Torah Portion: Naso, Numbers 4:21-7:89

This week's Torah portion, Naso, contains the obscure story of the "sotah," a woman who has been accused of committing adultery. The Torah describes the arcane test that the accused woman must undergo to either prove or disprove her innocence. While this Torah section might not seem to be the most exciting topic of study, I actually spent about a year learning about the sotah ritual with my study partner, my hevruta. Judaism, as most of us know, has always placed a premium on education, but the most important form of study has been Torah study. Torah study for its own sake - not for monetary gain, educational advancement or increase in status - is considered its own reward, deepening our spirituality and connection with God. That is why studying the ritual of sotah was such an important part of my weekly schedule.

The Rabbis teach, "Do not say when I have time I will study, for you may never have time." They also teach that "the study of Torah encompasses all other acts of kindness." Making any kind of Torah study a part of your routine is critical in living a robust and meaningful Jewish life. That is part of the reason why I so anticipate attending my Hevruta Conference every year. This is a small annual conference that I organize with some of my closest rabbinic colleagues, when we live together, share our spiritual journeys, and most important, bring in a scholar to teach us Torah for its own sake. I will be attending this conference next week and look forward to returning with new topics of study to share with all of you.

As the summer begins, I have talked with some congregants about their interest in meeting once a week during the day to study. If this is something that interests you, please let me know so that we can arrange some study of Torah for its own sake for ourselves. I hope your Shabbat is filled with both meaningful study and spiritual passion.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Annie