It was the worst crisis in Moses’ life. Incited by the ‘mixed multitude’, the Israelites complain about the food: ‘If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna.’…
Tanach, the Hebrew Bible, is remarkable for the extreme realism with which it portrays human character. Its heroes are not superhuman. Its non-heroes are not archetypal villains. The best have failings; the worst often have saving virtues. I know of no other religious literature quite like it. This makes it very difficult to use biblical narrative to teach a simple,…
The parsha of Beha’alotecha speaks about the silver trumpets – clarions – Moses was commanded to make: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two trumpets of silver; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you to summon the congregation [edah] and cause the camps [machanot] to journey.” Num. 10:1–2 This apparently simple passage became a springboard for one…
The Parsha in a Nutshell Beha’alotecha begins with the final preparations for the Israelites’ journey from the Sinai desert to the Promised Land. There are instructions for Aaron, the High Priest, to tend to the light of the Menorah, and for consecrating the Levites into their special role as guardians of the sacred. Before setting out, the Israelites celebrate Pesach,…
I have long been intrigued by one passage in this week’s parsha. After a lengthy stay in the Sinai desert, the people are about to begin the second part of their journey. They are no longer travelling from but travelling to. They are no longer escaping from Egypt; they are journeying toward the Promised Land. The Torah inserts a long…
There is a lovely moment in this week’s parsha that shows Moses at the height of his generosity as a leader. It comes after one of his deepest moments of despair. The people, as is their wont, have been complaining, this time about the food. They are tired of the manna. They want meat instead. Moses, appalled that they have…