POSNACK SCHOOL

This week’s Torah portion, parshat Korach, records for us the tragic event of the rebellion against Moshe led by his cousin, Korach. Understanding his error has great implications for us living today.

Commenting on Pirkei Avot, Rambam compares lashon ha-ra (evil speech) to the false reports brought by the men Moshe sent to spy out the Land of Israel before the Israelites entered. How can we compare disparaging a place with slandering a person?

In this week’s torah portion, after learning about something in Moshe’s private life, the Torah immediately informs us, “Now the man Moses was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.” What is the Torah teaching us with this statement?

The holiday of Shavuot, which begins this coming Tuesday night, is unique among all the other holy days in our yearly cycle of celebrations.

I remember the day and the exuberant feeling. I was a senior in high school. I came to school that day for our graduation rehearsal, but the real excitement that day, June 8, 1967, was that Jerusalem was now a united city.