This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shelach Lechah (פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח־לְךָ), is the 37th (37/54 or 52, depending on the year: this year, 5782, we read 54 separate parshiot…) reading in the annual cycle, and the fourth parashah in the book of B’midbar/Numbers.
Ok, so this week’s full reading has Moshe sending out for himself spies, bad reports, collective punishment, a stoning, and Tzitzit (the blue fringes, sorry, now white fringes, on the Talit (prayer shawl)). It’s a pretty iconic parashah on having faith even when things look bad, or so we’re told. Problem is, it also looks like heavy-handed hierarchy. I generally try to avoid the discussions on this parashah, because it has never been comfortable for me. I’m too exhausted to think much, so I will add more thoughts next year.
I look forward to hearing your opinions on this parashah, Thoughtful Readers.
We can really Do Better.
-Shira
Last week was: Parashat B’Haalotchah פָּרָשַׁת בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ, & Double Standards ,
Action Prompts:
Share your thoughts on how to build buy-in to create a more equal, or at least less inequitable, society, please. Guest posts are always welcome. Writing, by the way, is my personal contribution to Project Do Better.
What would yours be, if you had time?
*****************
Click here to read, if you like:
Babylon 5, Hakan:Muhafiz/The Protector, Sihirli Annem, Lupin, or La Casa De Papel/Money Heist Reviews,
Holistic College Algebra & GED/HiSET Night School Lesson Plans,
or My Nonfiction & Historical Fiction Serial Writing
Thoughtful Readers, please consider reading about #ProjectDoBetter.
Shira Destinie A. Jones, MPhil, MAT, BsCs
Shira Destinie Jones’ work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Inspiring Critical Thinking and Community via Books, Lessons, and Story 
Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News.
LikeLiked by 3 people
The Bible does contain those cringe-worthy passages, yes. I suppose we are supposed to argue against them.
I recall a time years ago, at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia. The lector had completed reading one of these cringe-worthy passages then said, “The word of the Lord.” A pregnant pause followed. Then the congregation reluctantly repeated its liturgical response: “Thanks be to God.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nice.
LikeLiked by 2 people