CBI Blogs

Shalom Chaverim,

Last week, in synagogues around the world, we finished the book of Numbers by reading the verses of the double portion Matot-Masei. In preparation for Shabbat I was reading through these two parshiot and found myself struck by these words: “The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: Instruct the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as your portion, the land of Canaan with its various boundaries:” (Numbers:31:1-2). The verses go on to lay out the remainder of the boundaries for the land of Israel.

Why was I struck by these particular verses of Torah? Because last week, what I was reading in my spare time, Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn © 2016 by Daniel Gordis, was on point with our sacred text.

“THE LAND OF ISRAEL is part of the Jewish people’s story from its very first moments. When the Bible describes the moment at which the Jewish people was born, its states: “The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land…to the place that I will show you.” Abram obeys, and shortly later, God says to him, “I will assign this land to your offspring.” The notion of the “Promised Land” emerges precisely at the moment that the Jews’ story begins. (Page 35 Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn © 2016 by Daniel Gordis).

If you have been wanting to expand or refresh your knowledge about the history of Israel, I invite you to download or purchase and give this a read. Another wonderful book published more recently is Noa Tishby’s “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth”

If you are curious to learn more about the current situation in Israel than I invite you to join me in attending this webinar being offered through Shalom Austin from the Jewish Agency: “The Labyrinth of Israeli Politics” Judicial Reform and its Implications on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 @ 6 p.m. CT. You can click here to register.

This week we start the book of Deuteronomy, our last verses of Torah before Simchat Torah when we re-roll our scrolls and return to the beginning. As Moses begins his final words of instruction to the Children of Israel, focusing first on recounting their physical journey, maybe you too will take this opportunity to consider what part of your Jewish story you want to know more about?

Shabbat Shalom