Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Parshat Behaalotecha, 6th Portion (Numbers 10:35-11:29), June 6, 2014


I like this portion. The people were complaining that they didn't have meat to eat. The Lord was so angry about the complaining that a fire burnt the extremes of the camp.

Why doesn't the Lord like complaining? Why don't your parents like it when you complain? Why can't we express gratitude for what we have rather than complain for what we don't have?

They have nothing but manna to eat. They learned to make different foods with it, like an oil cake.

God speaks to Moses, telling him he wants to speak to 70 of the elders and officers.

And God tells the people that he will give them meat tomorrow. And he says that they should eat it until it comes out of their noses and nauseates them.

God says, “If sheep and cattle were slaughtered for them, would it suffice for them? If all the fish of the sea were gathered for them, would it suffice for them?”

The Lord asks if his power is limited. Does Moses not believe that he has these skills?

The portion describes how Moses picked 70 from the 12 tribes. Why did G_d not say 72 leaders?

My wife keeps saying, “If G_d is so good, why doesn't he ....?”

Finally two men remain after G_d gave his pep talk. Joshua asked Moses to imprison them. Moses criticizes Joshua for being zealous, asking Moses to do something that Moses should have already considered.

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Thanks for commenting. One cannot study the Torah alone.