Questions tagged [behaalotcha-parsha]
The weekly Torah portion of Behaalotcha (Numbers 8:1–12:16)
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אלדד מידד how old were they?
אלדד מידד were 2 people who received a prophecy whilst at home in their camp during the Jews' sojourn at קברת התאוה. There is debate amongst the rishonim whether they were supposed to have been ...
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Parshas Behalosecha: The inverted nuns demarcating two punishments
In Parshas Behalosecha, famously the verses 10:35-36 are bookended with two inverted "נ's":
׆ וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה ׀ ה' וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ ...
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How did prophets know when God will speak to them, to separate from their wives?
Rashi on Numbers 12:4 comments in explanation of the word פִּתְאֹ֗ם (suddenly) that Aharon and Miriam were shouting for water to purify themselves because God had revealed Himself to them suddenly.
So ...
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Who carried the aron which traveled in front of the camp?
Rashi describes how the aron (which contained the broken pieces of the first luchos and which was taken out with the Jewish army in times of battle) would travel in front of the camp in the desert. ...
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Did G-d put Ruach HaKodesh from Moshe to the 70 elders?
Did G-d put Ruach HaKodesh from Moshe to the 70 elders?
Numbers 11:25:
Then, after coming down in a cloud and speaking to him, יהוה drew upon
the spirit that was on him and put it upon the seventy ...
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Did Miriam Criticize Moshe for being Haughty?
Avos Derebbi Nassan 9:2 says that Miriam criticized Moshe for being haughty by divorcing his wife.
אבל הוא מפני שדעתו גסה עליו פירש הוא מאצל אשתו
But Moses, because he is so arrogant, separated from ...
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How did the elders help?
In Bamidbar (11:11-15) Moshe tells Hashem how the difficult it is to carry the people and questioning where he would procure meat for he entire nation. Hashem's response was to gather the elders so ...
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Do the words menorah and Torah have the same root in Hebrew?
I'm studying the parashat Behaaloscha, the part where Aharon kindle de Menorah. I read that the meaning of Menorah has to do with 'Tora Study. I'm from Brazil where we speak Portuguese and the words ...
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Source for the menorah represents the wisdoms of the world?
This blog post claims that the Meiri along with other Rishonim taught that the Menorah ,mentioned in Behalotecha represents the 7 wisdoms of the world.
Quoted here:
The Meiri and other Rishonim say ...
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Num. 11:5 What is Rashi's identification of הָאֲבַטִּחִים (commonly translated "the melons")?
Rashi's note on Num. 11:5 הָאֲבַטִּחִים is
בורק"ש
per
http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/olam_hatanah/mefaresh.asp?book=4&perek=11&mefaresh=rashi, accessed Dec. 2019.
How is this read and what ...
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How did B'nai Yisra'el differentiate what the departure of the cloud meant?
I'm curious about various functions of the cloud that rested on Ohel Mo'ed. For example:
In Bemidbar 9:17 - 18 its says that B'nai Yisra'el would camp while the cloud was resting on the Ohel Mo'ed, ...
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Did Tziporah sin in what she said about Moshe?
In Bamidbar 12:1 the pasuk says
ותדבר מרים ואהרן במשה על־אדות האשה הכשית אשר לקח כי־אשה כשית לקח
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married: “He married a ...
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What made Moses want to be killed after people asked for meat?
In Parashat Bealotchah, when the people asked for meat Moses' reaction went eccentric (Num. 11:10):
מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר לָתֵת לְכָל־הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי־יִבְכּוּ עָלַי לֵאמֹר תְּנָה־לָּנוּ בָשָׂר ...
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Why did Moshe need Hobab as a guide?
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַל־נָ֖א תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י ׀ עַל־כֵּ֣ן יָדַ֗עְתָּ חֲנֹתֵ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְהָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְעֵינָֽיִם׃
He said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should ...
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Whatever happened to the Chiefs of the 10, 50, 100 and 1,000?
In Parshas Yisro (Shemos 18:25) Moshe appoints the Chiefs of the 10, 50, 100 and 1,000.
"וַיִּבְחַר מֹשֶׁה אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם רָאשִׁים עַל־הָעָם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים ...
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Claim of "are we worse?" connection
I noticed twice there was a group of people who came to Moshe and said: "are we any worse / למה נגרע?" Or: "why should it be worse / למה יגרע?". Those who were tamei and the daughters of Tzelophchad.
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Where is there a rabbinical discussion or a mentioned in the TaNaKH about ethnic designation to mean "white" or "white person" or non-black person?
Where is there a rabbinical discussion or a mentioned in the TaNaKH about ethnic designation to mean "white" or "white person" or non-black person?
I am aware that there is an ethnic designation in ...
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What tribe were Eldad and Medad from?
I have been trying to find biographical information about Eldad and Medad but cannot seem to find a source which states which tribe they are from. The Baale Tosfot - Daat Zekeinim says they were ...
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Why couldn't the men's Man taste like watermelon?
The verse says in Parshas Beahaloscha (Numbers 11:5):
זָכַ֙רְנוּ֙ אֶת־הַדָּגָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נֹאכַ֥ל בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם חִנָּ֑ם אֵ֣ת הַקִּשֻּׁאִ֗ים וְאֵת֙ הָֽאֲבַטִּחִ֔ים וְאֶת־הֶחָצִ֥יר וְאֶת־הַבְּצָלִ֖ים ...
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Text of manuscript of Ben Ish Chai found after Saddam Hussein’s downfall in 2003?
I heard in a shiur about manuscripts of the Ben Ish Chai found by American troops among 2,700 seforim and tens of thousands of Jewish documents in a flooded basement of Iraq’s intelligence ...
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Parasha Behalotecha- Numbers 12:1 "Cushit" with a khaf vs with a chaf
As I was going through Parashat Behalotecha, I noticed that the word "Cushit", referring to Moshe's wife, is spelled two different ways in the same pasuk, once with a chaf and once with a khaf. Does ...
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Why didn't women complain about not being able to bring the Pesach?
During the first year in the desert, some men were tamei and complained that they couldn't bring the Pesach. This resulted in the mitzvah of Pesach Sheni.
Men and women are equally obligated to ...
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So what if there's no Kohen for Miriam? [duplicate]
In Rashi's second explanation of Behaaloscha 12:12, he says
אִם אֵינְךָ רוֹפְאָהּ בִּתְפִלָּה, מִי מַסְגִּירָהּ,מִי מְטַהֲרָהּ? אֲנִי אִ"אֶ לִרְאוֹתָהּ, שֶׁאֲנִי קָרוֹב וְאֵין קָרוֹב רוֹאֶה אֶת הַנְּגָעִים, ...
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How were the Levites "lifted up" and "waved" in Parshat Behaalothecha (Numbers) 8.11
In B'midbar (Numbers) 8:11 we read:
"Aaron shall lift up the Levites as a waving before the Lord on behalf of the children of Israel...."
What exactly is this "lifting up and waving?&...
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A similitude of the Lord?
What is meant in Bamidbar 12:8 when the verse reads: "and the similitude of the LORD doth he behold" - וּתְמֻנַת יְהוָה, יַבִּיט
I would like to know what the words 'similtude of the Lord' really ...
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Is the Cushite woman Zipporah?
:וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַֽהֲרֹן֙ בְּמשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָֽאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח
"And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite ...
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A heap of people and ingathering of food
Is there any connection between the word אסף (to gather, collect) and אסם (literally a barn or storehouse but could be from an unised root meaning to heap up).
I wondered because there is a feast in ...
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Did Moshe say that he had punished Miriam?
Summary
A woman I don't know posed the following question to me while getting a quick ride to her car: It seems that Rashi and Sifrei on Devarim 1:1 say that Moshe said that he himself had punished ...
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In Parshas Behalosecha why did Bnei Yisrael need to cry for meat?
In Parshas Behalosecha (Bamidbar 11:4), Bnei Yisrael cry for meat in the wilderness.
Bnei Yisrael had plenty of animals of their own. Were they permitted to eat this meat? Additionally, could they ...
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Which way should the Tagin be on a nun hafuchah (upside down nun)?
In a written Torah, there are two upside down nun's - one before Bemidbar 10:35 and another after Bemidbar 10:36.
When the Sofer writes this, should the tagin ("crowns") be placed on top (i.e., ...
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Tent of meeting (אוהל מועד) in the camp or outside it?
In Bamidbar (11:26) we read,
וַיִּשָּׁאֲרוּ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים בַּמַּחֲנֶה שֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֶלְדָּד
וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִי מֵידָד וַתָּנַח עֲלֵהֶם הָרוּחַ וְהֵמָּה בַּכְּתֻבִים
וְלֹא יָצְאוּ הָאֹהֱלָה ...
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In Bamidbar 4:3 they had to be 30 yrs old; in Bamidbar 8:24 they were 25 yrs old; why?
Bamidbar 4:3 "...from thirty years old and above even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting."
Bamidbar 8:24 "...from twenty-five years old and ...
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Why wasn't Aharon punished with Tzraas?
Numbers 12:1
וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite ...
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Was the preparation of the wicks only the Kohen Gadol or all Kohanim?
Was the mitzvah of הטבת הנרות - preparation of the wicks of the Menorah incumbent solely on the Kohen Gadol or was it done by all kohanim?
The Midrash Tanchuma says that after witnessing the tribe ...
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What is the punishment before Vayehi Bineso'ah Ha'aron?
Rashi on Bamidbar 10:35 writes based on Shabbos 116a that Vayehi Bineso'ah Ha'aron is moved out of its proper place is to separate between two punishments.
ויהי בנסע הארן" - עשה לו סמניות מלפניו ...
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In Bamidbar 11:5 why does it use the word נֹאכַ֥ל which is typically future tense?
In Bamidbar 11:5 it says:
זָכַ֙רְנוּ֙ אֶת־הַדָּגָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נֹאכַ֥ל בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם חִנָּ֑ם אֵ֣ת הַקִּשֻּׁאִ֗ים וְאֵת֙ הָֽאֲבַטִּחִ֔ים וְאֶת־הֶחָצִ֥יר וְאֶת־הַבְּצָלִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַשּׁוּמִֽים׃
We remember ...
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Why did HaShem punish the Benei Yisrael through quail in particular?
According to the Midrash, the Benei Yisrael in Bamidbar 11 wished to have illicit relations with close relatives. In response, HaShem punished them with death via eating quail.
Why was this an ...
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Were there two Arks constructed, one by Bezaleel and one by Moshe?
In Devarim 10:1-5 G_d was speaking with Moshe about hewing two new tablets and then in verse 3 it says, (Moshe speaking) "So I made an ark of acacia wood, hewed two tablets of stone like the first ...
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G-d willing to give Manna/Quail, but is angered the second time?
Why is it that when the Israelites complain of not having sufficient food in Exodus 16:3 G-d is completely fine with fulfilling their desires.
3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by ...
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Exodus 24 was a "mass conversion"; why were "the strangers" STILL referred to as "strangers" in the story of craving meat? [closed]
I have been told that before the Torah was given, the Children of Israel weren't yet "Jews" in the religious sense. Only at the "naaseh venishma" moment dod they convert. The erev rav (mixed ...
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Moshe, Ramba"m and humility
Numbers 12:3 informs us that “the man Moses was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.”
This article cites Rambam's (Maimonides) view that humility is an exception to Rambam's ...
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Bemidbar 9:2 - Why is the word pronounced "Posach", with a kamatz?
During this morning's (4th day Hol Hamo'ed Pesach outside Israel) I noticed that in Numbers 9:2:
וְיַעֲשׂ֧וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־הַפָּ֖סַח בְּמוֹעֲדֽוֹ׃
’Let the children of Israel keep the ...
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What changed between Shemos and Bamidbar regarding the Jews complaining?
In Shemos 16:2, Bnai Yisrael complain to Moshe and Aharon:
וַיִּלּוֹנוּ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל משֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן בַּמִּדְבָּר:
Hashem listens to their complaint for meat, and ...
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The mahn (mannah) was compared to בדולח . What is it?
Numbers 11:7 says:
וְהַמָּ֕ן כִּזְרַע־גַּ֖ד ה֑וּא וְעֵינ֖וֹ כְּעֵ֥ין הַבְּדֹֽלַח׃
Now the manna was like coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as
the appearance of bdellium.
Rada"k ...
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Story of Pesach during 2nd year in desert - Where did they get the dough for matzot?
Rashi on Exodus 16:1:1:
בחמשה עשר יום. נתפרש היום של חניה זו, לפי שבו ביום כלתה החררה
שהוציאו ממצרים והצרכו למן, למדנו שאכלו משירי הבצק [משירי המצה] ששים
ואחת סעודות, :
Summary: The Torah ...
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How did the Levites erect the mishkan at each stop if they couldn't the first time?
In Exodus 39:32–33, the Jews finished building the various parts of the Tabernacle and brought them to Moses. The commentary of Rashi:
They brought the Tabernacle, etc., because they couldn't ...
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What did Levites do before they turned 30?
The book of B'midbar (Numbers) tells us that the Levites served in the temple from either the age of 25 (8:24) or 30 (4, various verses), until they were 50. What did they do the rest of the time? Did ...
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Was there a Pesach Sheni after the very first Pesach?
Bamidbar (Num.) 9:1, which begins the section related to Pesach Sheni says that the event occurred in the second year from leaving Egypt. Beginning in verse 9, we learn about the laws of Pesach Sheni.
...
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If the "Nun" preceding Bamidbar (Num) 10:35 is not upside down, is the Torah still kosher?
While reading last week's parsha, I noticed that the letter "nun" immediately preceding the verse Vayehi B'nso'ah ha'aron Bamidbar 10:35 was written as regular nun (tagin on top) rather than upside ...
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Does a father's rebuke cause seven days of humiliation in his child?
In Bamidbor 12:14, Rashi explains the verse to mean that if Miriam's father had turned to her with an angry face, she would have been humiliated for seven days.
Are there other examples where we ...
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