Monday, April 12, 2027

Two days before the conclusion of the thirty-day mourning period following the passing of Moses on Adar 7 (see Jewish History for the 7th of Nissan), Joshua dispatched two scouts--Caleb and Pinchas--across the Jordan River to Jericho, to gather intelligence in preparation of the Israelites' battle with the first city in their conquest of the Holy Land. In Jericho, they were assisted and hidden by Rahab, a woman who lived inside the city walls. (Rahab later married Joshua).

Link:
The Two Spies

R. Avraham Yehoshua Heshel was one of the leading Rebbes of his day, serving as rabbi and spiritual leader first in Apta (presently called Opatow), then in Iasi, and finally in Mezhibuzh. He was known for his great love of his fellow Jews, and is commonly known as “the Ohev Yisroel [lover of Jews] of Apta.”

Link: Special Powers

In today's "Nasi" reading (see "Nasi of the Day" in Nissan 1), we read of the gift bought by the nasi of the tribe of Shimon, Shlumiel ben Tzurishadai, for the inauguration of the Mishkan.

Text of today's Nasi in Hebrew and English.

Esau said, “I have a lot.”

Jacob said, “I have all.” As in “all I need.”

Esau had a family of six. They were called “six souls.” Plural.

Jacob had a family of seventy. They were called “seventy soul.” Singular.

Esau lived in a granular, tossed-together, fragmented world in which he collected a lot of things and many people. A noisy world.

Jacob lived in a universe, a singular whole, in which all he encountered was only another manifestation of an essential oneness. Wherever he was, he had everything.

And you? Do you have many things? Or do you have much light?