“How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel. They stretch out like streams, like gardens by the river; they are like the aloes God has planted, like cedars by the water.” So says Balaam, “the man with the enlightened eye who hears God’s sayings and knows the Highest One’s will”, and who has inspired the beginning of our daily service. Yet he sees less than his donkey, who immediately recognises God’s angel and turns aside from him, whereas his master needs to be told several times by God and his angel not to curse the people of Israel, but who, nevertheless, tries to do so. The prophet’s failure to see what is in front of his nose is not only due to a lack of prophetic vision, but of a moral one too. His donkey is, in more ways than one, his superior. The parsha of Balak concludes with the killing of the Israelite man who takes a Midianite woman into his tent and, presumably, also engages in idolatrous practice.

Some seek power for the sake of power itself and for high status. A few seek it because they have a sense of mission and believe they can make a difference to the world. Even fewer do not seek it at all, but become leaders because of one or more of the following circumstances: they are blessed with great gifts; they are in the right place at the right time; they are chosen by God or by the people. Perish the thought that I might be talking of what is currently happening with some of our politicians at this difficult, fractious time in Britain. I am talking, of course, of  Korach, who is one of the first kind and of Moses, who is one of the third. Korach and his fellow malcontents accuse Moses and Aaron of precisely what they wish to do themselves, i.e. set themselves above God’s congregation. Ironically, Moses never wanted to be a leader and he certainly never abuses his position. Rather he prays to God to take the burden away from him.

No sooner does God show whom he has chosen to lead the Israelites than the entire community complain that Moses and Aaron have “killed God’s people”. This time it is Aaron who saves the people from God’s wrath. It seems that, at this period of the journey through the desert, there is an awful lot of complaining and discontent, what with the demand for meat, the report of the spies and the brief resentment of Miriam and Aaron. Despite this, the ordering of Israelite society and the principles and ideas by which we still try to live our lives goes on. Most of the rest of Korach sets out the duties and rights governing the priests and the Levites.

At the start of Chukkat, we come to the puzzling episode of the Red Cow and the purification rites associated with its sacrifice. Much more follows. Miriam, who has been such an inspiration to the people and, who as a girl, saved Moses from death, dies. This is followed by more complaining, sadly, this time, leading to Moses and Aaron losing their tempers and incurring the punishment of never entering the promised land. Sadly, too, this is followed by Edom, the descendants of Esau, refusing safe passage to their kinsfolk. And then Aaron dies. Then confrontation with Canaan and yet more backsliding by the people, overwhelmed again by fear. Yet the parsha ends with two victories and two songs. There is hope for us yet. To share this hope, come along on Saturday at 10.30. Harvey Kurzfield will be leading the service.

“When you raise and light the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the menorah.” The lamps flame with holiness and burn with the freedom of the Israelites. And certainly B’ha’lot’cha begins well with instructions for the inauguration of the Levites into their role as God’s servants. Rules for Passover follow, then the wonderful image of the divine cloud that covers the Tabernacle by day, giving way to the divine fire by night. When the Israelites are to move on, the cloud lifts and goes ahead to guide the people on their journey. The Ark goes forth, the Ark stops and the people go obediently and happily with it. But how long can they remain happy? Not very long, sadly. They are soon complaining again, this time about the endless days of manna, whereas in Egypt they had fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. They forget what they paid for this good diet in the way of remorseless forced labour and lack of freedom. No sooner has God sent quail to fill their bellies, even to nausea, than Aaron and Miriam complain against their long-suffering brother. They are silenced by God’s description of how He speaks to Moses, not in visions, but face to face, “Moses, who is like a trust servant through My house.” Miriam is punished, but ever compassionate and loving, Moses asks God to forgive her.

And so we come to Sh’lach L’cha and the episode of the spies and yet another episode of backsliding. There is, though, hope, always hope. Moses, yet again, prays to God to forgive the people and, just as important, two examples of great courage stand out, for Joshua and Caleb, despite the risk of being stoned by the people, appeal to them to have faith in God and go forward into the promised land.

As usual, there is much, much more, and you can hear it and live it by coming to the service on Saturday at 10.30. Pat Lipert will be leading us.

Lifting the heads of the Israelites in the desert is a nice way to think of the beginning of the book of B’minbar. One can think of it as taking a census or as raising the spirit of the people in holiness and confidence. The first two parshiot are marked by precision and reiteration. First, leaders of each tribe are designated one by one. Next, each tribe is counted and the numbers recorded in the exact same way, all except for the Levites, who come later. Then the camps are designated around the Communion Tent: Judah, with Issachar and Zebulun, to the east; Reuben, with Simeon and Gad, to the south; Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, to the west, and Dan, with Asher and Naphtali to the north. The Levites are in the middle, also divided into sub-groups. Thus, there are clear lines radiating out from spiritual centre of the whole camp to all the tribes, one great extended family or nation. God then gives instructions for the Levites, who have been dedicated to God in place of the first born of all the Israelites. Each group (Gershon, Kethoth and Merari) are given specific tasks relating to the care and transport of the Tabernacle. It is almost as if the nation were being constructed according to some architectural plan.

Three interludes, curious at first sight, follow. The first describes the trial by bitter water of the suspected adulteress. (One wonders what happened when the wife suspected her husband of adultery. What redress did she have?) The second interlude goes through the law governing the Nazarites, those who dedicated themselves for a period to special devotion to God. In a way, the idea of the Nazarite seems curiously un-Jewish, closer perhaps to the Christian idea of the hermit. The third interlude is the beautiful Priestly Blessing.

We then go back to the exactitude of the previous parts, as the gifts of each tribe for the sanctification of the Tabernacle are recounted, twelve word-for-word repetitions of the same items: silver and gold vessels and sacrificial animals. Of course, this underlines how each tribe is equal and is generous to the same degree.

But I have said far to much and I will leave it to Liz Berg to tell you more as she leads us in prayer and reflection this Saturday at 10.30.

Note that Shavuot begins in the evening. The counting of the Omer is completed and we celebrate the giving of the Torah.

Did you know that, if you have any slaves in your house, you must release them and their children at the next jubilee year? Also, if any of your close relatives have been sold into slavery, you must redeem them as soon as you can get the funds together. Actually, the jubilee, every fiftieth year, does not apply when all the tribes are not living in Israel. At least that is the general opinion. Still, the principles are good ones and go well together with the commands not to take advantage of those in need by lending at exorbitant interest, returning property to its original owner at the jubilee via a system of purchase similar to that applied to leasehold properties today, and letting the land rest every seven years. All these rules are laid out in B’har, which comes before this week’s parsha of B’chukkotai. Here, God lays out the rewards for obedience and the punishments for disobedience, a theme which will appear again in D’varim. The rewards are comforting, the punishments frightening, but there is always the promise of God’s forgiveness in the event of repentence, something we most imperfect of beings must rely on.

There is more in the parsha than I can fit here, despite B’chukkotai and B’har being particularly short parshiot. You can find out a great deal and join together in another wonderful Shabbat experience by turning up this Saturday at 10.30. Adam Feldman will be leading us.

Chazak, chazak v’nitchazek!