Overview
of the Weekly Reading
To be read on Shabbat Beha'alotcha - 9 Sivan 5771
/June 11
Torah: Numbers 8:1-12:16
Haftorah: Zachariah 2:14-4:7 (The vision
of the Menorah)
Pirkei Avot:
Chapter 1
Beha'alotcha is the 3rd Reading out of
10 in Numbers and it contains 7055 letters, in 1840
words, in 136 verses
Overview: Beha’alotecha
opens with the command to Aharon to light the menorah, followed
by the inauguration and qualifications of the Levites’ Divine
service. Then, G-d’s command to the Jews to observe Passover.
Those who were impure through contact with a dead body (and
therefore forbidden to offer the Passover sacrifice) were granted
another chance to offer the Pascal lamb exactly one month after
Passover. This day is known as ‘Pesach Sheni’—second Passover.
The next section describes how a cloud resided above the Tabernacle
and signaled when the Jews were to journey and when to encamp.
The marching order of the tribes in the Jews’ desert journeys
is described. At this point, Chovev (a.k.a. Yisro, Moshe’s father-in-law)
leaves the Jews and goes back to his homeland to bring his relatives
to Judaism. Next, we encounter the famous verse we recite each
time we take out the Torah from the ark, about how the ark with
tablets would go forth before the Jews during their desert travels.
Then, the Jews began complaining about G-d. The first time,
G-d punishes them with a fire which consumes many Jews until
Moshe prays for the fire to stop. Then, the Jews complain that
they miss foods they had in Egypt and about the mannah. To this,
G-d promises an over-abundance of meat, but when it comes and
the camp is covered with quail, those who complained were punished
and died whilst consuming their improper desire. The parsha
ends with Miriam speaking slightly negatively of Moshe to their
brother, Aharon. Subsequently, they were rebuked by G-d, and
Miriam was stricken with tzara’as (“leprosy”). The Jews wait
for her to heal and only then journey forward.
 An
essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent (L:3671/Beha'alotcha)
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
It is a universal Jewish custom that when we open the Ark
and take out the Torah scrolls to read on weekdays, holidays and
Shabbats, we say a verse that comes from this week's Torah portion:
"And when it came to pass that the Ark traveled, Moses would
say, 'Arise, oh G-d, and your enemies will scatter, and those
that You hate will flee before You'." (Num. 10:35),
The first Chabad Rebbe, Schneor Zalman of Liadi, explains that
the mystical reason for the numerous journeys in the Sinai desert
was to blunt the forces of evil at that time and for the future.
The power to do this came from the Ark of the Covenant. During
those entire forty years, the Ark which contained the tablets
upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved was always in the
center of the camp, both while resting and on journeys. Because
of it, and through Moses' invoking G-d's Holy Name, the path before
the Jewish people's travels was always cleared of all obstacles.
Later, when we settled in Israel, the Ark would sometimes lead
us into battle. As long as the Ark was the center of our lives,
both physically and spiritually, our enemies had no power over
us. It is to remember the power of Torah that we invoke this verse
today.
***
The Rebbe of Ishbitz writes that every person is like the entire
world, and that his movements through the world are like the movement
of the Jewish nation, with the Ark at their center. Very often
in today's confusion, we are unclear where we are going and what
will happen to us on the way. How do we remind ourselves that
G-d is with us and protecting us?
We must emulate Moses, calling out G-d's name. In speech, we
call out to G-d in prayer; in spirit, we call Him by impacting
on ourselves that G-d is with us in everything we do.
This is connected to the fact that the shofar was blown for each
journey, as well as at the commencement of holidays. The shofar
blowing is a way to shake us up, remind us of our priorities.
The shofar was blown when a holiday would begin, because not only
in our movements through the world do we need to be reminded,
but even with our movement through time.
We have to quietly shout that the Almighty should protect us
from all evil which confronts us. This is the meaning of the verse
that when the Holy Ark would move, even as it just began, Moses
would pray that the journey should be to peace and safety from
all dangers. So it should be for us.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Shavuot Sameach, Shaul
Please
also read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.
(for a free
weekly email subscription, click
here)
For
last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see
the archive.
FROM
THE CHASSIDIC REBBES
Shavuot
The Midrash relates that G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people
via fire, water, and in the desert, to teach us how a Jew merits
to acquire its learning: Fire is symbolic of the fiery enthusiasm
and craving for G-dliness that exists within the heart of every
Jew; water is symbolic of the temperance and clarity of thought
necessary for Torah study; and the desert symbolizes the need
to put aside all worldly pleasures that might interfere with
the attainment of perfection.
(Shem MiShmuel)
Beha'alotcha
"The likeness of G-d does he behold." (12:8)
The "likeness of G-d" - these are the attributes of
the Holy One, blessed be He. Our Sages said, "Just as He
is merciful shall you be merciful; just as He is gracious shall
you be gracious." These G-dly attributes were brought down
by Moses our Teacher and instilled in the heart of every single
Jew.
(Rabbi Avraham Mordechai of Gur)
For more than a decade of "From the Chasidic
Rebbes" on this Weekly Reading, see our archives
MOSHIACH
THIS WEEK
Shavuot
On Shavuot, many chasidim have a custom to draw out the saying
of the "Ahava Rabba" prayer which comes just
before the recitation of the Shema Yisrael prayer. This
custom is in accordance with the Baal Shem Tov, who said that
it was revealed to him that the reason for the delay of the
coming of the Mashiach is because the Jews don't draw out the
recitation of this prayer. Really, one should pray like this
the whole year long, so all the more so on Shavuot!! It is written
in the Tikkunei Zohar concerning Shavuot, "On the holiday
of Shavuot, we will come out of Exile!"
(from KabbalaOnline.org )
Beha'alotcha
"When you light the lamps…." (8:2)
Now is a time when we must light up the candles of the Jewish
people. The cumulative legacy of all the positive activity of
the previous generations is granted us and all that is necessary
is to kindle the flame, making sure that it "rises up on
its own accord." Although our generation is on a lower
level than the previous ones, it is our generation that has
the potential to elevate the service of all the previous generations.
We will be the last generation of exile, and the first generation
of the Redemption, and in this way, bring redemption to all
the Jews of the previous generations.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
For more than a decade of "From the Chasidic
Rebbes" on this Weekly Reading, see our archives
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from
the Chabad Master series,
produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com
and www.kabbalaonline.org
For a free
email subscription to the Chabad Master series, click
here.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH
See our Kabbalah
site, KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to
Beha'alotcha
one sample:
Contemporary Kabbalists
.jpg) Blow
Those Trumpets
From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; adapted
by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky
The allegorical "trumpet" we sound in order to enlist
God's help against the evil inclination is our heart-broken cry,
the silent tears we shed over being so spiritually weak that we
are vulnerable to the evil inclination's strategies. When we beseech
G-d to have mercy on us, He comes to our aid and rescues us from
our enemy.
To continue,
click
here.
For a free email subscription to our weekly anthology,
click
here.
For another sample of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety
of subjects,
click to the
our
weekly Kabbalah magazine
this week's:
 KOL
Magazine, Vol. 7, No.39
Welcome to our special holiday SHAVUOT issue
plus one article for this week's Torah reading
Sample:
 Why
Cheesecake?
By Avraham Sutton
Kabbalah explains the mystical reasons for eating dairy on Shavuot
To
continue, click here
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