6:1-7:89)

HAFTARAH

Judges 13:13-25

Judges [The Haftarah Commentary, p.337]

Connection of sidra and haftarah:

Both sidra and haftarah deal with Nazirites, that is, persons under special vows. They are obligated not to trim their hair, not to touch alcoholic beverages, and not to defile themselves with ritually unclean matters. For some, the vow is temporary, for others–as with Samson–it was valid for life.

RECOMMENDED READING

From Reform Judaism https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/naso-ii

The Power, and the Permission, to Bless

By: Rabbi Leah R. Berkowitz

STRUGGLING WITH TORAH and REFLECTION

For Torah Study, instead of the portion from the Book of Numbers that is read on this Shabbat, we will read the Haftarah (a selection from the prophets) from Judges 13:13-25. You can read this week’s Torah Portion at https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.6.1-7.89, and the Haftarah at https://www.sefaria.org/Judges.13.13-25

From “The Torah / A Women’s Commentary” edited by Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, Ph.D.

נשא Naso II – Numbers 6:1–7:89

Post-biblical Interpretations – by Judith Hauptman, pp. 836-7

If any…woman utter a nazirite’s vow (6:2). Since a female nazirite was required to bring the sacrifice, just like a male, the Torah implies that women owned and controlled property. Mishnah Nazir refers to two women who took nazirite vows; Miriam of Tadmor became a nazirite to pray for her sick daughter (6:11), and Queen Helena of Adiabene, a 1st-century-C.E. convert to Judaism, vowed to become a nazirite for seven years if her son returned safely from war (3:6). Josephus mentions the nazirite vow of Berenice of the Herodian royal family (Wars of the Jews 2, 15:1). Thus, we learn that becoming a nazirite in the rabbinic period was viewed as a way of prompting God to answer one’s prayers, often on behalf of family members in difficult circumstances. Clearly, these traditions presume that women chose this option when they found themselves in situations of personal duress.

Thus shall you bless the people of Israel (6:23). The three-fold priestly blessing appears immediately after a number of other topics, such as the sotah and the nazirite, that require the involvement of priests. Women could not serve as priests and hence did not utter this blessing. Although the verses that frame the blessing appear in the plural (6:23, 27), the words of the blessing themselves are all in the singular. The priest does not himself bless the people but serves as a vehicle for transmitting God’s blessing to them. According to the talmudic sources, the main venue for the recitation of the priestly blessing was the Temple in Jerusalem, until it was destroyed in 70 C.E. If recited in a communal context, the blessing is addressed to the entire congregation, men and women alike.

From “Mishkan T’filah / A Reform Siddur”:

FOR OUR COUNTRY p.516

THUS SAYS ADONAI, This is what I desire: to unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of lawlessness; to let the oppressed go free, to break off every yoke. Share your bread with the hungry, and take the wretched poor into your home. When you see the naked, give clothing, and do not ignore your own kin.

O GUARDIAN of life and liberty, may our nation always merit Your protection. Teach us to give thanks for what we have by sharing it with those who are in need. Keep our eyes open to the wonders of creation, and alert to the care of the earth. May we never be lazy in the work of peace; may we honor those who have [served, suffered or] died in defense of our ideals. Grant our leaders wisdom and forbearance. May they govern with justice and compassion. Help us all to appreciate one another, and to respect the many ways that we may serve You. May our homes be safe from affliction and strife, and our country be sound in body and spirit. Amen.

FOR HEALING

We recite MI SHEBËRACH for the victims of abuse, brutality, conflicts, fear, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds especially directed at individuals and specific communities including us, and war; for all those at home alone or lonely; for all those in need of physical, emotional, and mental healing. “R’fuah sh’lëmah” – a complete recovery!

YAHRZEITS/ANYOS

We say KADDISH YATOM for those of our friends and families who have died and been buried this last week; those in the period of Sh’loshim (30 days since burial); those who have died in the last year; and those whose Yahrzeits/Anyos occur at this time; as well as the victims of brutality, conflict, disease, natural disasters, pandemics, tragedies, violence of all kinds, and war.

This coming week, 14 Sivan through 20 Sivan, we lovingly remember:

Jimmy Aragón

Cousin of Mary Caron, TKH Member

Simon Farkas

TKH Memorial Board – brother of Jack Farkas z”l

Ingelene Gorman

TKH Memorial Board – mother of Pam Elder

Bernice C. Sigler

TKH Memorial Board – sister of Enid Schwartz z”l

Those victims of the Sho’ah (Holocaust) who died at this time of year.

“ZICHRONAM LIV’RACHAH” – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE FOR BLESSING.

TORAH STUDY AND SHAZOOM

We will meet as usual at the regular times for Torah Study and Shazoom this evening, Friday, June 2, 2023. We will discuss Haftarah Judges 13:13-25.

Zoom regularly updates its security and performance features. Making sure you have the latest version of Zoom, please join us online this Friday evening with wine/grape juice for Kiddush and Challah for Motzi.

Topic: Torah Study – Haftarah Naso II: Judges 13:13-25

Time: June 2, 2023 06:00 PM Arizona

and/or

Shazoom – Erev Shabbat Service

Time: June 2, 2023 07:30 PM Arizona

To join Torah Study and/or Shazoom click on the following link [you may need to copy it into your browser]: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/72510500854?pwd=Z3VQZWF4U1BBZytNYmh3aHFTWkFDZz09

Meeting ID: 725 1050 0854

Passcode: 4NrMk0

Hint: The last character of the password is the number zero.

Shabbat Shalom – Buen Shabbat – Gut Shabbos!

-Ruben

PS – About the Book of Judges plus the Birkat Kohanim: