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Parshah Noach

Genesis 6:9-11:32

Adam was commanded to eat fruits and vegetables. Meat from living animals was strictly forbidden. Only after the flood was Noah along with all his descendants (all us humans) given permission to eat flesh.

Ira – don't forget the giant that hung on to the side of the ark J.

What exactly was the sin of the people building the tower of Babel?

Lets talk about the difference between how G-D treated the generation of the flood vs the generation of the tower and Noah vs Abraham particularly in light of the mishna (Avot-Ethics of our fathers-5-2)

Parshat Ki Teitzei

Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Thou shall stop for the motorist broken down on the side of the road!

Ron – What do you do to a runaway slave?

Eitan – we should have you come back to teach us all the laws of how to treat someone who you lent money to.

Parshat Eikev

Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Once again, there is so much to discuss we could have discussions every night and still not cover half of it.

Starting with the very first verse "And it will be [Eikev] when/because you will listen to the (civil) laws and guard them and do them…"

• We see G-Ds belief in us. He says "When you will… and I will bless you" not "if you will".
  
• The word Eikev is actually even more unique than that. Prompting Rashi to say that it is used to include an extra meaning – This portion is talking specifically about those laws that people tend to trample on due to their perceived insignificance (the Jewish equivalents of j-walking and rolling stops) inferred by the word Eikev being from the etymological root "Heel".
  

A big theme this week is realizing that the point of miracles are not to believe that G-D exists or that G-D is not bound by miracle. But rather to help us realize that G-D creates nature and even the "natural" happenings in this world are all directly from G-D and directly a result of the Torah. As moshe continues "If you will say to your self - there is some physical attribute that we can not overcome. Do not fear them, remember what G-D did in Egypt." i.e. don't think that - now that you are entering Israel and your task is now to be involved with the land [physicality] – you are now on your own and totally subject the laws of nature. The truth is – the reason G-D showed you all these miracles is so that you should know – The world was created for the torah an by the torah, so nature will always fall inline with what you need to do the laws of the torah.
As Moshe says "G-D gave you the Mun … so that you should know that you don't live off the bread but rather off the words of G-D"

Some more interesting points:

• The first record of an Air force
  
• The first biological warfare.
  
• The whole first four books moshe goes on about how great the Mun is, and now he says "G-D Pained you, tested you, and starved you with the Mun"
  
• What are the real meaning of the praises of Israel mentioned this week
  
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Parshat Va'etchanan

Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

There is so much, it's hard to single out anything.
So I'll just zero in on the Ten Commandments (and no their not multiple choice)

• What's special about these ten?
  
• Lets compare the differences in the two accounts (here and exodus)
  
• What's up with the shape of the tablets?
  

And Shema

• What does it mean that G-D is one?
  
• Is there anything about this message that is specifically for Jews?
  
• How can you command someone to love something(one) or not to love?

Parshat Devarim

Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
We start the fifth book of the Torah.
The entire book is written as a speech from moshe.

A few questions I would like to entertain are:

• How are the words of Moshe, part of the "Torah" – the words of the eternal G-D?
  
• If the goal of Moshe's speech is to encourage us to dedicate ourselves to G-D's service. How do the details mentioned in this week's Parshah help lead to that conclusion?
  
• What can we learn from Moshe about motivational speaking?
  
• Why wait till now to give the speech?
  
• Why is this, the conclusion of "the five books of Moshe"?
  

Don't forget that this week is "Shabbat Chazon". Let's hear what people insights have about the haftorah and the Shabbat.

p.s. we will not be here for Shabbat or Tisha B'Av – may it be transformed into a day of rejoicing.

Parshat Ma’asei

The most prominent theme (in my humble opinion) is the list of places visited by Israel as they traveled through the desert.

The Kabbalah teaches that the 42 journeys listed correspond to the journeys of the soul through this world. From when it leaves the womb (Egypt) until it enters the supernal & eternal life (Israel).

The Parshah then mentions the borders of the land given to the Jews (seems like its replaying right now in New Paltz).

Then the concept of the "Cities of Refuge" – a concept not really copied by other philosophies and/or nations.

The concept is that if someone killed someone else by accident. Even though there is no punishment. The person still needs to move to one of these cities until the end of an era – defined as when the Kohen Gadol passes away