Bamidbar - Day #3

Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר - In the Wilderness  

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-4:20

Numbers 2:1–34

2:1 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.”

3 Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 4 His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

5 Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel, the son of Zuar. 6 His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7 The tribe of Zebulun: the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab, the son of Helon. 8 His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9 All who were counted of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.

10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur, the son of Shedeur. 11 His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

12 “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 13 His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14 “The tribe of Gad: the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 15 His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

16 “All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.

17 “Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.

18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama, the son of Ammihud. 19 His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred.

20 “Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 21 His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22 “The tribe of Benjamin: the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan, the son of Gideoni. 23 His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

24 “All who were counted of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.

25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26 His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27 “Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel, the son of Ochran. 28 His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

29 “The tribe of Naphtali: the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 30 His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31 “All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”

32 These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were counted of the camps according to their armies were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. 33 But the Levites were not counted among the children of Israel, as Hashem commanded Moses.

34 Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Hashem commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we learn about the tribes camping around the Tabernacle. Interesting to me is that Judah is placed on the east side of the Tabernacle. In Jerusalem, the Temple would face east. And in prophecy, the Mashiach will come back from the east. There is something very special about the East. Also in prophecy, the river from the throne will flow to the east (see Ezekiel 47:1-12). I encourage you to do a special study about this.

Today’s Challenge:

Moses listened to Hashem and directed the tribes. In the last verse (34), we learn that the people of Israel obeyed Moses and camped right where He told them. Again, we are being taught about leadership and authority. Hashem has taught throughout the Scriptures about the importance of following and respecting authority. In the past few weeks, I have challenged you to review your relationship with the authority in your life and correct anything that is not right. Are you respecting your leaders? Are you obedient (unless they are asking you to sin)? Today’s challenge is to do something nice for the person in authority. It is a great responsibility to be in charge and to make things run smoothly. So, get a gift or do a special extra task for your boss, spouse, rabbi, or pastor. Go out of your way to give it to them and tell them how much you appreciate them. It will be so special, and you will be blessed in return.

Bamidbar - Day #2

Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר - In the Wilderness  

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-4:20

Numbers 1:20–54

1:20 The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 21 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were counted of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 23 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 25 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

26 Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 27 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 29 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 31 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32 Of the children of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 33 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.

34 Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 35 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 37 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 39 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40 Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 41 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42 Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: 43 those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 These are those who were counted, whom Moses and Aaron counted, and the twelve men who were princes of Israel, each one for his father’s house. 45 So all those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel— 46 all those who were counted were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. 47 But the Levites, after the tribe of their fathers, were not counted among them. 48 For Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Israel; 50 but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it. 51 When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. 52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. 53 But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54 Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Hashem commanded Moses, so they did.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we are reading about all the tribes and their princes being counted for possible war. And we learn that the Levites are not counted but set aside to take care of the Tabernacle. They are the only ones who can pack up, carry, and set up the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Hashem has set them apart to do this work. It makes me think about our spiritual leaders today. Our rabbis and our pastors, whose job it is to take care of their family of believers. And even the buildings they meet in. Hashem has called them into this service, just like He did with the Levites so many years before. We should respect them and help provide for them. Do you have a rabbi or pastor in your life?

Today’s Challenge:

Why all the organizing of the tribes? Why does Hashem divide His people into tribes? Maybe so that each person living with their family would feel part of a bigger community. They would be loyal to the larger group and defend their families. Hashem always knows the very best way to motivate and protect His people. And this is the way He chose. 

Sometimes we have authority over us that will direct us in specific ways. If they are not part of our family (for example, our boss), are we obligated to obey them? Of course we are. Do a check on yourself and your authority. Make sure you are following them and obeying their requests (unless they are illegal or immoral). Remember, they are in charge and have been appointed to be the authority. We should respect them.

Bamidbar - Day #1

Bamidbar בְּמִדְבַּר - In the Wilderness  

Numbers 1:1-4:20

Torah Portion: Numbers 1:1-19

1:1 Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one, 3 from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall count them by their divisions. 4 With you there shall be a man of every tribe, each one head of his father’s house. 5 These are the names of the men who shall stand with you:

Of Reuben: Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

6 Of Simeon: Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

7 Of Judah: Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

8 Of Issachar: Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

9 Of Zebulun: Eliab, the son of Helon.

10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

11 Of Benjamin: Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

12 Of Dan: Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

13 Of Asher: Pagiel, the son of Ochran.

14 Of Gad: Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.

15 Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan.”

16 These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel. 17 Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name. 18 They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one. 19 As Hashem commanded Moses, so he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.

Today’s Meditation:

In the Book of Numbers, we read about organization and leadership. This vast group of Hebrew people and mixed multitude will travel through some challenging territory to reach the Promised Land of Israel. They will need to be organized, demonstrate strong leadership, and follow orders. As we already know, the story is that some of the leadership fail, and some of the soldiers fail. Nonetheless, the structure is in place. Hashem, in all His perfect Wisdom, is starting to reveal His plan for success. And that is how it is today. He picks leaders for us to serve under, and through this, we are to follow His instructions. A thought for today is that we must respect the leaders Hashem appoints, whether we like them or not. We pray for them that they will hear from Adonai at all times. Remember, everything we do we do in service to Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

Think about the leaders you have in your life. Are you respecting them? Are you following their instructions without grumbling or objection? Yes, if you have valuable input to offer, it is good to share it. But if, in the end, your leader chooses to go a different way (unless it violates Torah), you are to go with him/her. I am thinking about someone in leadership in my life whom I have not been respecting very well lately. I challenge myself to do better. And I challenge you to do the same.

Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) Completed

Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) Completed

After completing the reading of a book of the Torah, it is tradition to say, "Chazak, chazak, venitchazek!" which means "Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened!" This is a customary expression of encouragement to continue studying the Torah and to return to it in the future. And that is just what we hope you will do. 

Behar/Bechukotai - Day #7

 Behar/Bechukotai

Torah Portion: Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

Shabbat: Leviticus 27:16-34

27:16 “‘If a man dedicates to Hashem part of the field of his possession, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it. The sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he dedicates his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to your valuation, it shall stand. 18 But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall reckon to him the money according to the years that remain to the Year of Jubilee; and an abatement shall be made from your valuation. 19 If he who dedicated the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall remain his. 20 If he will not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more; 21 but the field, when it goes out in the Jubilee, shall be holy to Hashem, as a devoted field. It shall be owned by the priests.

22 “‘If he dedicates a field to Hashem, which he has bought, which is not of the field of his possession, 23 then the priest shall reckon to him the worth of your valuation up to the Year of Jubilee; and he shall give your valuation on that day, as a holy thing to Hashem. 24 In the Year of Jubilee, the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25 All your valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs to the shekel.

26 “However, the firstborn among animals, which belongs to Hashem as a firstborn, no man may dedicate, whether an ox or a sheep. It is Hashem’s. 27 If it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back according to your valuation, and shall add to it the fifth part of it; or if it isn’t redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

28 “‘Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man devotes to Hashem of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to Hashem.

29 “‘No one devoted to destruction, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death.

30 “‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Hashem’s. It is holy to Hashem. 31 If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it. 32 All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Hashem. 33 He shall not examine whether it is good or bad, neither shall he exchange it. If he exchanges it at all, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.’”

34 These are the commandments which Hashem commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Today’s Meditation:

The tenth of the crops and animals that are dedicated to Hashem in this passage are actually given to the Tabernacle for the priests to manage. I do not understand all the details of this, except that Hashem asks His people to do this. And if you think of it, it makes sense. We have crops, animals, and blessings, only because Hashem has given them to us. To give back to Him or to serve Him is appropriate and actually an honor. It reminds us that everything is His. He owns “all the cattle on the hill”. 

Today’s Challenge:

We may not have instructions here on how to give a tithe of the things we own when there is currently no Temple, but we can still find ways to honor these commands in our lives. We can tithe to people and organizations that serve Hashem and His Torah to the best of their ability. That’s my challenge for you today. Are you giving back to Hashem at least 10% of what He has loaned to you in this life? Many wonderful organizations in Israel support aging Holocaust victims, the poor, the Temple, small businesses in the areas where Jews are not highly populated, and, of course, the incredible establishments in our own country that help people who are not fortunate. Pray and seek ways to financially support someone else or an agency that serves Hashem. You will be blessed in return, and you will be obeying His Torah.

This Week’s Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

16:19 Hashem, my strength, and my stronghold,

    and my refuge in the day of affliction,

the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth,

    and will say,

“Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,

    vanity and things in which there is no profit.

20 Should a man make to himself gods

    which yet are no gods?”

21 “Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know,

    this once I will cause them to know My hand and My might.

    Then they will know that My name is Hashem.”

17:1 “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron,

    and with the point of a diamond.

It is engraved on the tablet of their heart,

    and on the horns of your altars.

2 Even their children remember their altars

    and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills.

3 My mountain in the field,

    I will give your substance and all your treasures for a plunder,

    and your high places, because of sin, throughout all your borders.

4 You, even of yourself, will discontinue from your heritage that I gave you.

    I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know,

    for you have kindled a fire in My anger which will burn forever.”

5 Hashem says:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man,

    relies on strength of flesh,

    and whose heart departs from Hashem.

6 For he will be like a bush in the desert,

    and will not see when good comes,

but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,

    an uninhabited salt land.

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem,

    and whose confidence is in Hashem.

8 For he will be as a tree planted by the waters,

    who spreads out its roots by the river,

and will not fear when heat comes,

    but its leaf will be green,

and will not be concerned in the year of drought.

    It won’t cease from yielding fruit.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things

    and it is exceedingly corrupt.

    Who can know it?

10 “I, Hashem, search the mind.

    I try the heart,

even to give every man according to his ways,

    according to the fruit of his doings.”

11 As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid,

    so is he who gets riches, and not by right.

In the middle of his days, they will leave him.

    At his end, he will be a fool.

12 A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning,

    is the place of our sanctuary.

13 Hashem, the hope of Israel,

    all who forsake you will be disappointed.

Those who depart from me will be written in the earth,

    because they have forsaken Hashem,

    the spring of living waters.

14 Heal me, O Hashem, and I will be healed.

    Save me, and I will be saved;

    for You are my praise.

Today’s Haftarah Meditation:

In verse 17:6, we read that man is cursed who follows man, not Elohim. In 17:7, we read that the man who follows Hashem is blessed. Simple. If we follow Hashem, we will be happy and fulfilled; if we do not, then we will find life hard and barren. What do you choose? To follow or not to follow? I choose Hashem.

Today’s Haftarah Challenge:

Verse 16:19 says Hashem is a refuge in the day of affliction. That means when things are really going wrong, you can run to Him, and He will comfort and shelter you. But, only if you are following Him and obeying His Torah, loving and serving Him. It’s like you can feel whether He is there for you. If you sin, it seems He leaves the room. If you do things to please Him, it looks like He is ever-present. My challenge to you today is, if you are going through a difficult time, to look for Adonai. Try to trust in your heart that He is there for you. He does have a plan; it’s just that His time is different from ours. Try to be patient. And start praising Him for things you have asked Him to do. I am confident He will hear you. And also try your hardest to follow Torah to the best of your ability. He will reward you.