How lovely are your tents, O Ya’akov, your dwelling places, O Yisra’el (Numbers 24:5). Through your abundant kindness I will enter your house, In awe I will bow down toward your Holy Sanctuary. HASHEM, I love the House where you dwell, and the place where your Glory resides. I shall prostrate myself and bow, bend the knee before HASHEM my Maker. As for me, may my prayers to you, HASHEM, be at the right time. O God, in your abundant righteousness, answer me with the truth of your Salvation.

Parsha in 60 Seconds Presents Balak

Parsha 40

Shalom and welcome to the Parsha in 60 seconds Today’s portion is from Numbers 22:2-25:9 it is called Balak Balak king of Moab contacts the prophet Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. God comes to Balaam and says: “You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.” Balaam says no to Balak. Balak raises to offer. Balaam refuses but God allows Balaam to go with Balak’s men. The next morning Balaam takes his donkey and departed, but God placed an angel in his way. The donkey saw the angel, was scared stiff and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. Balaam beat the donkey three times. God allowed the donkey to speak then God allowed Balaam to see the angel, and Balaam bowed down to the ground. The angel questions Balaam and send him with the men instructing him only to speak what God says. Balaam and Balak go to Kiriath-huzoth. In the morning, they went up a mountain overlooking the Israelites. They build seven altars, kill some bulls and rams. Then Balaam went off alone. God appeared and tells Balaam He cannot curse what has been blessed. Balak tries a second mountain and still no curse. Balak then tries a third mountain and Balaam ends up blessing the Israelites. Balak fires Balaam for incompetence and Balaam goes home. Meanwhile the Israelites partied with the Moabite women and worshiped their god Baal-peor, enraging God. God tells Moses to impale the ringleaders. Phinehas son of Eleazar spears one of the couples who were in a tent. 24,000 died as a result of their actions. And that is Balak in 60 seconds.

Parsha in 60 Seconds Presents Chukat

Parsha 39

Parsha in 60 Seconds Presents Hukat Shalom and welcome to the Parsha in 60 seconds Today’s portion is from Numbers 19:1-22:1 it is called Hukat which means “decree” God instructs the ritual law and sacrifice of the red heifer to create water of lustration. The cow was to be burned in its entirety and ashes were to be used to create the water of lustration. Touching a corpse of any human being was unclean. This includes entering the tent while occupied by a dead body. After 7 days a person could become clean again. The cow water was then used for cleansing. Failing to cleanse resulted in being kicked out. Miriam kicked the bucket and was buried. The people were thirsty and complained. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces. God shows up and tells Moses speak to the rock for water. Moses in anger yells “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” Moses nun chucks the rock twice and water comes out. Because he failed to obey God’s instruction Moses and Aaron cannot enter the promise land. Doh! Aaron goes up on a mountain and dies and everyone cries for 30 days. The king of Arad picks a fight and loses. The people complain, God let loose serpents that kill many of the Israelites. The People repent and Moses sets up a serpent on a stick that heals the people when they look at it. The Amorites won’t let Israel pass, pick a fight and get destroyed. King Og fights and loses as well. Israelites cross the Jordan from Jericho And that is Hukat in 60 seconds.

Parsha in 60 Seconds Presents Korach 

Parsha 38

Shalom and welcome to the Parsha in 60 seconds Today’s portion is from Numbers 16:1-18:32 it is called Korach Korach and friends lead 250 chieftains of the Israelite community to rise up against Moses. Moses tells Korach and his friends to take fire pans before God. The next day, Korach and his friends took pans and gathered the whole community against Moses and Aaron at the entrance of the Tabernacle. God shows up and wants to annihilate the crowd. Moses implored God not to punish the whole community so God tells Moses to tell the community to get out of the way of the rebel tents. Just as Moses finishes a short speech about God’s power the earth opened and swallows Korach, friends, and family. Fire consumed the 250 men offering incense. And God tells Moses that only Aaron’s offspring can make incense offering. God then plagues all other rebels. The next day, the whole Israelite community complains about all the death. God shows up and wants to annihilate all the people. Aaron makes an incense offering and stands between the dead and the living and halted the plague, but not before 14,700 had died. Moses collects autographed staffs from the leaders of each of the twelve tribes including Aaron’s staff of Levi. The next day Aaron enters the tent and Aaron’s staff has sprouted blossoms then bore almonds. God assigns the Levites to Aaron to aid in the duties of the tent of meetings . God establishes a 10% tithe. And that is Korach in 60 seconds.