Behaalotecha

Behaalotecha, Beha’alotecha, Beha’alothekha, or Behaaloscha (בהעלותך — Hebrew for "when you set up,” the 11th word, and the first distinctive word, in the parshah) is the 36th weekly Torah portion ("parshah") in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the book of Numbers. It constitutes ) Moses was to assemble the Israelites around the Levites and cause the Israelites to lay their hands upon the Levites. () Thereafter, the Levites were qualified for the service of the Tent of Meeting, in place of the firstborn of the Israelites. () But some men were unclean because they had had contact with a corpse and could not offer the Passover sacrifice on the set day. () But if a man who was clean and not on a journey refrained from offering the Passover sacrifice, he was to be cut off from his kin. ()

ilver trumpets

God told Moses to have two silver trumpets made to summon the community and to set it in motion. () Short blasts directed the divisions encamped on the east to move forward, and a second set of short blasts directed those on the south to move forward. () Moses asked his father-in-law (here called Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite) to come with the Israelites, promising to be generous with him, but he replied that he would return to his native land. () When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: “Advance, O Lord! May Your enemies be scattered, and may Your foes flee before You!” ()The riffraff in their midst (Hebrew “"asafsuf"” — compare the “mixed multitude,” Hebrew “"erev rav"” of ) God told Moses to gather 70 elders, so that God could come down and put some of the spirit that rested on Moses upon them, so that they might share the burden of the people. () God answered: “Is there a limit to the Lord’s power?” () Eldad and Medad had remained in camp, yet the spirit rested upon them, and they spoke in ecstasy in the camp. ()

A wind from God then swept quail from the sea and strewed them all around the camp, and the people gathered quail for two days. () God heard and called Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to come to the Tent of Meeting. () Moses cried out to God, “O God, pray heal her!” ()

In classical rabbinic interpretation

Numbers chapter 8

A Baraita interpreted the expression “beaten work of gold” in which used the expression “beaten work” only once. The Gemara concluded that the verse required the craftsmen to beat the menorah from a single piece of metal, but not so the trumpets. (Babylonian Talmud Menachot 28a.)

A midrash deduced from to rule that bulls brought for sacrifices had to be no more than two years old. But the Sages ruled that bulls could be as many as three years old, and Rabbi Meir ruled that even those that are four or five years old were valid, but old animals were not brought out of respect. (Mishnah Parah 1:2.)

A midrash interpreted God’s words “the Levites shall be Mine” in to demonstrate how much God loves Israel. (Leviticus Rabbah 2:4.)

A midrash noted that (Numbers Rabbah 6:3.)

Numbers chapter 9

The Gemara noted that the events beginning in and happened at the beginning of the month. And as [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0428.htm#16 28:16-25;] and Deuteronomy [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0516.htm 16:1–8.] (Mishnah ; Tosefta Pisha 1:1–10:13; Jerusalem Talmud Pesachim 1a–; Babylonian Talmud Pesachim 2a–121b.)

The Gemara asked who were the “certain men” who ). Rabbi Isaac argued, however, that if they were those who bore the coffin of Joseph or if they were Mishael and Elzaphan, they would have had time to cleanse themselves before Passover. Rather, Rabbi Isaac identified the men as some who were occupied with the obligation to burry an abandoned corpse ("met mitzvah"). (Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 25b.)

The Mishnah counted the sin of failing to observe the Passover enumerated in that the Israelites remembered the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic of Egypt. One said that manna had the taste of every kind of food except these five; while the other said that manna had both the taste and the substance of all foods except these, for which manna had only the taste without the substance. (Babylonian Talmud Yoma 75a.)

The Gemara asked how one could reconcile which reported that manna fell as “bread from heaven”; with taught that with the manna came down women’s cosmetics, which were also ground in mortars. Rabbi Hama interpreted the words “seethed it in pots” in which reported that “the taste of it was as the taste of a cake baked with oil,” with which reported God’s promise that the Israelites would eat meat “a whole month,” with that Eldad and Medad remained in the camp. When God ordered Moses in to teach that they prophesied concerning Gog and Magog. The Gemara found support for Rabbi Simeon’s assertion that while the other elders’ prophesying ceased, Eldad’s and Medad’s prophesying continued in the use by requested Moses to forbid them. The Gemara reasoned that if Eldad and Medad prophesied about the quail or Gog and Magog, then Joshua asked Moses to forbid them because their behavior did not appear seemly, like a student who issues legal rulings in the presence of his teacher. The Gemara further reasoned that according to those who said that Eldad and Medad prophesied about the quail or Gog and Magog, Moses’ response in for Moses to “forbid them” to mean that Moses should give Eldad and Medad public burdens that would cause them to cease their prophesying. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 17a.)

Numbers chapter 12

The Mishnah cited (Mishnah Babylonian Talmud Sotah 9b.)

Commandments

According to both Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are 3 positive and 2 negative commandments in the parshah.
*To slaughter the second Passover lamb ()
*Not to break any bones from the second Passover offering ( ) Both the parshah and the haftarah also discuss the purification of priests and their clothes, the parshah in the purification of the Levites ( during the Torah service when the Ark containing the Torah is opened. And Jews chant the description of how the Israelites set the Ark of the Covenant down in (inquiry of God on the law); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0427.htm 27:1–11] (inquiry of God on the law); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0428.htm#16 28:16-25] (Passover).
*Deuteronomy [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0509.htm#22 9:22] (Kibroth-hattaavah); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0516.htm#13 16:1–8] (Passover).
*Psalms [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2622.htm#23 22:23] (congregation); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2625.htm#14 25:14] (hearing God’s counsel); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2626.htm#6 26:6] (cleansing); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2635.htm#18 35:18] (congregation); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2640.htm#10 40:10–11] (congregation); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2648.htm#15 48:15] (God as guide); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2668.htm#2 68:2–3] (let God arise, enemies be scattered); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2673.htm#24 73:24] (God as guide); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2676.htm#9 76:9] (God’s voice); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2678.htm#14 78:14,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2678.htm#26 26,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2678.htm#30 30] (cloud; wind from God; food still in their mouths); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2680.htm#2 80:2] (God as guide; enthroned on cherubim); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2681.htm#4 81:4] (blowing the horn); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2685.htm#9 85:9] (hearing what God says); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2688.htm#4 88:4–7] (like one dead); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2694.htm#9 94:9] (God hears); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a5.htm#26 105:26] (Moses, God’s servant); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a6.htm#4 106:4,] [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a6.htm#42 42] (remember for salvation; enemies who oppressed); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a7.htm#7 107:7] (God as guide); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26c2.htm 122:1] (going to God’s house); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26d2.htm#8 132:8] (arise, God).

Early nonrabbinic

* [http://www.piney.com/DocDSSWar.html The War Scroll] . Dead Sea scroll 1QM 10:1–8a. Land of Israel, 1st Century B.C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., Géza Vermes. "The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English", 161, 173. New York: Penguin Press, 1997. ISBN 0-7139-9131-3.
*Philo. [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book2.html "Allegorical Interpretation" 1:] 24:76; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book3.html 2:] 17:66; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book4.html 3:] 33:103, 59:169, 72:204; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book6.html "On the Birth of Abel and the Sacrifices Offered by Him and by His Brother Cain"] 18:66; 22:77; 26:86; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book7.html "That the Worse Is Wont To Attack the Better"] 19:63; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book9.html "On the Giants"] 6:24; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book13.html "On Drunkenness"] 10:39; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book14.html "On the Prayers and Curses Uttered by Noah When He Became Sober"] 4:19; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book16.html "On the Migration of Abraham"] 28:155; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book17.html "Who Is the Heir of Divine Things?"] 5:20; 15:80; 52:262; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book20.html "On the Change of Names"] 39:232; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book21.html "On Dreams, That They Are God-Sent"] 2:7:49; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book25.html "On the Life of Moses"] 2:42:230; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book30.html "The Special Laws"] 4:24:128–30; [http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book41.html "Questions and Answers on Genesis"] 1:91. Alexandria, Egypt, early 1st Century C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition". Translated by Charles Duke Yonge, 33, 45, 62, 69, 73, 102, 104–05, 119, 153, 210, 229, 268, 277, 282, 299, 361, 391, 511, 629, 810. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1993. ISBN 0-943575-93-1.
*Josephus, "Antiquities of the Jews" [http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b3c12.html 3:12:5] – [http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b3c13.html 13:1.] Circa 93–94. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition". Translated by William Whiston, 98–99. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1987. ISBN 0-913573-86-8.

Classical rabbinic

*Mishnah: Pesachim 9:1–4; ; Sanhedrin 1:6; Zevachim 14:4; Keritot 1:1; Negaim 14:4; Parah 1:2. Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Mishnah: A New Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 246, 449, 584, 731, 836, 1010, 1013. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-300-05022-4.
*Tosefta: Bikkurim 1:2; Pisha (Pesachim) 4:14; 8:1, 3; Shekalim 3:26; Sotah 4:2–4; 6:7–8; 7:18; Keritot 1:1; Parah 1:1–3; Yadayim 2:10. Land of Israel, circa 300 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 1:345, 493, 508–09, 538, 845, 857–58, 865; 2:1551, 1745–46, 1907. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 2002. ISBN 1-56563-642-2.
*Sifre to Numbers 59:1–106:3. Land of Israel, circa 250–350 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Sifré to Numbers: An American Translation and Explanation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 2:1–132. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1986. ISBN 1-55540-010-8.
*Jerusalem Talmud: Berakhot 45a. Land of Israel, circa 400 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Yerushalmi". Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, vol. 1. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
*Mekhilta of Rabbi Simeon 5:2; 12:3; 16:2; 20:5; 22:2–23:1; 29:1; 37:1–2; 40:1–2; 43:1; 44:2; 47:2. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Mekhilta de-Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai". Translated by W. David Nelson, 14, 41, 55, 85, 98, 100, 102, 131, 159, 162, 170–72, 182, 186, 209. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2006. ISBN 0-8276-0799-7.
*Babylonian Talmud: Berakhot 7a, 32a, 34a, 54b, 55b, 63b; Shabbat 31b, 87a, 115b–16a, 130a; Eruvin 2a, 40a; Pesachim 6b, 28b, 36a, 59a, 64a, 66a–67a, 69a–b, 77a, 79a, 80a, 85a, 90a–b, 91b, 92b–93b, 95a, 115a, 120a; Yoma 3b, 7a, 28b, 51a, 66a, 75a–76a; Sukkah 25a–b, 47b, 53a–54a, 55a; Rosh Hashanah 3a, 5a, 18a, 26b–27a, 32a, 34a; Taanit 7a, 29a, 30b; Megillah 5a, 21b, 31a; Moed Katan 5a, 15b, 16a–b; Chagigah 5b, 18b, 25b; Yevamot 63b, 103b; Ketubot 57b; Nedarim 38a, 64b; Nazir 5a, 15b, 40a, 63a; Sotah 9b, 33b; Gittin 60a–b; Kiddushin 32b, 37b, 76b; Bava Kamma 25a, 83a; Bava Metzia 86b; Bava Batra 91a, 111a, 121b; Sanhedrin 2a, 3b, 8a, 17a, 36b, 47a, 110a; Makkot 10a, 13b, 14b, 17a, 21a; Shevuot 15b, 16b; Avodah Zarah 5a, 24b; Horayot 4b, 5b; Zevachim 9b, 10b, 22b, 55a, 69b, 79a, 89b, 101b, 106b; Menachot 28a–b, 29a, 65b, 83b, 95a, 98b; Chullin 7b, 17a, 24a, 27b, 29a, 30a, 105a, 129b; Bekhorot 4b, 33a; Arakhin 10a, 11a–b, 15b; Keritot 2a, 7b. Babylonia, 6th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Bavli". Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.

Medieval

*Saadia Gaon. "The Book of Beliefs and Opinions", 2:10–11; 3:8–9; 5:3, 7; 9:8. Baghdad, Babylonia, 933. Translated by Samuel Rosenblatt, 116, 119, 127, 165, 170, 214, 230, 349. New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1948. ISBN 0-300-04490-9.
*Rashi. "Commentary". [http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=9936&showrashi=true Numbers 8–12.] Troyes, France, late 11th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Rashi. "The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated". Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, 4:87–145. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. ISBN 0-89906-029-3.
*Solomon ibn Gabirol. "A Crown for the King", [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/sig/sig85.htm 33:421.] Spain, 11th Century. Translated by David R. Slavitt, 56–57. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-19-511962-2. (“mixed multitude” ("asafsuf")).
*Judah Halevi. "Kuzari". Toledo, Spain, 1130–1140. Reprinted in, e.g., Jehuda Halevi. "Kuzari: An Argument for the Faith of Israel." Intro. by Henry Slonimsky, 102, 200–01, 212, 217, 295. New York: Schocken, 1964. ISBN 0-8052-0075-4.
*Numbers Rabbah 15:1–25. 12th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Numbers". Translated by Judah J. Slotki. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Maimonides. "The Guide for the Perplexed", Cairo, Egypt, 1190. Reprinted in, e.g., Moses Maimonides. "The Guide for the Perplexed". Translated by Michael Friedländer, 3, 17–18, 23, 34, 39, 55, 58, 63, 75, 198, 214, 225, 234–35, 242, 245, 254, 324, 331, 383. New York: Dover Publications, 1956. ISBN 0-486-20351-4.
*Zohar 1:6b, 76a, 148a, 171a, 176b, 183a, 243a, 249b; 2:21a, 54a, 62b, 82b, 86b, 130a, 196b, 203b, 205b, 224b, 241a; 3:118b, 127a–b, 146b, [http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar&vol=39 148b–56b,] 198b; Raya Mehemna 42b. Spain, late 13th Century. Reprinted in, e.g, "The Zohar". Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1934.

Modern

*Thomas Hobbes. "Leviathan", England, 1651. Reprint edited by C. B. Macpherson, 432, 460, 462, 464, 505, 595. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. ISBN 0140431950.
*Louis Ginzberg. "Legends of the Jews", [http://philologos.org/__eb-lotj/vol3/p06.htm#THE%20UNGRATEFUL%20MULTITUDE 3:455–97.] Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1911.
*Phyllis Trible. “Bringing Miriam Out of the Shadows.” "Bible Review". 5 (1) (Feb. 1989).
*Jacob Milgrom. "The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation", 59–99, 367–87. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1990. ISBN 0-8276-0329-0.
*Baruch A. Levine. "Numbers 1–20", 4:267–343. New York: Anchor Bible, 1993. ISBN 0-385-15651-0.
*Mary Douglas. "In the Wilderness: The Doctrine of Defilement in the Book of Numbers", 58–59, 80, 84, 86, 103, 107, 109–12, 120–21, 123–26, 135–38, 141, 143, 145, 147, 167, 175, 186, 188–90, 192, 195–98, 200–01, 209–10. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Reprinted 2004. ISBN 0-19-924541-X.
*Bernhard W. Anderson. “Miriam’s Challenge: Why was Miriam severely punished for challenging Moses’ authority while Aaron got off scot-free? There is no way to avoid the fact that the story presupposes a patriarchal society.” "Bible Review". 10 (3) (June 1994).
*Phyllis Trible. “Eve and Miriam: From the Margins to the Center.” In "Feminist Approaches to the Bible: Symposium at the Smithsonian Institution September 24, 1994". Biblical Archaeology Society, 1995. ISBN 1880317419.
*Hershel Shanks. “Insight: Does the Bible refer to God as feminine?” "Bible Review". 14 (2) (Apr. 1998).
*Elie Wiesel. “Supporting Roles: Eldad and Medad.” "Bible Review". 15 (2) (Apr. 1999).
*Robert R. Stieglitz. “The Lowdown on the Riffraff: Do these obscure figures preserve a memory of a historical Exodus?” "Bible Review". 15 (4) (Aug. 1999).
*J. Daniel Hays. “Moses: The private man behind the public leader.” "Bible Review". 16 (4) (Aug. 2000):16–26, 60–63.
*Marek Halter. "Zipporah, Wife of Moses". New York: Crown, 2005. ISBN 1400052793.

External links

* [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0408.htm Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translation]
* [http://Bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp?action=displaypage&book=4&chapter=8&verse=1&portion=36 Hear the parshah chanted]