Who Sees the Truth, and Who Speaks It?
Jun 26, 2026 By Loraine Enlow | Commentary | Balak | Hukkat
Long-time New York subway riders are familiar with the slogan, 鈥淪ee something, say something.鈥� Balaam鈥檚 story in this week鈥檚 parashah is closer to: 鈥淪ay something, because you didn鈥檛 see something.鈥� After all, 鈥淪ee something, say something鈥� assumes that the hard part is speaking up, but Parashat Balak suggests the hardest part may be noticing at all, especially when Balaam, the professional seer, can鈥檛 see the angel in the road that his donkey does. This reversal of who notices (and who misses what鈥檚 right in front of them) is what draws me into this passage. As a scholar working primarily on medieval Jewish and Christian biblical commentaries, I鈥檓 especially interested in noticing how texts travel, how communities guard them, and how outsiders can sometimes help shed light on a tradition. Biblical interpretation is itself, in a sense, the discipline of noticing 鈥榓ngels in the road,鈥� learning to see what is already present right in front of you in the text.
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The Humanity of Moses
Jul 4, 2025 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Hukkat
Moses is so very human in this week鈥檚 portion. He loses his sister to death at the start of chapter 20, and his brother at the end of that same chapter. In between, he is told by God that he will not live to see the fulfillment of his life鈥檚 work (guiding his people into […]
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Heroes and Humans
Jul 12, 2024 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Hukkat
But Moses also has shortcomings. His initial reluctance when God first approaches him to become Israel鈥檚 liberator could indicate cowardice, or worse, a lack of faith(Exod. 4:11鈥�12). Moses also has a temper. He gets angry at the people(Exod. 32:19) and at God(Num. 11:10鈥�15).
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Dreaming of Being Balaam
Jun 30, 2023 By Jan Uhrbach | Commentary | Balak | Hukkat
The story of the heathen prophet Balaam鈥攈ired by Moabite king Balak ben Tzippor to curse the people Israel鈥攊s altogether strange. It concerns events happening outside the Israelite camp and seemingly unknown to them, characters we鈥檝e not yet met, and a talking donkey. Its tone ranges from burlesquely funny to surreal.
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What if Moses Was Supposed to Hit the Rock?
Jul 8, 2022 By Ilana Zietman | Commentary | Hukkat
In trying to make sense of the infamous 鈥淢oses-hitting-the-rock鈥� episode in this week鈥檚 parashah, one can find an overwhelming number of attempts to explain why Moses (and Aaron) are punished with the Divine decree that they will die before entering the Promised Land. It is a perfect example of 鈥淭urn it and turn it for all is in it鈥� (Pirkei Avot 5:22). The catalyst for so much interpretive work is that here, God鈥檚 reason for punishing Moses and Aaron appears particularly unclear and therefore, unfair.
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Heroes and Humans
Jun 18, 2021 By Amy Kalmanofsky | Commentary | Hukkat
One of the things I love most about the Bible is that it presents humans, not heroes. Even the Bible鈥檚 greatest figures have virtues and vices.
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Taking the Long View: Lessons of Leadership
Jul 3, 2020 By Shira D. Epstein | Commentary | Balak | Hukkat
The iconic story in our parashah of Moses striking the rock to bring forth water for the People of Israel is often framed as a morality tale, the consequence of a toxic鈥攁nd disastrous鈥攃ombination of unchecked rage and faltering faith. Indeed, God doles out the harshest possible punishment to Moses for flouting God鈥檚 directive to speak to the rock, in full display of the congregation: 鈥淪ince you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them鈥� (Num. 20: 12).
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Handling Our Anger
Jul 12, 2019 By Abigail Uhrman | Commentary | Hukkat
Among the many stories in Parashat Hukkat, perhaps the most discussed is when Moses, in response the Israelites鈥� grievances, is instructed by God to 鈥渙rder the rock to yield its water.鈥� Moses, instead, strikes the rock twice with his rod. Water comes forth, but God rebukes Moses for disobeying his instructions: 鈥淏ecause you did not trust Me enough to affirm my sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, there you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them鈥� (Num. 20:2鈥�13).
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