Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ - In Your Uplifting
Torah Portion: Numbers 8:1-12:16
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Shabbat: Numbers 11:30-12:16
11:30 Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31 A wind from Hashem went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. 32 The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers, and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp. 33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, Hashem’s anger burned against the people, and Hashem struck the people with a very great plague. 34 The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.
35 From Kibroth Hattaavah, the people traveled to Hazeroth, and they stayed at Hazeroth.
12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has Hashem indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t He spoken also with us?” And Hashem heard it.
3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth. 4 Hashem spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!”
The three of them came out. 5 Hashem came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6 He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, Hashem, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see Hashem’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” 9 Hashem’s anger burned against them, and he departed.
10 The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
11 Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. 12 Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
13 Moses cried to Hashem, saying, “Heal her, Elohim, I beg you!”
14 Hashem said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.”
15 Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again. 16 Afterward, the people traveled from Hazeroth and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
Today’s Meditation:
Another challenge about authority. Miriam and Aaron are coming to Moses and basically asking him why they can’t be in charge, too. They insist they hear from Hashem just as strongly as Moses does. Hashem does not like this criticism and punishes Miriam publicly. Here, we learn that if you are going to debate what Hashem says, you could be in serious trouble. We all must respect those in spiritual authority. Unless they are directly contradicting Hashem’s Word, it is good to support them and trust that they are hearing from Hashem. In other words, be careful who you challenge.
Today’s Challenge:
Moses is humble. Even when his sister condemns him, he goes to Hashem and begs Him to heal her. He loves her, forgives her, and intercedes that Hashem will spare her. And He does. Are you ready to defend someone after they have hurt your feelings? Next time someone close to you offends you, I challenge you not to get angry but to understand. Give them a chance, pray for them, and forgive them. They will learn, and so will you.
This Week’s Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
2:14 “Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you,” says Hashem 15 When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to Hashem “They will be my people, and I will live among you.” Then you will know that it was Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you. 16 Hashem will take possession of Judah as His portion in the holy land, and He will again make Jerusalem His choice. 17 Be silent, all humanity, before Hashem; for he has been roused from his holy dwelling.’3 He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before Hashem’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2 Hashem said to Satan, “Hashem rebuke you, Satan! Yes, Hashem who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?”
3:1 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off him.” To him, he said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.”
5 I said, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.”
So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and Hashem’s angel was standing by. 6 Hashem’s angel protested to Joshua, saying, 7 “Hashem of Armies says: ‘If you will walk in my ways, and if you will follow my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you a place of access among these who stand by. 8 Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring out my servant, the Branch. 9 For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes: behold, I will engrave its engraving,’ says Hashem of Armies, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day,’ says Hashem of Armies, ‘you will invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.’”
4:1 The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it; 3 and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”
4 I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, my lord.”
6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Hashem’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Hashem of Armies. 7 Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”
Today’s Haftarah Meditation:
A story about Joshua, angels, demons, and Hashem. One of my favorite Scriptures for overcoming an enemy is in verse 6:1: “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Hashem of Armies.” In other words, we can’t really depend on ourselves and the things we do, but by Hashem’s Spirit, we can do things His way. Think of it. Walking in the Spirit with His power is much better than trying to do things in our own power. Don’t you agree? Think about how you can start transforming from what you do to what He shows you to do. You will see some amazing, miraculous things.
Today’s Haftarah Challenge:
Joshua’s angel helps him to be rid of his “filthy garments” or the sin in his life. He assists him in finding repentance and the way to cleanliness. We know that that can only come from obedience to Torah. It comes from loving Hashem and loving others. And this is daily maintenance and work. Every time we sin or disobey Hashem and His Torah, we must teshuvah, repent, and return. This must be earnest, and we must put in substantial effort. If we are to walk in clean clothing, we must be loving Hashem with our whole heart, soul, and strength, and resisting temptation to fall. Let’s try to do that today, and be sure to ask Hashem for His help.
