Thursday, May 27, 2010

Growing Pains

Parshat Beha'alotecha
Numbers 8:1-12:15

Synopsis:
As the portion begins, Aaron prepares the lamps of the
menorah as God had commanded Moses. Moses purifies the Levites, and then Aaron ordains them in the sight of all the Israelites.

The text then recounts the observance of Passover as commanded by God on the fourteenth day of the first month of the second year after the Exodus. For those members of the community who are unclean, and therefore unable to offer the Passover sacrifice, God ordains a substitute Passover to be observed on the 14th day of the second month.

The presence of God hovering over the Tabernacle as a cloud by day and a fire by night is described. God tells Moses to have two silver trumpets made. These are to be sounded by the priests to summon the people to assemble and to signal the time to break camp. The trumpets are also to e blown at times of war and on joyous occasions, festivals, and new moons as a reminder of God and God's acts of deliverance.

After Passover, the Israelites break camp and march a distance of three days from the mountain of God. The people complain before God, and God causes a fire to break out and destroy the outskirts of the camp. The fire dies down when Moses prays to God.

Again the people weep before Moses, contrasting the meat and their varied diet in Egypt with the manna of Sinai. Moses is upset by the complaints of the Israelites and cries to God that he cannot cope with such a people by himself.

God tells Moses to gather 70 elders to aid him in leading the people. The appointed leaders are told to advise the people that God will give them meat to eat for a whole month - until it becomes loathsome to them.

Two of the 70, Eldad and Medad, begin to prophesy in the camp. Joshua advises Moses to restrain them, but Moses rebukes Joshua for his concern saying, "Would that all the people of Adonai were Prophets, [and] that Adonai would set the divine spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:29).

While the quail meat sent by God is still fresh, God strikes the people with a plague. The setting of these events is named Kivrot HaTa'avah (graves of craving) because the Israelites who craved meat died and were buried there.

At Hazayrot, Miriam and Aaron speak ill of Moses on account of the Cushite whoman he had married. They declare themselves to be prophets of equal stature with Moses. God rebukes Aaron and Miriam, reminding them that Moses is the only prophet to whom God speaks plainly, rather than through dreams or visions. As punishment for her slander, Miriam is stricken with leprosy.

Aaron pleads with Moses to intercede with God on behalf of Miriam. Moses does so, and God agrees to limit her punishment to seven days only. The Israelites do not leave Hazayrot until Miriam is readmitted to the camp. They next set up camp in the wilderness of Paran.

Synopsis courtesy of Teaching Torah, by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden

For your Shabbat table:
  • Carrying the ark or crafting the silver trumpets were tasks that were very difficult, but being able to have those jobs gave a person much honor. What are some hard things to do that can bring us honor?
  • What is frightening about change? What is frightening about staying the same? In what areas of your life are you “too comfortable”? What or who helped you gives you the courage to change?
  • This parsha includes a bunch of different numbers that are important numbers in Judaism - two silver trumpets are made, Moses gathers a group of 70 elders, God limits Miriam's punishment to seven days. Where else do you see these numbers (or versions of these numbers - ie 70 by itself is not a number seen often in Judaism, but what is it a multiple of that is common and important?)? What are other important numbers in our tradition?
  • When the Israelites only had manna to eat, they complained about their diet and wished for meat. In Beha'alotecha, they have their fill of meat, complain about the food, and lament for their days in Egypt when meals had more variety. Should they have been content with what they were given? Is it understandable that they were so upset? How do you think you would have reacted?
  • If you were able to give Moses one piece of advice for leading the Israelites, what would it be? Is that a job you would want to have?
And now... time for your favorite Torah cartoon, from g-dcast.com:



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