Torah Table Talk

Carrying the Torah:
In the Wilderness and in the Synagogue

Parshat Beha'alotecha
Numbers 8:1 - 12:16

Parshat Beha'alotecha can be divided into three sections. The first part of the Torah portion deals with the beginning of Israel's journey through the wilderness. The final part of the Torah portion describes Israel's rebellion against Israel. No sooner do the people leave on their journey toward the land of Canaan they begin to complain. Even Miriam and Aaron attack Moses. Moses, overwhelmed by the responsibilities of leadership, turns to God and tells Him that he can no longer handle the burden by himself. God then tells him to appoint seventy elders to assist him.

The Middle section of Beha'alotecha is a brief passage separated from the rest of the text by two inverted Hebrew letters. Rashi, following the opinion of the Talmud refers to these verses as "A book unto themselves." These verses should be familiar to anyone who attends Shabbat services.

Numbers 10: 35- 36

35. When the ark set out, Moses would say: Rise up O Lord! May Your enemies be scattered, and may Your foes flees before You!

36. And when it rested, he would say: Return, O Lord, You who are Israel's myriads of thousands!

1.	Why do you think Moses made these declarations when the Israelites began and stopped their journey?
2.	Note that we recite verse 35 when we take the Torah out of the ark and verse 36 when we return the Torah to the ark. What is the connection between the Israelite journey and the Torah service?
3.	Why does Moses refer to God as Israel's "myriads of thousands?"

Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 115b

Our masters taught: "And it came to pass when the Ark set forward that Moses said," etc. (Num. 10:35). For this section the Holy One provided signs (the inverted letter nun) to precede it and signs to follow it, in order to indicate that the section is not in its proper place.

But Rabbi [Judah I, the Patriarch] said: This is not the real reason. The signs indicate that the section is to be regarded as a separate book in itself.

Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said: The section is destined to be moved from its present place and put where it belongs. Why then was it put here to begin with? In order to provide a break between the account of one calamity (note: the account of Israel's three day departure from God in the previous passage which is taken as figurative - Israel departed from God) and the account of another calamity (the account of the murmurers in the wilderness) that immediately followed

1.	If you can open up a copy of the Hebrew text of the Torah and find these verses? Notice the two inverted Hebrew letters which preface and follow the verses. Why do you think they appear here?
2.	Why would the sages suggest that the verses are "out of place?"
3.	Why was it so important to make sure that the two calamities that the Torah referred to were separated from one another?

Etz Hayim Commentary Page 826

During our years of wandering, exile and persecution when we were vulnerable to those who sought to do us harm, our prayer was, "Advance O Lord! May your enemies be scattered!" During tranquil times when the danger is not persecution but assimilation our prayer is a homiletic interpretation of verse 36: "O Lord, return the ten thousands of Israel who have strayed!"

1.	How would you describe the period in which we are living for the Jewish people? Is it a time of exile or tranquility?
2.	What type of prayer should we offer today on behalf of the Jewish people and on behalf of the world in which we live?
3.	How does this commentary differ in its understanding of the verses from Numbers in terms of the plain sense meaning of the verse?

	How to use Torah Table Talk

1.	Read the sheet out loud to one another. Discuss what it has to say.
2.	Focus on the text in the box. It is taken from Biblical, post-biblical and modern Jewish sources. What does it mean? How does it make you feel?
3.	Try to answer the questions following the text.
4.	This is not a test and there are many correct answers and interpretations to each question. Share your ideas with one another. Be open and honest in sharing your ideas.

	All it takes to study Torah is an open heart, a curious mind and a desire to grow a Jewish soul.

	Copyright 2004: Rabbi Mark B Greenspan