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Pinchas (2026)

Shabbat Pinchas

Dvar Torah - The importance of consistency
There is a fascinating debate in the Midrash (ancient rabbinic literature) about which single verse best sums up the entire Torah.

The first scholar, Ben Zoma suggests the Shema: "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One” (Deu. 6:4), the ultimate statement of faith.

The second scholar, Ben Nanas suggests: "Love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18), the golden rule of our communities.

But the third scholar, Shimon Ben Pazi, gives a surprising answer from this week's Torah portion: "The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second lamb you shall offer in the evening" (Num. 24:4)

The Midrash concludes dramatically that someone got up and exclaimed that we follow the answer of Shimon Ben Pazi.

But why? Compared to the grand, sweeping ideals of absolute faith or our dedication to one another, bringing an offering every morning and evening feels a bit anticlimactic.

A hint to a possible answer lies in the name of this offering: the Tamid, meaning "constant." For over a thousand years from the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert through the eras of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem every single day started and ended with this exact same offering. The Tamid was the rhythm of the Jewish People.

This consistency is perhaps the best summary of the Torah. We sometimes think of a spiritual life in terms of grand, dramatic moments like a profound Yom Kippur or a sudden burst of inspiration. But the true essence of Judaism is found in the day-in, day-out.

It’s about how we treat others on a normal Tuesday and the quiet, regular moments of morning and evening prayer. It’s the daily commitment to live with integrity and serve a higher purpose

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 19:09/20:31
Tel-Aviv 19:29/20:33
Rome 20:31/21:40
London 21:02/22:32
NYC 20:13/21:20
Chicago 20:09/21:20

Shabbat Shalom!



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