Rabbi Jessica E. Locketz is the rabbi and director of education of Temple Emanuel, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Rabbi Locketz oversees family and youth programming, serving as the educational leader of the Torah Center religious school. She is also part of the leadership team behind J-Line South Hills, a learning opportunity for Jewish teens in the South Hills. Additionally, she coordinates the Beit Midrash opportunities for Adult Learning, spends time with students, participates regularly in worship, assists with the many pastoral duties of the congregation and engages with temple members of all ages.
This week’s Torah portion — Parashat Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13) — begins with Moses presenting the heads of the tribes with rules concerning the annulment of vows. War is waged against Midian and the Torah lists the different spoils Israel took hold of and describes how they are distributed. The tribes of Gad, Reuben and half of Menashe ask Moses for the territory east of the Jordan as their portion of the promised land, and Moses eventually agrees on the condition that they first help conquer the west of the Jordan. The boundaries of the Promised Land are stated, and cities of refuge are designated as havens for people who commit inadvertent murder. The portion ends with the story of the daughters of Tzelafchad marrying men of their own tribe (Menashe) in order to keep the estate they inherited from their father within their own tribe. Our conversation focuses men, women, vows and marriages.
Previous Torah Talks on Matot-Masei
