Numbers 1:47-15:21

Complete Jewish Bible

⁴⁷ But those who were L’vi’im, according to the clan of their fathers, were not counted in this census; ⁴⁸ because Adonai had told Moshe, ⁴⁹ “Do not include the clan of Levi when you take the census of the people of Isra’el. ⁵⁰ Instead, give the L’vi’im charge over the tabernacle of the testimony, its equipment and everything else connected with it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, serve in it and set up their camp around it. ⁵¹ When the tabernacle is to be moved onward, it is the L’vi’im who are to take it down and set it up in the new location; anyone else who involves himself is to be put to death. ⁵² The rest of Isra’el are to set up camp, company by company, each man with his own banner. ⁵³ But the L’vi’im are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that no anger will come upon the assembly of the people of Isra’el. The L’vi’im are to be in charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.”

⁵⁴ This is what the people of Isra’el did — they did everything that Adonai had ordered Moshe.

2 (iii) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ² “The people of Isra’el are to set up camp by clans, each man with his own banner and under his clan’s symbol; they are to camp around the tent of meeting, but at a distance.

^3-9 “Those camping on the east side toward the sunrise are to be under the banner of the camp of Y’hudah; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

Tribe	Chief	Number
Y’hudah	Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav	74,600
Yissakhar	N’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar	54,400
Z’vulun	Eli’av the son of Helon	57,400
Total		186,400

“This group is to set out first.

^10-16 “Those camping on the south are to be under the banner of the camp of Re’uven; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

Tribe	Chief	Number
Re’uven	Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur	46,500
Shim‘on	Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai	59,300
Gad	Elyasaf the son of Re‘u’el	45,650
Total		151,450

“This group is to set out second.

¹⁷ “Then the tent of meeting, with the camp of the L’vi’im, will set out, with the other camps in front and behind. They will go in the same order as their camps are set up — each man will go forward in his position, under his banner.

^18-24 “Those camping on the west are to be under the banner of the camp of Efrayim; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

Tribe	Chief	Number
Efrayim	Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud	40,500
M’nasheh	Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur	32,200
Binyamin	Avidan the son of Gid‘oni	35,400
Total		108,100

“This group is to set out third.

^25-31 “Those camping on the north are to be under the banner of the camp of Dan; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

Tribe	Chief	Number
Dan	Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai	62,700
Asher	Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran	41,500
Naftali	Achira the son of ‘Enan	53,400
Total		157,600

“This group is to set out last with their banners.”

³² These are the ones counted from the people of Isra’el by clans; the total number recorded in the camps, company by company, was 603,550. ³³ But, as Adonai ordered Moshe, the L’vi’im were not counted with the rest of Isra’el.

³⁴ The people of Isra’el did everything Adonai had ordered Moshe: they set up camp under their banners, and they set out, each according to his family and clan.

3 (iv) These are the descendants of Aharon and Moshe as of the day when Adonai spoke with Moshe on Mount Sinai. ² The names of the sons of Aharon are: Nadav the firstborn, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar. ³ These were the names of the sons of Aharon the cohen, whom he anointed and ordained as cohanim. ⁴ But Nadav and Avihu died in the presence of Adonai when they offered unauthorized fire before Adonai in the Sinai Desert, and they had no children; El‘azar and Itamar served as cohanim in the presence of Aharon their father.

⁵ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁶ “Summon the tribe of Levi, and assign them to Aharon the cohen, so that they can help him. ⁷ They are to carry out his duties and the duties of the whole community before the tent of meeting in performing the service of the tabernacle. ⁸ They are to be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and to carry out all the duties of the people of Isra’el connected with the service of the tabernacle. ⁹ Assign the L’vi’im to Aharon and his sons; their one responsibility in regard to the people of Isra’el is to serve him. ¹⁰ You are to appoint Aharon and his sons to carry out the duties of cohanim; anyone else who involves himself is to be put to death.”

¹¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹² “I have taken the L’vi’im from among the people of Isra’el in lieu of every firstborn male that is first from the womb among the people of Isra’el; the L’vi’im are to be mine. ¹³ All the firstborn males belong to me, because on the day that I killed all the firstborn males in the land of Egypt, I separated for myself all the firstborn males in Isra’el, both human and animal. They are mine; I am Adonai.”

(v) ¹⁴ Adonai said to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, ¹⁵ “Take a census of the tribe of Levi by clans and families. Count every male a month old or over.” ¹⁶ Moshe counted them in the manner Adonai had said, as he had been ordered. ¹⁷ The names of the sons of Levi were Gershon, K’hat and M’rari. ¹⁸ The names of the sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim‘i; they fathered their respective clans; ¹⁹ likewise the sons of K’hat — ‘Amram,Yitz’har, Hevron and ‘Uzi’el — ²⁰ and the sons of M’rari — Machli and Mushi. These fathered the clans of the L’vi’im.

²¹ Gershon fathered the clans of Livni and Shim‘i; these were the Gershon clans. ²² Of them, 7,500 males a month old and over were counted. ²³ The Gershon clans were to camp behind the tabernacle, toward the west. ²⁴ The chief of the Gershon clan was Elyasaf, the son of La’el. ²⁵ In connection with the tent of meeting, the descendants of Gershon were to be in charge of the following: the tabernacle itself, its inner and outer coverings, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the curtains surrounding the courtyard, the screen for the entrance of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and the altar, all the fixtures and ropes for these items, and their maintenance.

²⁷ K’hat fathered the clans of ‘Amram, Yitz’har, Hevron and ‘Uzi’el; these were the K’hat clans. ²⁸ Of them, 8,600 males a month old and over were counted; they were in charge of the Holy Place. ²⁹ The K’hat clans were to camp next to the tabernacle, toward the south. ³⁰ The chief of the K’hat clan was Elitzafan the son of ‘Uzi’el. ³¹ They were responsible for the ark, the table, the menorah, the altars, the utensils the cohanim use when they serve in the Holy Place, the curtain, and everything involved with the maintenance of these things. ³² El‘azar the son of Aharon the cohen was first among the chiefs of the L’vi’im and supervised those in charge of the Holy Place.

³³ M’rari fathered the clans of Machli and Mushi; these were the M’rari clans. ³⁴ Of them, 6,200 males a month old and over were counted. ³⁵ The chief of the M’rari clan was Tzuri’el the son of Avichayil. They were to camp next to the tabernacle, toward the north. ³⁶ The M’rari clans were assigned responsibility for the frames of the tabernacle, along with its crossbars, posts, sockets and fittings, together with their maintenance; ³⁷ also the posts of the surrounding courtyard, with their sockets, pegs and ropes.

³⁸ Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moshe, Aharon and his sons who were in charge of the Holy Place. They carried out their responsibility on behalf of the people of Isra’el, and anyone else who involved himself was to be put to death.

³⁹ The total number of L’vi’im whom Moshe and Aharon counted by their clans, all the males a month old and over, was 22,000.

(vi) ⁴⁰ Adonai said to Moshe, “Register all the firstborn males of the people of Isra’el a month old and over, and determine how many there are. ⁴¹ Then you are to take the L’vi’im for me, Adonai, in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el, and the cattle of the L’vi’im in place of the firstborn of the cattle belonging to the people of Isra’el.” ⁴² Moshe counted, as Adonai had ordered him, all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el. ⁴³ The total number of firstborn males registered, a month old and over, of those who were counted, was 22,273.

⁴⁴ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁴⁵ “Take the L’vi’im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el, and the cattle of the L’vi’im in place of their cattle; the L’vi’im are to belong to me, Adonai. ⁴⁶ Since there were 273 more firstborn males from Isra’el than male L’vi’im, in order to redeem them, ⁴⁷ you are to take five shekels [two ounces] for each of these (use the sanctuary shekel, which is equal to twenty gerahs). ⁴⁸ Give the redemption money for these extra people to Aharon and his sons.” ⁴⁹ Moshe took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the L’vi’im; ⁵⁰ the amount of money he took from the firstborn of the people of Isra’el was 1,365 shekels, using the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹ Moshe gave the redemption-money to Aharon and his sons, in keeping with what Adonai had said, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.

4 (vii) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ² “Take a census of the descendants of K’hat, who are among the descendants of Levi, by clans and families, ³ all those from thirty to fifty years old; these will enter the corps doing the work in the tent of meeting.

⁴ “Here is how the descendants of K’hat are to serve in the tent of meeting and deal with the especially holy things: ⁵ when the time comes to break camp, Aharon is to go in with his sons, take down the curtain which serves as a screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it. ⁶ On that they are to place a covering of fine leather, and on top of that spread an all-blue cloth. Then they are to insert the carrying-poles. ⁷ On the table of showbread they are to spread a blue cloth and place on it the dishes, incense pans, offering bowls and pitchers. The perpetual bread is to remain on the table. ⁸ They are to spread on these things a scarlet cloth, cover them with a covering of fine leather and insert the poles. ⁹ They are to take a blue cloth and cover the menorah for the light, its lamps, its tongs, its trays and the jars used to add oil to it. ¹⁰ They are to wrap it and all its accessories in fine leather and place them on a carrying-frame. ¹¹ On the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth, cover it with a covering of fine leather and insert its carrying-poles. ¹² They are to take all the utensils they use when serving in the sanctuary and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine leather and place them on a carrying-frame. ¹³ After removing the greasy ashes from the altar, they are to spread a purple cloth over it ¹⁴ and place on it all the utensils required for their altar service — the fire pans, meat-hooks, shovels, basins and other utensils for the altar. Then they are to spread over it a fine leather covering and insert its carrying-poles. ¹⁵ When Aharon and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy utensils, when the camp is about to move forward, then the descendants of K’hat are to come and carry them. But they are not to touch the holy things, so that they won’t die. These things are the responsibility of the descendants of K’hat in the tent of meeting.

¹⁶ “El‘azar the son of Aharon the cohen is to be responsible for the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the continuing grain offering and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, including the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

(Maftir) ¹⁷ Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ¹⁸ “Do not cut off the clan of K’hat from among the L’vi’im; ¹⁹ rather, do this for them, so that they will live and not die: when they approach the especially holy things, Aharon and his sons are to go in — and you are to assign each one his task; ²⁰ but the descendants of K’hat are not to go in and look at the holy things as they are being covered; if they do, they will die.”

Haftarah B’midbar: Hoshea (Hosea) 2:1(1:10)–2:22(20)

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’midbar: Luke 2:1–7; 1 Corinthians 12:12–31

Parashah 35: Naso (Take) 4:21–7:89

²¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ²² “Take a census of the descendants of Gershon also, by clans and families; ²³ count all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will enter the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting.

²⁴ “The Gershon families are to be responsible for serving and for transporting loads. ²⁵ They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, its covering, the fine leather covering above it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the tapestries for the courtyard, and the screen for the entrance to the courtyard by the tabernacle and around the altar, along with the ropes and all the utensils they need for their service; and they are to do the work connected with these things. ²⁷ Aharon and his sons are to supervise all the work of the Gershon clan in transporting loads and serving, and to assign them who is to carry what. ²⁸ This is how the Gershon families are to serve in the tent of meeting, and they are to be under the direction of Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen.

²⁹ “As for the descendants of M’rari, take a census by clans and families ³⁰ of all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will be in the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting.

³¹ “Their service for the tent of meeting will be to carry the frames, crossbars, posts and sockets of the tabernacle; ³² also the posts for the surrounding courtyard, with their sockets, tent pegs, ropes and other accessories, and everything having to do with their service. You are to assign particular loads to specific persons by name. ³³ This is how the M’rari families are to serve in the tent of meeting, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen.”

(S: ii) ³⁴ Moshe, Aharon and the community leaders took a census of the descendants of K’hat by their clans and families, ³⁵ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting. ³⁶ Registered by their families, they numbered 2,750. ³⁷ These are the ones counted from the K’hat families of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai through Moshe.

(A: ii) ³⁸ The census of the descendants of Gershon, by their clans and families, ³⁹ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ yielded 2,630, registered by their clans and families. ⁴¹ These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of Gershon of all those serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai.

⁴² The census of the families of the descendants of M’rari, by their clans and families, ⁴³ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of the corps serving in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ yielded 3,200, registered by their families. ⁴⁵ These are the ones counted from the families of the descendants of M’rari, whom Moshe and Aharon enumerated, in keeping with the order given by Adonai through Moshe.

⁴⁶ The census of the L’vi’im, whom Moshe, Aharon and the leaders of Isra’el enumerated by their clans and families, ⁴⁷ all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of those working to serve and working to carry loads in the tent of meeting, ⁴⁸ yielded a total of 8,580 persons.

⁴⁹ According to Adonai’s order they were appointed by Moshe, each one to his specific service or work. They were also enumerated, as Adonai had ordered Moshe.

5 (iii) Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Order the people of Isra’el to expel from the camp everyone with tzara‘at, everyone with a discharge and whoever is unclean because of touching a corpse. ³ Both male and female you must expel; put them outside the camp; so that they won’t defile their camp, where I live among you.” ⁴ The people of Isra’el did this and put them outside the camp — the people of Isra’el did what Adonai had said to Moshe.

⁵ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁶ “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When a man or woman commits any kind of sin against another person and thus breaks faith with Adonai, he incurs guilt. ⁷ He must confess the sin which he has committed; and he must make full restitution for his guilt, add twenty percent and give it to the victim of his sin. ⁸ But if the person has no relative to whom restitution can be made for the guilt, then what is given in restitution for guilt will belong to Adonai, that is, to the cohen — in addition to the ram of atonement through which atonement is made for him.

⁹ “‘Every contribution which the people of Isra’el consecrate and present to the cohen will belong to him. ¹⁰ Anything an individual consecrates will be his own [to allocate among the cohanim], but what a person gives to the cohen will belong to him.’”

(A: iv) ¹¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹² “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him; ¹³ that is, if another man goes to bed with her without her husband’s knowledge, so that she becomes impure secretly, and there is no witness against her, and she was not caught in the act; ¹⁴ then, if a spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she has become impure — or, for that matter, if the spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she has not become impure — ¹⁵ he is to bring his wife to the cohen, along with the offering for her, two quarts of barley flour on which he has not poured olive oil or put frankincense, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a grain offering for remembering, for recalling guilt to mind. ¹⁶ The cohen will bring her forward and place her before Adonai. ¹⁷ The cohen will put holy water in a clay pot, and then the cohen will take some of the dust on the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water. ¹⁸ The cohen will place the woman before Adonai, unbind the woman’s hair and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, the grain offering for jealousy; while the cohen has in his hand the water of embitterment and cursing. ¹⁹ The cohen will make her swear by saying to her, “If no man has gone to bed with you, if you have not gone astray to make yourself unclean while under your husband’s authority, then be free from this water of embitterment and cursing. ²⁰ But if you have in fact gone astray while under your husband’s authority and become unclean, because some man other than your husband has gone to bed with you . . .” ²¹ then the cohen is to make the woman swear with an oath that includes a curse; the cohen will say to the woman, “. . .may Adonai make you an object of cursing and condemnation among your people by making your private parts shrivel and your abdomen swell up! ²² May this water that causes the curse go into your inner parts and make your abdomen swell and your private parts shrivel up!” — and the woman is to respond, “Amen! Amen!” ²³ The cohen is to write these curses on a scroll, wash them off into the water of embitterment ²⁴ and make the woman drink the water of embitterment and cursing — the water of cursing will enter her and become bitter. ²⁵ Then the cohen is to remove the grain offering for jealousy from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before Adonai and bring it to the altar. ²⁶ The cohen is to take a handful of the grain offering as its reminder portion and make it go up in smoke on the altar; afterwards, he is to make the woman drink the water. ²⁷ When he has made her drink the water, then, if she is unclean and has been unfaithful to her husband, the water that causes the curse will enter her and become bitter, so that her abdomen swells and her private parts shrivel up; and the woman will become an object of cursing among her people. ²⁸ But if the woman is not unclean but clean, then she will be innocent and will have children. ²⁹ This is the law for jealousy: when either a wife under her husband’s authority goes astray and becomes unclean, ³⁰ or the spirit of jealousy comes over a husband and he becomes jealous of his wife, then he is to place the woman before Adonai, and the cohen is to deal with her in accordance with all of this law. ³¹ The husband will be clear of guilt, but the wife will bear the consequences of her guilt.’”

6 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When either a man or a woman makes a special kind of vow, the vow of a nazir, consecrating himself to Adonai; ³ he is to abstain from wine and other intoxicating liquor, he is not to drink vinegar from either source, he is not to drink grape juice, and he is not to eat grapes or raisins. ⁴ As long as he remains a nazir he is to eat nothing derived from the grapevine, not even the grape-skins or the seeds.

⁵ “‘Throughout the period of his vow as a nazir, he is not to shave his head. Until the end of the time for which he has consecrated himself to Adonai he is to be holy: he is to let the hair on his head grow long.

⁶ “‘Throughout the period for which he has consecrated himself to Adonai, he is not to approach a corpse. ⁷ He is not to make himself unclean for his father, mother, brother or sister when they die, since his consecration to God is on his head. ⁸ Throughout the time of his being a nazir he is holy for Adonai.

⁹ “‘If someone next to him dies very suddenly, so that he defiles his consecrated head, then he is to shave his head on the day of his purification; he is to shave it on the seventh day. ¹⁰ On the eighth day he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the cohen at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ¹¹ The cohen is to prepare one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering and thus make atonement for him, inasmuch as he sinned because of the dead person. That same day he is to re-consecrate his head; ¹² he is to consecrate to Adonai the full period of his being a nazir by bringing a male lamb in its first year as a guilt offering. The previous days will not be counted, because his consecration became defiled.

¹³ “‘This is the law for the nazir when his period of consecration is over: he is to be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, ¹⁴ where he will present his offering to Adonai — one male lamb in its first year without defect as a burnt offering, one female lamb in its first year without defect as a sin offering, one ram without defect as peace offerings, ¹⁵ a basket of matzah, loaves made of fine flour mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers spread with olive oil, their grain offering and their drink offerings. ¹⁶ The cohen is to bring them before Adonai, offer his sin offering, his burnt offering, ¹⁷ and his ram as a sacrifice of peace offerings to Adonai, with the basket of matzah. The cohen will also offer the grain offering and drink offering that go with the peace offering. ¹⁸ The nazir will shave his consecrated head at the entrance to the tent of meeting, take the hair removed from his consecrated head and put it on the fire under the sacrifice of peace offerings. ¹⁹ When the ram has been boiled, the cohen is to take its shoulder, one loaf of matzah from the basket and one unleavened wafer, and place them in the hands of the nazir, after he has shaved his consecrated head. ²⁰ The cohen is to wave them as a wave offering before Adonai; this is set aside for the cohen, along with the breast for waving and the raised-up thigh. Following that, the nazir may drink wine.

²¹ “‘This is the law for the nazir who makes a vow and for his offering to Adonai for his being a nazir — in addition to anything more for which he has sufficient means. In keeping with whatever vow he makes, he must do it according to the law for the nazir.’”

²² Adonai said to Moshe, ²³ “Speak to Aharon and his sons, and tell them that this is how you are to bless the people of Isra’el: you are to say to them,

²⁷ “In this way they are to put my name on the people of Isra’el, so that I will bless them.”

7 (A: v, S: iv) On the day Moshe finished putting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it, all its furnishings, and the altar with its utensils. After anointing and consecrating them, ² the leaders of Isra’el, who were heads of their father’s clans, made an offering. These were the tribal leaders in charge of those counted in the census. ³ They brought their offering before Adonai, six covered wagons and twelve oxen — a wagon for every two leaders and for each an ox — and presented them in front of the tabernacle.

⁴ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁵ “Receive these from them; they are to be used for the service in the tent of meeting. Give them to the L’vi’im, to each as needed for his duties.” ⁶ So Moshe took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the L’vi’im. ⁷ He gave two wagons and four oxen to the descendants of Gershon, in keeping with the needs of their duties. ⁸ Four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the descendants of M’rari, in keeping with the needs of their duties, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen. ⁹ But to the descendants of K’hat he gave none, because their duties involved the holy articles, which they carried on their own shoulders.

¹⁰ The leaders brought the offering for dedicating the altar on the day it was anointed. The leaders brought their offering before the altar, ¹¹ and Adonai said to Moshe, “They are to present their offerings to dedicate the altar, each leader on his own day.”

(S: v) ¹² Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav, from the tribe of Y’hudah, presented his offering on the first day. ¹³ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ¹⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ¹⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ¹⁷ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav.

¹⁸ On the second day N’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar, leader of Yissakhar, presented his offering. ¹⁹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ²¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ²² one male goat as a sin offering, ²³ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of N’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar.

²⁴ On the third day Eli’av the son of Helon, leader of Z’vulun, presented his offering. ²⁵ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ²⁷ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ²⁸ one male goat as a sin offering, ²⁹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eli’av the son of Helon.

³⁰ On the fourth day was Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur, leader of the descendants of Re’uven. ³¹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ³² one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ³³ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ³⁴ one male goat as a sin offering, ³⁵ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur.

³⁶ On the fifth day was Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai, leader of the descendants of Shim‘on. ³⁷ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ³⁸ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ³⁹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁴⁰ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁴¹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai.

(vi) ⁴² On the sixth day was Elyasaf the son of De‘u’el, leader of the descendants of Gad. ⁴³ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁴⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁴⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁴⁷ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elyasaf the son of De‘u’el.

⁴⁸ On the seventh day was Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud, leader of the descendants of Efrayim. ⁴⁹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁵¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁵² one male goat as a sin offering, ⁵³ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud.

⁵⁴ On the eighth day was Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur, leader of the descendants of M’nasheh. ⁵⁵ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁵⁷ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁵⁸ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁵⁹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur.

⁶⁰ On the ninth day was Avidan the son of Gid‘oni, leader of the descendants of Binyamin. ⁶¹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁶² one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁶³ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁶⁴ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁶⁵ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Avidan the son of Gid‘oni.

⁶⁶ On the tenth day was Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai, leader of the descendants of Dan. ⁶⁷ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁶⁹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁷⁰ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁷¹ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai.

(vii) ⁷² On the eleventh day was Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran, leader of the descendants of Asher. ⁷³ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁷⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁷⁶ one male goat as a sin offering, ⁷⁷ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran.

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day was Achira the son of ‘Enan, leader of the descendants of Naftali. ⁷⁹ He offered one silver dish weighing 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and one silver basin of seventy shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-and-three-quarters pounds], both full of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰ one gold pan of ten shekels [one-quarter pound], full of incense; ⁸¹ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering, ⁸² one male goat as a sin offering, ⁸³ and, for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Achira the son of ‘Enan.

⁸⁴ This was the offering for dedicating the altar which was given by the leaders of Isra’el on the day of its anointing: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins and twelve gold pans. ⁸⁵ Each silver dish weighed 130 shekels [three-and-a-quarter pounds] and each basin seventy shekels [one-and-three-quarters pounds]; all the silver of the vessels weighed 2,400 shekels (using the sanctuary shekel) [just over sixty pounds]. ⁸⁶ The twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighed ten shekels apiece (using the sanctuary shekel) [one-quarter pound]; all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels [three pounds]. (Maftir) ⁸⁷ The livestock for the burnt offering consisted of twelve bulls, twelve rams and twelve male lambs in their first year, with their grain offering. There were twelve male goats for a sin offering. ⁸⁸ The livestock for the sacrifice of peace offerings consisted of twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs in their first year. This was the offering for dedicating the altar after it had been anointed.

⁸⁹ When Moshe went into the tent of meeting in order to speak with Adonai, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the ark-cover on the ark for the testimony, from between the two k’ruvim; and he spoke to him.

Haftarah Naso: Shof’tim (Judges) 13:2–25

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Naso: Yochanan (John) 7:53–8:11; Acts 21:17–32

Parashah 36: B’ha‘alotkha (When you set up) 8:1–12:16

8 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Tell Aharon, ‘When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to cast their light forward, in front of the menorah.’” ³ Aharon did this: he lit its lamps so as to give light in front of the menorah, as Adonai had ordered Moshe. ⁴ Here is how the menorah was made: it was hammered gold from its base to its flowers, hammered work, following the pattern Adonai had shown Moshe. This is how he made the menorah.

⁵ Adonai said to Moshe, ⁶ “Take the L’vi’im from among the people of Isra’el and cleanse them. ⁷ Here is how you are to cleanse them: sprinkle the purification water on them, have them shave their whole body with a razor, and have them wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. ⁸ Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering, which is to be fine flour mixed with olive oil; while you take another bull for a sin offering. ⁹ You are to present the L’vi’im in front of the tent of meeting, and assemble the entire community of the people of Isra’el. ¹⁰ You will present the L’vi’im before Adonai, the people of Isra’el will lay their hands on the L’vi’im, ¹¹ and Aharon will offer the L’vi’im before Adonai as a wave offering from the people of Isra’el, so that they may do Adonai’s service. ¹² The L’vi’im will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; the one you will offer as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to Adonai to make atonement for the L’vi’im. ¹³ You are to place the L’vi’im before Aharon and his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to Adonai. ¹⁴ In this way you will separate the L’vi’im from the people of Isra’el, and the L’vi’im will belong to me.

(ii) ¹⁵ “After that, the L’vi’im will enter and do the service of the tent of meeting. You will cleanse them and offer them as a wave offering, ¹⁶ because they are entirely given to me from among the people of Isra’el; I have taken them for myself in place of all those who come first out of the womb, that is, the firstborn males of the people of Isra’el. ¹⁷ For all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el are mine, both humans and animals; on the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself. ¹⁸ But I have taken the L’vi’im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el, ¹⁹ and I have given the L’vi’im to Aharon and his sons from among the people of Isra’el to do the service of the people of Isra’el in the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Isra’el, so that no plague will fall on the people of Isra’el in consequence of their coming too close to the sanctuary.”

²⁰ This is what Moshe, Aharon and all the community of the people of Isra’el did to the L’vi’im. The people of Isra’el acted in accordance with everything that Adonai had ordered Moshe in regard to the L’vi’im. ²¹ The L’vi’im purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aharon offered them as a holy gift before Adonai and made atonement for them in order to cleanse them. ²² After that, the L’vi’im came to do their service in the tent of meeting in front of Aharon and his sons; they acted in accordance with Adonai’s orders to Moshe in regard to the L’vi’im.

²³ Adonai said to Moshe, ²⁴ “Here are instructions concerning the L’vi’im: when they reach the age of twenty-five, they are to begin performing their duties serving in the tent of meeting; ²⁵ and when they reach the age of fifty, they are to stop performing this work and not serve any longer. ²⁶ They will assist their brothers who are performing their duties in the tent of meeting, but they themselves will not do any of the work. This is what you are to do with the L’vi’im in regard to their duties.”

9 (iii) Adonai spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert in the first month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt; he said, ² “Let the people of Isra’el observe Pesach at its designated time. ³ On the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, you are to observe it — at its designated time. You are to observe it according to all its regulations and rules.” ⁴ Moshe told the people of Isra’el to observe Pesach. ⁵ So they observed Pesach at dusk on the fourteenth day of the month in the Sinai Desert; the people of Isra’el acted in accordance with all that Adonai had ordered Moshe.

⁶ But there were certain people who had become unclean because of someone’s corpse, so that they could not observe Pesach on that day. So they came before Moshe and Aharon that day ⁷ and said to him, “We are unclean because of someone’s corpse; but why must we be kept from bringing the offering for Adonai at the time designated for the people of Isra’el?” ⁸ Moshe answered them, “Wait, so that I can hear what Adonai will order concerning you.” ⁹ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹⁰ “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘If any of you now or in future generations is unclean because of a corpse, or if he is on a trip abroad, nevertheless he is to observe Pesach. ¹¹ But he will observe it in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk. They are to eat it with matzah and maror, ¹² they are to leave none of it until morning, and they are not to break any of its bones — they are to observe it according to all the regulations of Pesach. ¹³ But the person who is clean and not on a trip who fails to observe Pesach will be cut off from his people; because he did not bring the offering for Adonai at its designated time, that person will bear the consequences of his sin. ¹⁴ If a foreigner is staying with you and wants to observe Pesach for Adonai, he is to do it according to the regulations and rules of Pesach — you are to have the same law for the foreigner as for the citizen of the land.’”

(iv) ¹⁵ On the day the tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, that is, the tent of the testimony; and in the evening, over the tabernacle was what appeared to be fire, which remained until morning. ¹⁶ So the cloud always covered it, and it looked like fire at night. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tent, the people of Isra’el continued their travels; and they camped wherever the cloud stopped. ¹⁸ At the order of Adonai, the people of Isra’el traveled; at the order of Adonai, they camped; and as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they stayed in camp. ¹⁹ Even when the cloud remained on the tabernacle for a long time, the people of Isra’el did what Adonai had charged them to do and did not travel. ²⁰ Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle; according to Adonai’s order, they remained in camp; and according to Adonai’s order, they traveled. ²¹ Sometimes the cloud was there only from evening until morning; so that when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled. Or even if it continued up both day and night, when the cloud was up, they traveled. ²² Whether it was two days, a month or a year that the cloud remained over the tabernacle, staying on it, the people of Isra’el remained in camp and did not travel; but as soon as it was taken up, they traveled. ²³ At Adonai’s order, they camped; and at Adonai’s order, they traveled — they did what Adonai had charged them to do through Moshe.

10 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Make two trumpets; make them of hammered silver. Use them for summoning the community and for sounding the call to break camp and move on. ³ When they are sounded, the entire community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁴ If only one is sounded, then just the leaders, the heads of the clans of Isra’el, are to assemble before you.

⁵ “When you sound an alarm, the camps to the east will commence traveling. ⁶ When you sound a second alarm, the camps to the south will set out; they will sound alarms to announce when to travel. ⁷ However, when the community is to be assembled, you are to sound; but don’t sound an alarm. ⁸ It will be the sons of Aharon, the cohanim, who are to sound the trumpets; this will be a permanent regulation for you through all your generations.

⁹ “When you go to war in your land against an adversary who is oppressing you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets; then you will be remembered before Adonai your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

¹⁰ “Also on your days of rejoicing, at your designated times and on Rosh-Hodesh, you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; these will be your reminder before your God. I am Adonai your God.”

(v) ¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony; ¹² and the people of Isra’el moved out in stages from the Sinai Desert. The cloud stopped in the Pa’ran Desert.

¹³ So they set out on their first journey, in keeping with Adonai’s order through Moshe. ¹⁴ In the lead was the banner of the camp of the descendants of Y’hudah, whose companies moved forward; over his company was Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav. ¹⁵ Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Yissakhar was N’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar. ¹⁶ Over the company of the descendants of Z’vulun was Eli’av the son of Helon.

¹⁷ Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the descendants of Gershon and the descendants of M’rari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

¹⁸ Next, the banner of the camp of Re’uven moved forward by companies; over his company was Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur. ¹⁹ Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Shim‘on was Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai. ²⁰ Over the company of the descendants of Gad was Elyasaf the son of De‘u’el.

²¹ Then the descendants of K’hat set out, carrying the sanctuary, so that [at the next camp] the tabernacle could be set up before they arrived.

²² The banner of the camp of the descendants of Efrayim moved forward by companies; over his company was Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud. ²³ Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of M’nasheh was Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur. ²⁴ Over the company of the descendants of Binyamin was Avidan the son of Gid‘oni.

²⁵ The banner of the camp of the descendants of Dan, forming the rearguard for all the camps, moved forward by companies; over his company was Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai. ²⁶ Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Asher was Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran. ²⁷ Over the company of the descendants of Naftali was Achira the son of ‘Enan.

²⁸ This is how the people of Isra’el traveled by companies; thus they moved forward.

(S: vi) ²⁹ Moshe said to Hovav the son of Re‘u’el the Midyani, Moshe’s father-in-law, “We are traveling to the place about which Adonai said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, because Adonai has promised good things to Isra’el.” ³⁰ But he replied, “I will not go; I would rather go back to my own country and my own kinsmen.” ³¹ Moshe continued, “Please don’t leave us, because you know that we have to camp in the desert, and you can serve as our eyes. ³² If you do go with us, then whatever good Adonai does for us, we will do the same for you.”

³³ So they set out from Adonai’s mountain and traveled for three days. Ahead of them on this three-day journey went the ark of Adonai’s covenant, searching for a new place to stop. ³⁴ The cloud of Adonai was over them during the day as they set out from the camp. (A: vi) ³⁵ When the ark moved forward, Moshe said,

³⁶ When it stopped, he said,

11 But the people began complaining about their hardships to Adonai. When Adonai heard it, his anger flared up, so that fire from Adonai broke out against them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. ² Then the people cried to Moshe, Moshe prayed to Adonai, and the fire abated. ³ That place was called Tav‘erah [burning] because Adonai’s fire broke out against them.

⁴ Next, the mixed crowd that was with them grew greedy for an easier life; while the people of Isra’el, for their part, also renewed their weeping and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt — it cost us nothing! — and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic! ⁶ But now we’re withering away, we have nothing to look at but this man.”

⁷ The man, by the way, was like coriander seed and white like gum resin. ⁸ The people would go around gathering it and would grind it up in mills or pound it to paste with mortar and pestle. Then they would cook it in pots and make it into loaves that tasted like cakes baked with olive oil. ⁹ When the dew settled on the camp during the night, the man came with it.

¹⁰ Moshe heard the people crying, family after family, each person at the entrance to his tent; the anger of Adonai flared up violently; and Moshe too was displeased. ¹¹ Moshe asked Adonai, “Why are you treating your servant so badly? Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, so that you put the burden of this entire people on me? ¹² Did I conceive this people? Was I their father, so that you tell me, ‘Carry them in your arms, like a nurse carrying a baby, to the land you swore to their ancestors?’ ¹³ Where am I going to get meat to give to this entire people? — because they keep bothering me with their crying and saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I can’t carry this entire people by myself alone — it’s too much for me! ¹⁵ If you are going to treat me this way, then just kill me outright! — please, if you have any mercy toward me! — and don’t let me go on being this miserable!”

¹⁶ Adonai said to Moshe, “Bring me seventy of the leaders of Isra’el, people you recognize as leaders of the people and officers of theirs. Bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand there with you. ¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won’t carry it yourself alone.

¹⁸ “Tell the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; because you cried in the ears of Adonai, “If only we had meat to eat! We had the good life in Egypt!” All right, Adonai is going to give you meat, and you will eat it. ¹⁹ You won’t eat it just one day, or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days, ²⁰ but a whole month! — until it comes out of your nose and you hate it! — because you have rejected Adonai, who is here with you, and distressed him with your crying and asking, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

²¹ But Moshe said, “Here I am with six hundred thousand men on foot, and yet you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ ²² If whole flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would it be enough? If all the fish in the sea were collected for them, would even that be enough?” ²³ Adonai answered Moshe, “Has Adonai’s arm grown short? Now you will see whether what I said will happen or not!”

²⁴ Moshe went out and told the people what Adonai had said. Then he collected seventy of the leaders of the people and placed them all around the tent. ²⁵ Adonai came down in the cloud, spoke to him, took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied — then but not afterwards.

²⁶ There were two men who stayed in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad, and the Spirit came to rest on them. They were among those listed to go out to the tent, but they hadn’t done so, and they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and told Moshe, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” ²⁸ Y’hoshua, the son of Nun, who from his youth up had been Moshe’s assistant, answered, “My lord, Moshe, stop them!” ²⁹ But Moshe replied, “Are you so zealous to protect me? I wish all of Adonai’s people were prophets! I wish Adonai would put his Spirit on all of them!”

(vii) ³⁰ Moshe and the leaders of Isra’el went back into the camp; ³¹ and Adonai sent out a wind which brought quails from across the sea and let them fall near the camp, about a day’s trip away on each side of the camp and all around it, covering the ground to a depth of three feet. ³² The people stayed up all that day, all night and all the next day gathering the quails — the person gathering the least collected ten heaps; then they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. ³³ But while the meat was still in their mouth, before they had chewed it up, the anger of Adonai flared up against the people, and Adonai struck the people with a terrible plague. ³⁴ Therefore that place was named Kivrot-HaTa’avah [graves of greed], because there they buried the people who were so greedy.

³⁵ From Kivrot-HaTa’avah the people traveled to Hatzerot, and they stayed at Hatzerot.

12 Miryam and Aharon began criticizing Moshe on account of the Ethiopian woman he had married, for he had in fact married an Ethiopian woman. ² They said, “Is it true that Adonai has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn’t he spoken with us too?” Adonai heard them. ³ Now this man Moshe was very humble, more so than anyone on earth. ⁴ Suddenly Adonai told Moshe, Aharon and Miryam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” The three of them went out.

⁵ Adonai came down in a column of cloud and stood at the entrance to the tent. He summoned Aharon and Miryam, and they both went forward. ⁶ He said, “Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you, I, Adonai, make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. ⁷ But it isn’t that way with my servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in my entire household. ⁸ With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of Adonai. So why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe?” ⁹ The anger of Adonai flared up against them, and he left.

¹⁰ But when the cloud was removed from above the tent, Miryam had tzara‘at, as white as snow. Aharon looked at Miryam, and she was as white as snow. ¹¹ Aharon said to Moshe, “Oh, my lord, please don’t punish us for this sin we committed so foolishly. ¹² Please don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, with its body half eaten away when it comes out of its mother’s womb!” ¹³ Moshe cried to Adonai, “Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her!” (Maftir) ¹⁴ Adonai answered Moshe, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she hide herself in shame for seven days? So let her be shut out of the camp for seven days; after that, she can be brought back in.” ¹⁵ Miryam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not travel until she was brought back in. ¹⁶ Afterwards, the people went on from Hatzerot and camped in the Pa’ran Desert.

Haftarah B’ha‘alotkha: Z’kharyah (Zechariah) 2:14 – 4:7

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B’ha‘alotkha: Yochanan (John) 19:31–37; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 3:1–6

Parashah 37: Shlach L’kha (Send on your behalf) 13:1–15:41

13 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Send men on your behalf to reconnoiter the land of Kena‘an, which I am giving to the people of Isra’el. From each ancestral tribe send someone who is a leader in his tribe.” ³ Moshe dispatched them from the Pa’ran Desert as Adonai had ordered; all of them were leading men among the people of Isra’el. ⁴ Here are their names:

¹⁶ These are the names of the men Moshe sent out to reconnoiter the land. Moshe gave to Hoshea the son of Nun the name Y’hoshua.

¹⁷ Moshe sent them to reconnoiter the land of Kena‘an, instructing them, “Go on up to the Negev and into the hills, ¹⁸ and see what the land is like. Notice the people living there, whether they are strong or weak, few or many; ¹⁹ and what kind of country they live in, whether it is good or bad; and what kind of cities they live in, open or fortified. ²⁰ See whether the land is fertile or unproductive and whether there is wood in it or not. Finally, be bold enough to bring back some of the fruit of the land.”

When they left it was the season for the first grapes to ripen. (ii) ²¹ They went up and reconnoitered the land from the Tzin Desert to Rechov near the entrance to Hamat. ²² They went up into the Negev and arrived at Hevron; Achiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the ‘Anakim, lived there. (Hevron was built seven years before Tzo‘an in Egypt.) ²³ They came to the Eshkol Valley; and there they cut off a branch bearing one cluster of grapes, which they carried on a pole between two of them; they also took pomegranates and figs. ²⁴ That place was called the Valley of Eshkol [cluster], because of the cluster which the people of Isra’el cut down there.

²⁵ Forty days later, they returned from reconnoitering the land ²⁶ and went to Moshe, Aharon and the entire community of the people of Isra’el at Kadesh in the Pa’ran Desert, where they brought back word to them and to the entire community and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ What they told him was this: “We entered the land where you sent us, and indeed it does flow with milk and honey — here is its fruit! ²⁸ However the people living in the land are fierce, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the ‘Anakim there. ²⁹ ‘Amalek lives in the area of the Negev; the Hitti, the Y’vusi and the Emori live in the hills; and the Kena‘ani live by the sea and alongside the Yarden.”

³⁰ Kalev silenced the people around Moshe and said, “We ought to go up immediately and take possession of it; there is no question that we can conquer it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone with him said, “We can’t attack those people, because they are stronger than we are”; ³² and they spread a negative report about the land they had reconnoitered for the people of Isra’el by saying, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there were giant! ³³ We saw the N’filim, the descendants of ‘Anak, who was from the N’filim; to ourselves we looked like grasshoppers by comparison, and we looked that way to them too!”

14 At this all the people of Isra’el cried out in dismay and wept all night long. ² Moreover, all the people of Isra’el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert! ³ Why is Adonai bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ And they said to each other, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”

⁵ Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire assembled community of the people of Isra’el. ⁶ Y’hoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Y’funeh, from the detachment that had reconnoitered the land, tore their clothes ⁷ and said to the whole community of Isra’el, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is an outstandingly good land! (iii) ⁸ If Adonai is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us — a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁹ Just don’t rebel against Adonai. And don’t be afraid of the people living in the land — we’ll eat them up! Their defense has been taken away from them, and Adonai is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

¹⁰ But just as the whole community were saying they should be stoned to death, the glory of Adonai appeared in the tent of meeting to all the people of Isra’el. ¹¹ Adonai said to Moshe, “How much longer is this people going to treat me with contempt? How much longer will they not trust me, especially considering all the signs I have performed among them? ¹² I am going to strike them with sickness, destroy them and make from you a nation greater and stronger than they are!”

¹³ However, Moshe replied to Adonai, “When the Egyptians hear about this — [and they will,] because it was from among them that you, by your strength, brought this people up — ¹⁴ they will tell the people living in this land. They have heard that you, Adonai, are with this people; that you, Adonai, are seen face to face; that your cloud stands over them; that you go ahead of them in a column of cloud by day and a column of fire by night. ¹⁵ If you kill off this people at a single stroke, then the nations that have heard of your reputation will say ¹⁶ that the reason Adonai slaughtered this people in the desert is that he wasn’t able to bring them into the land which he swore to give them. ¹⁷ So now, please, let Adonai’s power be as great as when you said, ¹⁸ ‘Adonai is slow to anger, rich in grace, forgiving offenses and crimes; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and even by the third and fourth generations.’ ¹⁹ Please! Forgive the offense of this people according to the greatness of your grace, just as you have borne with this people from Egypt until now.”

²⁰ Adonai answered, “I have forgiven, as you have asked. ²¹ But as sure as I live, and that the whole earth is filled with the glory of Adonai, ²² none of the people who saw my glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the desert, yet tested me these ten times and did not listen to my voice, ²³ will see the land I swore to their ancestors! None of those who treated me with contempt will see it. ²⁴ But my servant Kalev, because he had a different Spirit with him and has fully followed me — him I will bring into the land he entered, and it will belong to his descendants.

²⁵ “Now, since the ‘Amaleki and the Kena‘ani are living in the valley, tomorrow turn around and get yourselves into the desert along the way to the Sea of Suf.”

(iv) ²⁶ Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ²⁷ “How long am I to put up with this evil community who keep grumbling about me? I have heard the complaints of the people of Isra’el, which they continue to raise against me. ²⁸ Tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, Adonai swears, as surely as you have spoken in my ears, I will do this to you: ²⁹ your carcasses will fall in this desert! Every single one of you who were included in the census over the age of twenty, you who have complained against me, ³⁰ will certainly not enter the land about which I raised my hand to swear that I would have you live in it — except for Kalev the son of Y’funeh and Y’hoshua the son of Nun. ³¹ But your little ones, who you said would be taken as booty — them I will bring in. They will know the land you have rejected. ³² But you, your carcasses will fall in this desert; ³³ and your children will wander about in the desert for forty years bearing the consequences of your prostitutions until the desert eats up your carcasses. ³⁴ It will be a year for every day you spent reconnoitering the land that you will bear the consequences of your offenses — forty days, forty years. Then you will know what it means to oppose me! ³⁵ I, Adonai, have spoken.’ I will certainly do this to this whole evil community who have assembled together against me — they will be destroyed in this desert and die there.”

³⁶ The men whom Moshe had sent to reconnoiter the land and who, when they returned, made the entire community complain against him by giving an unfavorable report about the land — ³⁷ those men who gave the unfavorable report about the land died by the plague in the presence of Adonai. ³⁸ Of the men who went to reconnoiter the land, only Y’hoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Y’funeh remained alive.

³⁹ When Moshe told these things to all the people of Isra’el, the people felt great remorse. ⁴⁰ They arose early the next morning, came up to the top of the mountain and said, “Here we are, and we did sin, but now we’ll go up to the place Adonai promised.” ⁴¹ Moshe answered, “Why are you opposing what Adonai said? You won’t succeed! ⁴² Don’t go up there, because Adonai isn’t with you. If you do, your enemies will defeat you. ⁴³ The ‘Amalekim and the Kena‘anim are there ahead of you, and you will be struck down by the sword. The reason will be that you have turned away from following Adonai, so that Adonai won’t be with you.”

⁴⁴ But they were presumptuous and went on up toward the high parts of the hill-country, even though the ark for the covenant of Adonai — and Moshe — stayed in the camp. ⁴⁵ So the ‘Amalekim and the Kena‘anim living in that hill-country descended, struck them down and beat them back all the way to Hormah.

15 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘When you have come into the land where you are going to live, which I am giving to you, ³ and want to make an offering by fire to Adonai — a burnt offering or sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or to be a voluntary offering, or at your designated times, to make a fragrant aroma for Adonai — then, whether it is comes from the herd or from the flock, ⁴ the person bringing the offering is to present Adonai with a grain offering consisting of two quarts of fine flour mixed with one quart of olive oil, ⁵ and one quart of wine for the drink offering. This is what you are to prepare with the burnt offering or for each lamb sacrificed.

⁶ “‘For a ram, prepare one gallon of fine flour mixed with one-and-one-third quarts of olive oil; ⁷ while for the drink offering, you are to present one-and-one-third quarts of wine as a fragrant aroma for Adonai.

(v) ⁸ “‘When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering, as a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow or as peace offerings for Adonai, ⁹ there is to be presented with the bull a grain offering of one-and-a-half gallons of fine flour mixed with two quarts of olive oil. ¹⁰ For the drink offering, present two quarts of wine for an offering made by fire, a fragant aroma for Adonai.

¹¹ “‘Do it this way for each bull, ram, male lamb or kid. ¹² For as many animals as you prepare, do this for each one, regardless of how many animals there are.

¹³ “‘Every citizen is to do these things in this way when presenting an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for Adonai. ¹⁴ If a foreigner stays with you — or whoever may be with you, through all your generations — and he wants to bring an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for Adonai, he is to do the same as you. ¹⁵ For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before Adonai as yourselves. ¹⁶ The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.’”

(vi) ¹⁷ Adonai said to Moshe, ¹⁸ “Speak to the people of Isra’el; tell them, ‘When you enter the land where I am bringing you ¹⁹ and eat bread produced in the land, you are to set aside a portion as a gift for Adonai. ²⁰ Set aside from your first dough a cake as a gift; set it aside as you would set aside a portion of the grain from the threshing-floor. ²¹ From your first dough you will give Adonai a portion as a gift through all your generations.