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This Week's Torah Portion

Summary of Parasha Pinchas.  Bemidbar 25:10-30:1  

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Phinehas (Pinchas), son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion.” [25:10-11] Last week we read that Pinchas had stabbed the son of a priest while engaging, in flagranto, with a daughter of Midianite chieftain.  Now God gives Pinchas “My pact of friendship” (briti-shalom) “because he took impassioned action for his God” [25:12-13]  

“Take a census of the whole community from the age of twenty years up… all Israelites able to bear arms.”[26:2] A tribe by tribe, clan by clan list is given, totaling (not including Levites, who do not fight) 601,730.  None of these had been an adult at the time of the sin of the spies, “For the LORD had said of them, ‘They shall die in the wilderness.’ Not one of them survived, except Caleb… and Joshua son of Nun.”[ 26:65]  

“The daughters of Zelophehad… came forward.”[27:1] They are individually named and they make a plea to Moses: “Our father died in the wilderness… he has left no sons.  Let not our father’s name be lost… Give us a holding among our father’s kinsmen!”[27:3-4] Moses takes the case before God who says that their claim “is just” and then lays out laws for inheritance for a variety of circumstances.  

“The LORD said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people.”[27:12] and then God tells Moses that he will die on the mountain, after seeing the land.  Moses says, “Let the LORD, Source of the breath of all flesh, appoint someone over the community”[27:15-16]  God replies, “Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man (ish asher-ruach), and lay your hands upon him.”[27:18]

 Sacrifices throughout the year are listed, starting with daily and Shabbat offerings.  Then for the “new moons” (rosh chodesh) and Passover.  Next is “the day of the first fruits, your feast of weeks”[28:26] or Shavuot.

 “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a sacred occasion… You shall observe it as a day when the horn is sounded.”[29:1]  “On the tenth day of the same seventh month you shall observe a sacred occasion when you shall practice self-denial.  You shall do no work.”[29:7]  In both cases the offering is a bull, a ram, seven yearling lambs, and a goat, and meal offerings as well.  

“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you shall observe a sacred occasion… seven days you shall observe a festival of the LORD (Sukkot)”[29:12]  “Thirteen bulls of the herd, two rams, fourteen yearling lambs”[29:13] are to be offered every day, with the number of bulls diminishing by one each day.  “All of these things you shall offer to the LORD at the stated times, in addition to your votive and freewill offerings, be they burnt offerings, meal offerings, libations, or offerings of well-being.  Moses spoke to the Israelites just as the LORD has commanded Moses.”[29:39-30:1] (Sacrifices were turned into prayers by the Rabbis. Please don’t think the lists of offerings have nothing to do with modern practice.)  

The Haftarah this week is First Kings 18:46-19:21.  “And lo, the LORD passed by.  There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks be the power of the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind- an earthquake- fire; but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire- a still small voice.”[19:11-12]  

Commentaries on this portion may be found at:  

http://urj.org/torah/

http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/nehama/pinchas.html

http://www.jtsa.edu/Conservative_Judaism/JTS_Torah_Commentary.xml  

The Torah text may be found at:

http://www.jtsa.edu/x2114.xml

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Cantor's Chanters

Join the Cantor's Chanters!  The 4th Friday of every month we read 3 Aliyot from the Torah.  Volunteer to be one of these special readers and you are a member of the club.  Just tell the Cantor and she will provide you with all that you need to begin your membership.

Levels of membership:

Sign up now for your Aliyah!

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Temple Israel of Alameda Foundation

The Foundation is happy to report that its contribution to the 2008-2009 Temple budget will be $15,000. The Foundation grant is equivalent to seven new families joining the Temple without any cost for services to those families.   

It is clear that continued growth of the Foundation's assets is crucial to the financial stability of the congregation.  We need more congregants to include the Temple Foundation in their estate planning.  Many of you will say that your means are not great enough for estate planning, but that may not be true.  If you own a house in northern California , your estate is large enough to need estate planning.  If every congregant left the Foundation 1% of their estates, the Temple would become financially stable.  1% should not adversely affect your heirs and will save estate taxes.   

If your heirs are financially self-sufficient, more of your assets might easily be used for philanthropy.  If your assets are more substantial, you might want to consider other estate planning choices which will have positive tax benefits for you now, e.g., gifts of appreciated stocks or property, charitable lead trust, or charitable remainder trusts.  You can also name the Temple Foundation as full or partial beneficiary on life insurance policies or retirement accounts.  Naming the Foundation beneficiary of an IRA might reduce the size of one’s estate so that it is below the taxable limit.  

The Foundation was established in 1995 with a $10,000 bequest from the estate of Diana Garfinkle, one of the original founding members of our congregation.  Our assets have grown to $299,554, and we have contributed $52,500 to the Temple annual budgets between 2002 and 2008.  This year’s grant raises that figure to $67,500.  As the Foundation grows with future bequests, the amount granted to the General Fund will grow proportionately.  

The Foundation Board has prepared an information sheet with suggested wording to add the Foundation to your will or trust; it also contains the relevant identification information.  It is available here or at the Temple office.  We encourage you to speak with your financial and legal advisors to work out estate planning solutions which will benefit you as well as the Temple .    We know that many of us are at the limit of spending for our current life styles or fear we may outlive our resources.  We are asking you to consider a donation from our assets when you no longer need them.

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