Chukat-Balak - Day #3

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 20:22-21:20 

20:22 They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23 Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24 “Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

27 Moses did as Hashem commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

21:1 The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2 Israel vowed a vow to Hashem and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 Hashem listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.

4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against Elohiim and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”

6 Hashem sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against Hashem and against you. Pray to Hashem, that He take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people.

8 Hashem said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.

10 The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Oboth. 11 They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13 From there they traveled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore, it is said in The Book of the Wars of Hashem, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, 15 the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.”

16 From there, they traveled to Beer; that is the well of which Hashem said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, well! Sing to it,

18 the well, which the princes dug,

which the nobles of the people dug,

with the scepter, and with their poles.”

From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.

Today’s Meditation:

They are complaining again. The people were getting tired of the food and were thirsty again. Every time they had to suffer, they would complain and want to go back to Egypt. We may read this and be very judgmental against them, but just wait a second. Isn’t that what we do? We complain that things are not going well instead of praising Hashem for all He has given us. The punishment for their complaints was severe. Hashem sent poisonous snakes. Moses prays, and Hashem provides a way of escape. They simply need to look at the serpent on the pole and remember Elohim's greatness. Next time you start to complain, either in your head or out loud, please remember the greatness of Hashem. Try to stop complaining, repent, and praise Him for all He does.

Today’s Challenge:

This story on the pole and the bronze serpent has a lot of commentary from many people. Why would Hashem ask the people to look upon anything made of bronze? There is a strict commandment against false idols. Maybe because Hashem is showing He is Elohim. Remember the snake story with the Pharaoh. Moses's staff turned into a snake and swallowed the other fake snakes the sorcerers had created. Maybe this snake story reminds the people of His greatness. That is what I believe. What other reason could there be? My challenge to you today is to remember Hashem’s greatness. In your life and in the world, think about how He has shown His greatness, and try to be grateful.

Chukat-Balak - Day #2

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 20:7-21

20:7 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”

9 Moses took the rod from before Hashem, as He commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

12 Hashem said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Hashem, and He was sanctified in them.

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:

“Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us; 15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. 16 When we cried to Hashem, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

17 “Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

18 Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

19 The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

20 He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

Today’s Meditation:

Edom is the descendant of Esau. And as we know, Esau was not happy about Jacob taking his inheritance and birthright. The two groups were at odds ever since. And today, we read how the Edomites will not allow Israel to pass through. Some sages believe they sold the Israelites food. Regardless, it is so sad that nations that should really be brothers do not get along. It is a lesson for us. Do we get along with our brothers and sisters? It would be good to reconcile, or there might be generations after you that carry a grudge. This could cause significant pain and harm. Try to be reconciled to the people Hashem has given to you.

Today’s Challenge:

I guess the message today is that if you ask someone something and they refuse, turn away and leave. Hashem will provide a different path for you. As mentioned above, it is best to reconcile and make things right from the beginning. But if this doesn’t happen and you approach your brother or sister, who does not wish to help you, go somewhere else for help. Remember to first go to Hashem. Think of the peace that could reside on our earth if people only got along.

Chukat-Balak - Day #1

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 19:1 - 20:6

19:1 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the statute of the law which Hashem has commanded. Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no defect, and which was never yoked. 3 You shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her outside of the camp, and one shall kill her before his face. 4 Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood toward the front of the Tent of Meeting seven times. 5 One shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her meat, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn. 6 The priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the middle of the burning of the heifer. 7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening. 8 He who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.

9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for use in water for cleansing impurity. It is a sin offering. 10 He who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. It shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them, for a statute forever.

11 “He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. 13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn’t purify himself, defiles Hashem’s tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.

14 “This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent, and everyone who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. 15 Every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean.

16 “Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17 “For the unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering; and running water shall be poured on them in a vessel. 18 A clean person shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, and on him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave. 19 The clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day. On the seventh day, he shall purify him. He shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening. 20 But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Hashem. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean. 21 It shall be a perpetual statute to them. He who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

22 “Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the soul that touches it shall be unclean until evening.”

20:1 The children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month. The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before Hashem! 4 Why have you brought Hashem’s assembly into this wilderness, that we should die there, we and our animals? 5 Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.”

6 Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. Hashem’s glory appeared to them.

Today’s Meditation:

The red heifer was sacrificed so that they would have the ashes for those who touched a dead body and wanted to enter the Tabernacle. They were to be cleansed for impurity. This is one of those requests from Hashem that we don’t really understand, but we are to obey. In Israel today, the Temple Institute has found a red heifer that meets Torah requirements, I believe. There are articles you can read to see if the ashes have been prepared. The point is that when the next Temple is built, the ashes of the red heifer will have to be available to cleanse the priests before they serve Hashem in the Temple. It is unknown how this will all come about, but have faith in Hashem that it will. Remember to daily pray for the Mashiach to return to the Temple in Jerusalem to rule and reign forever.

Today’s Challenge:

Touching a corpse makes you unclean. And Hashem does not permit people who are unclean to come into the Tabernacle, into His presence. Doesn’t that make you ponder the holiness of Hashem? He represents life, and death can not come near Him. Without a Temple today, we come before Hashem in prayer and worship, and we too must be clean. 

How is that possible? It seems like our only way is to repent and ask forgiveness for our sins. We must strive to live a holy life and keep Hashem close in our hearts. Do that today. Repent and ask Hashem to forgive you for all that you have done that disobeys Him and His Torah. Try to live in His light, and not in darkness. We must do our best without a Temple, without a red heifer, without His glory shining over the Tabernacle, but continue seeking His glory that is within our hearts.

Korach - Day #7

Korach קֹרַח - Korach  

Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32

Haftarah: 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22

Shabbat: Numbers 18:21–32

18:21 “To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting. 22 Henceforth, the children of Israel shall not come near the Tent of Meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. Among the children of Israel, they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a wave offering to Hashem, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore, I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’”

25 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a wave offering of it for Hashem, a tithe of the tithe. 27 Your wave offering shall be credited to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the wine press. 28 Thus you also shall offer a wave offering to Hashem of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give Hashem’s wave offering to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts, you shall offer every wave offering to Hashem, of all its best parts, even the holy part of it.’

30 “Therefore, you shall tell them, ‘When you heave its best from it, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine press. 31 You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the Tent of Meeting. 32 You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it its best. You shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.’”

Today’s Meditation: 

In verse 26, we read about the “tithe of the tithes”. If you think about this, it’s really pretty incredible. Even the priests are to tithe. And if all they have is what the people give them, then they are tithing off of the tithe. We are all to give back to Hashem. And sometimes this happens in unusual ways. You may tithe to an organization to help support Israel or the building of the Temple. You may buy groceries for a neighbor in need, or help out a relative. Whatever it is, remember it is all Hashem’s. Really, everything we have is Hashem’s. 

Today’s Challenge:

The priests are to wave the best part of their offerings. So, think about it. Hashem does look at things in degrees of goodness. If there is best, then there is worst. Let’s look at our own lives. Do we have a best and a worst of how we act and live? I have a simple challenge for you today. Review your life. Make sure you are doing your best. We are only here on the planet for a short time; let us not misuse our talents and our time. Make it your goal to give Hashem your best in all you do, in worship, prayer, giving, and loving. It is required of us. And it will bring us closer to Hashem, which is our ultimate goal.

This Week’s Haftarah: 1 Samuel 11:14-12:22

11:14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.” 15 All the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Hashem in Gilgal. There, they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Hashem, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

12:1 Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 Now, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and gray-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before Hashem and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

4 They said, “You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

5 He said to them, “Hashem is witness against you, and His anointed is witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.”

They said, “He is witness.” 6 Samuel said to the people, “It is Hashem who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Hashem concerning all the righteous acts of Hashem, which He did to you and to your fathers.

8 “When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Hashem, then Hashem sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot Hashem their Elohim; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10 They cried to Hashem, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Hashem and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11 Hashem sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

12 “When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when Hashem your Elohim was your king. 13 Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. Behold, Hashem has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear Hashem, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Hashem, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Hashem your Elohim. 15 But if you will not listen to Hashem’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of Hashem, then Hashem’s hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 “Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Hashem will do before your eyes. 17 Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to Hashem, that He may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in Hashem’s sight, in asking for a king.”

18 So Samuel called to Hashem, and Hashem sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Hashem and Samuel.

19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Hashem your Elohim, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.”

20 Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn away from following Hashem, serve Hashem with all your heart. 21 Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can’t profit or deliver, for they are vain. 22 For Hashem will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased Hashem to make you a people for Himself.

Today’s Haftarah Meditation:

In verse 12:12, Samuel reminds the people that “Elohim was your king”. Yet they desire an earthly king. It is easy for us to read this and pass judgment on the Israelites, right? How could they demand a king when Hashem was king over all? They already had the best and greatest king of all. How could the Elohim of the universes not be enough? It seems like we could never understand their request. But think for a minute. Don’t we do the same thing? Don’t we accept Hashem as the final authority in our lives, only during the times we want? Think of when you decide to do something wrong, something you know is against His commands. Aren’t you saying to Him, “You are not king over my life. I can do what I want.” Or we place other “kings” over Him, like money, government, and relationships. Take a moment to review how you view Hashem. Is He the ultimate King over your life? If not, follow Him as so, today.

Today’s Haftarah Challenge:

This story of the chosen people wanting an earthly king reminds me of how we always want more. What Hashem gives us doesn’t seem like enough. Just as Hashem was the most wonderful King over His people, they wanted more. They wanted what their neighbors had. They had kings who told them what to do, and they could see them physically. Our King, whom we can only see spiritually, asks us to have faith in what He is telling us to do, and for some, that is not enough. Think of the times in your life when you called out to Elohim, “Where are you?” and you just had to have faith that He was there. Try to pray to Elohim and ask for more faith today. Faith that He is King, He hears you, and that you know He loves you. Even when, at times, you are not able to feel like He is. Don’t go on feelings. Go on facts. He does love you, and He does listen to you. And He is there for you. And He is King of your life.

Korach - Day #6

Korach קֹרַח - Korach  

Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32

Numbers 17:10-18:20

17:10 Hashem said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their complaining against me, that they not die.” 11 Moses did so. As Hashem commanded him, so he did.

12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish! We are undone! We are all undone! 13 Everyone who keeps approaching Hashem’s tabernacle dies! Will we all perish?”

18:1 Hashem said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 Bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you; but you and your sons with you shall be before the Tent of the Testimony. 3 They shall keep your commands and the duty of the whole Tent; only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they not die, neither they nor you. 4 They shall be joined to you and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you.

5 “You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel. 6 Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to Hashem, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. 7 You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”

8 Hashem spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I myself have given you the command of my wave offerings, even all the holy things of the children of Israel. I have given them to you by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion forever. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. 10 You shall eat of it like the most holy things. Every male shall eat of it. It shall be holy to you.

11 “This is yours, too: the wave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

12 “I have given to you all the best of the oil, all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the first fruits of them which they give to Hashem. 13 The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Hashem, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

14 “Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours. 15 Everything that opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Hashem, both of man and animal, shall be yours. Nevertheless, you shall surely redeem the firstborn of man, and you shall redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. 16 You shall redeem those who are to be redeemed of them from a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of money, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which weighs twenty gerahs.

17 “But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Hashem. 18 Their meat shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours. 19 All the wave offerings of the holy things which the children of Israel offer to Hashem, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Hashem to you and to your offspring with you.”

20 Hashem said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.

Today’s Meditation:

In this reading, Hashem explains the role and some specifics of the priests and those who serve in the Tabernacle. No stranger is to be around them. It could be for a couple of reasons. First of all, strangers may not have the right motives for approaching the priests. There is a protocol for strangers and foreigners who observe the Torah. Once they decide to join Israel, they are no longer considered strangers. They must consider that strangers can have a negative influence on people. Hashem must be protecting the cleanliness and holiness of His servants who will be serving Him directly in the Tabernacle.

Today’s Challenge:

Today is about sharing. All that people bring to Hashem will be shared with the Priests to consume. Of course, except for the offerings that are totally burnt at the altar. I heard once that Hashem doesn’t waste anything. It seems natural that He would not want all these offerings to be wasted. I believe this is how things are in our lives today. Hashem does not want us to waste anything. We need to share what we have and recycle things we no longer use. My challenge for you today is to consider what you can begin sharing with others, whether they are poor or not. And to be more careful about recycling things you no longer need to protect the earth. Let’s protect what Hashem has given us and be respectful of it all.

Korach - Day #5

Korach קֹרַח - Korach  

Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32

Numbers 17:1-9

17:1  Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each father’s house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3 You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses. 4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you. 5 It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”

6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods. 7 Moses laid up the rods before Hashem in the Tent of the Testimony.

8 On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Hashem to all the children of Israel. They looked, and each man took his rod.

Today’s Meditation:

Suddenly, the people of Hashem understand the seriousness of His holiness and the need for obedience. The rod shows that He has chosen Aaron as High Priest. And it is kept as a reminder by His covenant. A reminder that Hashem does the choosing of leaders and that He is the Elohim of miracles. Next time you are asking Him for something important, remember this story. He can do anything. But you need to stay in His obedience.

         

Today’s Challenge:

At the end of today’s reading, we learn about the story of proving to the Israelites who their leader is. Hashem tells Moses to assemble the leaders with their rods. He gathers them and sets them before the testimony. This is to settle who is truly Hashem’s leader, once and for all, so that the complaining ceases. Everyone brings their rods, and the next day, only Aaron’s buds with almonds. The leader is confirmed. How wonderful of Hashem is to give this wonderful display to prove His point. It is a really interesting visual. Can you think of a time when Hashem showed the reason why He told you something? Maybe He didn’t turn a stick into flowers, but perhaps He did give you a visual sign? Take some time to think of this and remember His miracles.