Numbers 8:1-12:16 – Zechariah 2:14-4:7 – John 12:1-26

This week's edition of The Set Table contains:

Questions and Commentary on Shabbat Beha'alotekha
Chayyei Yeshua - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
In Summary
Looking Ahead

Questions & Commentary on Parashat Beha'alotekha

1. Why does the lighting of the Menora and its service occur again here in Parashat Beha‘alotekha (Numbers 8:1-4) after the dedication of the altar by the heads of each tribe?

Rabbi Jason Sobel

Midrash Rabba answers this question as follows:

"WHEN YOU LIGHT THE LAMPS" (Numbers 8:2). You find that twelve tribes presented offerings at the dedication of the altar, while the tribe of Levi did not offer anything. They were very grieved and said: ‘Why were we prevented from bringing an offering for the dedication of the altar?' This may be compared to the case of a king who made a feast and invited the various craftsmen. There was a certain friend whom he loved exceedingly, yet he did not invite him with the others. The man was distressed, thinking, ‘Perhaps the king harbors some grievance in his heart against me, seeing that he has not invited me to any of these feasts.' When the days of feasting were over the king called that friend and spoke to him as follows, ‘I made a feast for all the citizens of the province. For you, however, I shall make a feast just for you. The reason is that you are my friend.'

So it was with the Supreme King of kings, the blessed Holy One. You find that twelve tribes brought offerings for the dedication of the altar and that the blessed Holy One,

accepted them; for it says,

"Take it of them" (Numbers 7:5). The tribe of Levi, however, did not bring any offering. When the dedication ceremony of the altar was over, the blessed Holy One said to Aaron and his sons: ‘All the tribes have celebrated the dedication and your tribe has not. Accordingly, ‘SPEAK UNTO AARON, AND SAY UNTO HIM: WHEN YOU LIGHT' (Numbers 8:1-2), and after that, ‘Take the Levites' (Numbers 8:6).

Numbers Rabba 25:3

Based on this midrash, the reason for recounting the lighting the Menora at this point was to comfort and honor Aaron and the tribe of Levy.

There however is also a deeper spiritual answer to this question according to Jewish mysticism and Chassidic thought. In the Zohar, Rabbi Eleazer also asks why the details of the Menora and its lighting are mentioned here after it was already mentioned in greater detail in Exodus. He goes on to explain that it is mentioned here in order to underscore the point that it was Aaron who helped bring forth the spiritual light of God to Israel. 

But how did Aaron go about doing this? Pirke Avot sheds light on this question:

Hillel used to say: Be disciples of Aaron loving peace, pursuing peace, loving all people (literally all creatures) and bringing them close to the Torah.

         Pirke Avot 1:12

Based on this mishna, the primary means through which Aaron brought the light of God to Israel was through facilitating reconciliation between individuals and between God and Israel and by drawing them near to Torah which is the foundation of shalom. Thus Aaron is portrayed as a qiruv-expert (outreach/inreach) who performs these duties out of deep love for God and every Jew.

Commenting on Hillel's statement above, Rabbi Schneur Zalman makes the following application:

Those who are far from God's Torah and service . . . one must draw close with strong cords of love-perhaps one might succeed in bringing them to the Torah and the service of God. And even if one fails, one has still fulfilled the precept "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Tanya, chapter 32

Thus according to Chabad Chassidut, the lighting of the Menora refers to outreach. 

Proverbs teaches us, "The soul of a person is the lamp of the LORD" (Proverbs 20:27). But in order for the light to shine it must be kindled. Thus Aaron's lighting of the Menora, at the beginning of this parasha, is meant to teach that we are meant to help ignite the spiritual spark within every soul.  Like Aaron our job is to kindle the lamp of people's souls through the light of Torah and Messiah. Both of which are referred to as lights:

For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is a light.

Proverbs 6:23

When Yeshua spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:12 (cf. Revelation 21:23)

Like Aaron and Messiah Yeshua, we must become masters of outreach motivated by a genuine love for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of all people, who can only be made whole and find lasting shalom through faith in Messiah and faithfulness to his teaching which includes fidelity to Torah for Jews. 

2. At the end of Parashat Beha‘alotekha, Miriam is stricken with "snow-white scales" as punishment for her (and Aaron's) protest against Moses' marriage to a Cushite woman (Number 12:1-15). At the end of this section, we read, "And Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days and the people did not depart until Miriam was readmitted." Why did the people wait to continue on their journey again until Miriam was readmitted?

Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan

Mekhilta' deRabbi Yishmael helps us address this question in the following midrash:

This is to teach you that with the measure with which a human measures, with it they will measure the person. . . Miriam waited for Moses a while, as it is said, "And his sister positioned herself from afar . . ." (Exodus 2:4).  In the wilderness, God [Hammāqôm] caused the Ark, the Divine Presence, the Priests, all Israel, and the Seven Clouds of Glory to wait for her.  As it is said, "And the people did not journey until Miriam was brought in again . . ." (Numbers 12:15).

Mekhilta de'Rabbi Ishmael, Parashta Beshallach 1

The first thing which this midrash reminds us is that it is God and not the people who delayed the departure of the camp on their journey. As it says in Exodus 40:36-37,

When the Cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, the children of Israel would depart on their journeys. But if the Cloud did not lift up, they would not depart until it lifted up.

But why did God delay "the Ark, the Divine Presence, the Priests, all Israel, and the Seven Clouds of Glory" for her account? The darshan links Numbers 12:15 with Exodus 2:4 where a young Miriam stationed herself from afar to ensure that the infant Moses would reach safe harbor. According to the darshan, God rewards Miriam's fidelity by judging her with the same standard with which she regarded Moses. When Miriam is in a risky place of peril on the edge of civilization, God stands far off, delaying the whole entourage of Israel, to ensure that she returns safely.

The darshan uses the example of Miriam from Exodus and our parasha to illustrate the value concept of ‘measure for measure.' According to this principle, the way we treat others has consequences for the way we will be treated in the future by God or by other people. As Yeshua reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount,

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. . . So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:2, 12 (NIV)

According to Yeshua, our regard for others not only has consequences for how others will treat us, but also embodies our obedience to Torah. As he reminds us later in the book, love of our neighbors is the second greatest commandment after love of God (Matthew 22:33-40). May we go and do likewise.

Joshua Brumbach

John 12:1-26 - Redemption Draws Nigh
 

Our besora reading follows several themes apparent in the Torah portion for this week, Beha‘alotekha. One of the most obvious is the mention of Pesach. The Torah portion describes further procedures for Passover, including the implementation of Pesach Sheni, a sort of second Passover for those who were not able to observe the actual Passover for whatever reason.

It is interesting that when it comes to specific matters of redemption, God always makes a way for second chances.  Pesach is our great redemption/salvation from the tyranny of our spiritual and physical slavery in Egypt.  Because of the centrality of the Exodus to Jewish understanding of redemption, God instituted a second opportunity to observe and participate in yetziat mitzrayim, our Exodus from Egypt. 

The same opportunity comes through our ultimate redemption in Mashiach.  When Yeshua first came as the suffering servant, there were many of us who did not recognize him for who he really was. Many of our people were expecting a messiah who would liberate us from the occupation of Rome, and usher in the messianic age at that moment. However, Yeshua came not as the redeemer of Roman occupation, but as one who would overthrow spiritual oppression and set up a different kid of revolution, one in which the downtrodden and oppressed are the ones who inherit the Kingdom and bring about redemption.  It was such a drastic and revolutionary move that many scholars and thinkers are still discussing the full ramifications of Yeshua's work on the earth. 

However the story does not end there, like Pesach Sheni, the second Passover, there is a second return of our beloved Mashiach. It is another opportunity for those of us who missed the first opportunity to bring about ultimate redemption. It is another opportunity to partner with God in bringing about the fullness of our ultimate redemption as individuals, and as a people. With every passing day, the second coming of Messiah draws nigh.  The question raised is are we ready for Mashiach to come, and are we actively preparing the word for the coming of Mashiach? May each of us be blessed to pursue redemption, to discover our ultimate purpose in bringing about redemption, and may each of us work together to hasten the second coming of Messiah Yeshua! 

NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - PARASHAT SHELACH-LEKHA