Parasha Bamidbar 5785
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Intro-Parasha Summary
This week we read Parasha Bamidbar, Numbers 1:1-4:20, which translates to “In the wilderness” and this is the first Parasha and Hebrew title of the book. Numbers as a whole gives us a glimpse into Israel’s wilderness journey from Sinai to the Promised Land, and is a substantial rollercoaster of ups and downs in Israel’s walk with the Lord in this journey.
Parasha Bamidbar begins with Adonai commanding Moses to take a census of the men of Israel from each tribe who are of eligible fighting age to be conscripted into the army of Israel, which is ages 20-60 years old. Every single tribe is diligently counted, with exception of the Levites as they were not eligible for battle in order to remain ceremonially clean for their service to the Mishkan. And we see that there is a total of 603,550 men of fighting age counted in the armies of Israel. The final few verses of the first chapter of Numbers reminds the Levites of their role of carrying for a transporting the Mishkan and all its furnishings.
In chapter 2 we see the detail of the way the camps of the tribes of Israel are to be situated, with three tribes on each side of the Mishkan under the banner of a specific tribe among each of those three. Judah’s camp was the first banner which also contained Issachar and Zebulun and they camped on the east side of the Tabernacle. Next was the camp of Reuben on the south side, which also contained Simeon and Gad. On the west side of the Tabernacle was the camp of Ephraim which also contained Manasseh and Benjamin. And finally, on the south side of the Tabernacle was the camp of Dan which also contained Asher and Naphtali.
Chapter 3 details instructions to the Levitical families, who camped around the Tabernacle as well, but in between the rest of the tribes of Israel and the Mishkan. To this end we see Moses and the Aaronic Kohanim camping on the east side at the entrance of the Mishkan by Judah. Then we see the Kohathites, which would have also included Moses’ children, who were responsible for the furnishings of the Mishkan camped on the south side by Reuben. Next would be the Gershonites who were responsible for the exterior of the Mishkan camped on the west side by Ephraim. And lastly, the Merarites who were responsible for the structure of the Mishkan camped on the North side by Dan.
The end of chapter 3 the Lord commands the firstborn be counted and redeemed by the Levites—as the firstborn are dedicated to Adonai. There were 273 more firstborn of B’nei Yisrael than there were Levites to serve as redemption for them so God required a monetary redemption for the remaining firstborn.
Parasha Bamidbar closes out with the first half of chapter 4 which describes the manner of which the Tabernacle is to be broken down and transported by the Levites when Israel is traveling for location to location along their journey.
Opening Story
I watched a clip from a college baseball game. Batter hits the pitch, it’s a ground ball toward first base, it bounces a bit and the first baseman backs up off the base to get it. It remains fair, the first baseman, gets it pretty quick, starts running back toward first. The batter is running hard to first, the pitcher is running toward first to backup the first baseman, the runner is inches from the bag, the first baseman is within inches of the bag, the pitcher is several feet from the big, the first baseman glitched and toss the ball to the pitched… The runner touches first easily safe. Had the baseman maintain course and tapped the bag he would have got the out, but he glitched, forgot his role and responsibility, and the cost was a missed out.
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We
God
God
Principle: True leadership and service come from knowing one's place and purpose within the greater community.
(Repeat)
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
1 In the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month in the second year from the Exodus from the land of Egypt, Adonai spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting saying,
2 “Do a head count of all the community of Bnei-Yisrael by their families and their ancestral house, with a total of every male one by one.
3 You and Aaron are to muster by their divisions every son from 20 years and upward available to serve in the army of Israel.
4 One man from each tribe, each head of his father’s household, is to assist you.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
A census expresses two paradoxical truths. On the one hand, it implies that each individual is significant. On the other hand, a headcount is the ultimate equalizer: each member of the community, from the greatest to the lowliest, counts for no less and no more than “one.” G‑d repeatedly commands Moses to count the Jewish people to emphasize both their individual worth—the fact that no single person’s contribution is dispensable—as well as their inherent equality.
(The Chassidic Masters)
47 The Levites, however, were not counted by the tribe of their ancestors,
48 for Adonai told Moses saying,
49 “Definitely you are not to number the tribe of Levi, nor take the sum of them among Bnei-Yisrael.
50 Instead, you are to appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its implements and all pertaining to it. They are to carry the Tabernacle and all its utensils, tend to it and camp around it.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
27 To Kohath belonged the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites. These were the Kohathite families.
28 The number of every male one month old and upward was 8,600. Their duties were caring for the Sanctuary.
29 The Kohathite families were to camp along the side of the Tabernacle on the south.
30 The prince of the ancestral household of the Kohathites was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.
31 They were responsible for the Ark, the table, the menorah, the altars, and the implements of the Sanctuary used in service with them, the curtain and all involved with its use.
32 The chief prince of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the kohen appointed over those whose responsibility was the care of the Sanctuary.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
Principle: True leadership and service come from knowing one's place and purpose within the greater community.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
1 Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, and sons of Reuben—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—
2 rose up against Moses and took 250 men from Bnei-Yisrael, men of renown who had been appointed to the council.
3 They assembled against Moses and Aaron. They said to them, “You’ve gone too far! All the community is holy—all of them—and Adonai is with them! Then why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Adonai?”
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
Principle: True leadership and service come from knowing one's place and purpose within the greater community.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Ruach.
5 There are various kinds of service, but the same Lord.
6 There are various kinds of working, but the same God who works all things in all people.
7 But to each person is given the manifestation of the Ruach for the benefit of all.
8 For to one is given through the Ruach a word of wisdom, to another a word of knowledge according to the same Ruach,
9 to another faith by the same Ruach, to another gifts of healings by the one Ruach,
10 to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Ruach activates all these things, distributing to each person individually as He wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of the body—though many—are one body, so also is Messiah.
13 For in one Ruach we were all immersed into one body—whether Jewish or Greek, slave or free—and all were made to drink of one Ruach.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
11 He Himself gave some to be emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers—
12 to equip the kedoshim for the work of service, for building up the body of Messiah.
13 This will continue until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Ben-Elohim—to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of Messiah’s fullness.
14 As a result, we are no longer to be like children, tossed around by the waves and blown all over by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men with cunning in deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all ways into Messiah, who is the Head.
16 From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. The proper working of each individual part produces the body’s growth, for building itself up in love.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
Principle: True leadership and service come from knowing one's place and purpose within the greater community.
Parasha Bamidbar 5785
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You
(Call Worship Team Back Up)
We
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