Masa U-Meriva

Found 10 Search results

1. The Hands of Moshe: Toward a Phenomenology of Faith

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ב | |

   This class will examine the story of the Amalekite attack upon the Children of Israel found in Chapter Seventeen of the Book of Shemot. Through careful attention to the structure of the story and its relations to the larger themes of War and Prayer found in Parshat Beshalach we will attempt to both interpret the story in a novel fashion and unmask the inner dynamics of emuna and the Children of Israel's education in faith outlined in Parshat Beshalach.

2. Falling Water: Moshe's Transgression and Akiva's Transformation

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ב | |

   The Israelites are standing at the cusp of the entrance to the Land of Israel, and we are faced with a tragic story in which Moshe and Aharon receive the message that they will not enter the Land. What is Moshe’s indiscretion in the “rock and water” story in Hukkat? In searching for a response, we examine  related narratives involving water, rock, and ideas of transformation found in the Bible and in the story of Rabbi Akiva’s transformation from shepherd to Torah giant.

3. Parashat Chukat - A Watershed in Sefer Bamidbar

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   The events described in Parashat Chukat occurred on the fortieth year of Bnei Yisael's journey through the desert. The nation at this point in history comprised of the children of those who sinned in the Sin of the Spies. This fact sheds new light on their complaints.

4. Of Sticks and Stones

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 30 minutes

   How did Moshe and Aharon fail to sanctify God at Mei Meriva, and why are they not permitted to enter the Land of Israel? We will gain insight into these matters by viewing our Parsha in its larger context of BeMidbar, and comparing the "stick" in our Parsha with Aharon's flowering stick in Parshat Korach and with the stick in the Parshat Beshalach.

5. The Sin of Moshe and Aaron (Audio)

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman | 16 minutes

   What was the sin of Moshe and Aaron at Mei Meriva? This shiur compares our parasha with the similar story from the first year journey. Different explanations of the sin are examined, ultimately focusing on the mindset of Bnei Yisrael and the question confounding the nation: Who is truly leading them?

6. The Waters of Sinai

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

   Why does the Torah repeat the requirement to distance the nation from the mountain? Is this the first arrival of Bnei Yisrael at Sinai, or had they been there before, in the story of Massa u-Meriva? Why does the Torah parallel God's revelation at Sinai with the nation's previous request for water?

7. The War against Amalek

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

   Bnei Yisrael were unprepared for their redemption from Egypt, and God places them in various situations of peril, encouraging Bnei Yisrael to raise their spiritual level high enough to enable that process to continue, and work toward real independence from their captors. 

8. Beshallah: The Complaints Begin

   Rabbi Yitzchak Blau | 40 minutes

   Our parasha is the one in which the complaints of the Israelites in the desert begin. With the help of classical commentaries, we will explore the nature of the complaints in this parasha and the reaction of Moshe in light of similar stories elsewhere in the Torah. 

9. From Sea to Sinai - Trials and Edification

   Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish |

   Between the two great revelations in the book of Shemot, the splitting of the sea and the Ten Commandments, the Torah describes a series of events in the wilderness, including the miraculous provision of food and water, the battle of Amalek, and the visit of Yitro. Through close reading techniques, including careful attention to literary and thematic connections linking these narratives, we will explore the ways in which the challenges and trials of living in the wilderness help prepare the people to progress from the revelation at the sea to the revelation at Sinai.

10. The Difference between the People of Mei Meriva and the People of Masa u-Meriva

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 18 minutes

    We continue to explore our question: what is the difference between the generation that left Egypt and the generation entering the Land?  There seems to be a transfer of responsibility from Moshe to Bnei Yisrael as a whole. Bnei Yisrael become active, taking responsibility in situations that had previously been led by Moshe.

    In the parallel "complaint stories," though, is there any difference that makes this new generation better than the previous one? One striking example occurs in Mei Meriva, parallel to Masa u-Meriva (from the Book of Shemot. Though the previous generation had questioned God's presence in their midst, this new generation has internalized that as fact: instead of calling themselves""this congregation" (like the previous generation did) - they refer to themselves as the "Congregation of God."