A Look at Parashat BeHa’alotecha

פרשת בהעלתך

במדבר  Numbers 8:1 to 12:16

Chapter 8 – The seven branched menorah (Verses 1 through 8)

Introduction to the seven-branched Menorah. Note this is the historical symbol of the Jews and is the official seal of the State of Israel. The six-pointed Magen David is never mentioned either in the Bible or in the Talmud, and only came into usage centuries later.

The role of the Levites (Verses 9 through 26)

The role of the Levites in attending to and serving the Cohanim in the Temple service is described. This tradition survives (symbolically) to this day in traditional Judaism. Levites help them to prepare to give the priestly blessings. During Torah readings, Cohanim have the honor of the first Aliyah to the Torah. Levites have the honor of the second Aliyah.

Levites are accepted by G-d as a symbolic substitute for the firstborn Israelite males that escaped the tenth plague. As such, they serve the priests (Cohanim).

Curiously, verse 24 notes the age for Levites to start to serve as 25. In the previous parashah (chapter 4, verses 3, 23, and 30), the starting age was set at 30. Any Idea why the apparent contradiction? Commentators attempting to resolve the matter have surmised that the years from twenty-five to thirty may be an apprenticeship period. If so, what were their duties before the age of twenty-five?

Chapter 9 – Accommodation for “Second Passover” (Verses 1 through 14)

This chapter pens opens on the first month of the second year following the exodus from Egypt. Previously, Numbers (Chapter 1, verse 1) began on “The first day of the second month in the second year”. This is not the only section where the sequence of the biblical narrative is called into question. The Rabbis grappled with this difficulty in interpretation, and some came up with the rationale that “there is not before or after in the Torah” (אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה). That is, the story line in the Torah may not always be in chronological order.

The Israelites asked Moses whether anybody who is not able to do the mitzvah at the appointed time, can be afforded a second chance?

G-d’s response was there may be a second chance to perform the Passover mitzvah, but only if physically prevented from performing it on the proper day, not if it was merely inconvenient or one had a “scheduling conflict”. Note at that time, the performance of the Passover sacrifice entailed a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, an arduous journey that was not always feasible.  The custom of “second chance” fell out of use with the destruction of the Second Temple and Passover ceasing to be a pilgrimage festival. Some communities do continue to mark a “Second Passover” one month after Passover (14^th day of Iyar).

There is no provision in the Torah for a “second chance” for the other two pilgrimage festivals or for any other observance for that matter.

Setting up and breaking camp (Verses 15 through 23)

Setting up camp and breaking camp were to be in accordance with a cloud covering the tabernacle, and the cloud lifting, respectively. No explanation or reasons are given as to why camp is set up or broken other than the lifting of the cloud   cover that is out of the Israelites’ control. Perhaps the purpose was to install military discipline and respect for higher authority in the rabble.

Chapter 10 – Assembly and movement of the camp (Verses 1 through 10)

Here G-d gives Moses instructions for the orderly assembly and movement of the camp in accordance with trumpet blasts. Trumpet blasts are also to be used during warfare and religious occasions.

Movement of the camp (Verses 11 through 36)

Orderly movement of the camp; military-like precision.

Note here the different names of Moses’ father-in-law, either Hovav (חבב) or Reuel (רעואל). In previous chapters, his name was Jethro (יתרו). No explanation is given for the differences. Were these “nicknames” or terms of endearment?  

We are not told if Jethro listened to Moses’ entreaties to remain with the Israelites or if he returned home to Median. As it is clear that G-d will be leading the Israelites on every step of the journey, including when and where to camp, why is Moses so intent on retaining Jethro’s guidance? One interpretation is that we must not rely on miracles or divine guidance but take personal responsibilities and practical precautions as if everything depends on us.

Note the Inverted nuns (נ) bracketing verses 35 and 36. The rabbis go into contortions to explain them. Some commentators, including Yehuda HaNasi (יהודה הנשיא) understood these bracketed verses to be a separate book of the Torah, thus splitting the book of Numbers into three distinct books. Verse 35 (ויהי בנסע הארן ויאמר משה קומה ה’  ויפצו איביך  וינסו משנאיך מפניך) was  added  to  the Torah  reading  ceremony centuries after the Talmudic period.

I find it unsettling that Moses presumes to give G-d a command to go forth (קומה ה’) especially when further on (chapter 12, verse 3). Moses is declared to be the humblest of men. Perhaps what we now see as imperative tense may have been more a figure of speech back then.

Chapter 11 – The rabble complains; Moses gets assistance (Verses 1 through 17)

People, in this case, the rabble or riffraff (אספסוף) are once again kvetching, having forgotten the evil (slavery) and only remembering the good (real or imaginary) back in Egypt. The people were taken out of Egypt, but Egypt was not taken out of the people! Of course, change is always difficult, even when leaving behind a bad situation. And setting forth into an unknown wilderness must be both disorienting and terrifying. Possibly, not addressing the complaints of the rabble was a failure of leadership on the part of Moses as we see that the discontent spread like wildfire to the whole of the people.

Moses is worn out and so G-d appoints seventy elders (זקני ישראל) to share the burden of leadership with Moses. No explanation is given for why the number 70 was chosen or who these elders were or the method of choosing them. The concept of seventy elders apparently dates to the time in Egypt as they are referenced briefly three times in the book of Exodus (שמות): Chapter 3 verse 16, chapter 4 verse 29, and chapter 24 verse 1. This is the source of the seventy member Sanhedrin that governed Israel during the second temple period and continued after its destruction and into the third century of the common era when circumstances caused it to be disbanded.

Moses is worn out; the rabble get their comeuppance (Verses 18 through 35)

A weary Moses here starts to question G-d’s capabilities. G-d appears to begin losing patience with Moses. When Eldad and Medad remained in the camp and spoke “prophesies” (I believe that the JPS translation ofמתנבאים  (verse 26) as “ecstasy” to be mistaken), Joshua wants them restrained, possibly seeing their behavior as a threat to Moses’ leadership position, maybe even leading to revolt.   No explanation is given as to the nature of or reason for their prophesies. Moses, however, does not see them as a threat, in fact he looks upon them favorably and remarks to Joshua “Would that all G-d’s people were prophets”.

See what gluttony gets you! What was really troubling the people? They were not actually hungry, only bored with the monotonous diet. Idleness was probably taking its toll. After all, they were used to dawn to dusk hard work in Egypt. Was such a severe punishment really warranted? Was not their request for a more varied menu reasonable?  Wouldn’t a reprimand be sufficient under the circumstances?

Chapter 12 – Miriam and Aaron challenge Moses (Verses 1 through 16)

Moses, while still the leader, is tired and appears to be no longer at the top of his game. Even Miriam and Aaron are infected with pettiness. G-d finds need to read them the riot act. Moses, even with capacities somewhat diminished with age, remains in a special relationship with G-d that no other prophet, not even Aaron or Miriam can aspire to.

Where did the Cushite woman come from? Did Moses have a second wife in addition to Zipporah the Midianite? The commentators differ on interpretation. This is the only reference to “The Cushite” or the land of Cush in the Torah. There are further references in the rest of the Tanakh. The Queen of Sheba came from Cush, generally assumed to be Ethiopia. In this case, was Cushite another name for Zipporah, or did Moses take on a second wife? Did Zipporah perhaps go back home with Jethro, leaving Moses to remarry? The Torah is silent on this. Note that after criticizing Moses for marrying a Cushite, that is, a dark-skinned woman, Mariam’s punishment was to be stricken with a white skin condition (מצרעת כשלג)! Was this an example of poetic justice? A distressed Moses calls out to G-d to heal her in a poetic way (אל נא רפא נא לה).

On one hand, G-d declares that Moses is unique among men in that G-d speaks with him directly, unlike the other prophets. On the other hand, Moses is humbler than any other living man. We have a bit of hyperbole here!

As in the incident of the Golden Calf, Aaron appears to come off as a nebbish, not taking a stand to restrain Miriam. Only when he witnesses Miriam’s cruel punishment does he speak up and ask for forgiveness. Perhaps he fears that he is next in line to get his just desserts. What do you think?