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June 25, Shlach Lecha

Shabbat Shlach lecha Shalom! We at Beit Torah will discuss the dangers of mis/dis-information and propaganda...

Shlach Lecha 5782 Combatting Mob Mentality and Violence; Numbers 13-15; Joshua 2:1-24

Now twelve scouts were chosen, one from each tribe.

They were sent to check out the Promised Land.

They returned with a plump grapes bunch in hand

And a good report of milk and honey

Flowing throughout, with right rainfall, sunny.

Yet for to conquer they felt a bad vibe

Of being very weak and them far too small

To take over the Land, to take it all.

This fear, this vibe, they gossiped, widely spread,

‘Til frenzied folk wanted dissenters dead.

Caleb and Joshua were barely saved

When Shechina in Meeting Tent was seen

Telling Moshe he had to intervene

To stop the mob violence the People craved.

How frightening for him it had to be

When ‘good’ folk into monsters he could see.

More so for Joshua’s and Caleb’s sight…

Repeated over in our history:

Kristallnacht, Tulsa, the Native homes wiped

Out by lies, hatred, myths, and bigotry.

While the Scouts brought back a plague somewhat new,

Killing more than ten mob leaders, at least,

The People were told it is time to go

‘Tween the inland valley Amalekites

By the Sea of Reeds near the Canaanites

(This reed sea is not the Exodus one,

But near a gulf somewhat more to the east.)

Still rebuked folk tried invasion re-do,

But without HaShem’s backing, failed, were done…

Their efforts left them with just deaths to show...

With the People HaShem then was not fine,

Threatening to send plagues and disown them -

Moshe pled for forbearance one more time,

Not wanting to sire a nation chosen

To follow the Brit without mobs nor gripes…

So from his begging came a compromise:

Save for Caleb and Josh, adults perished

Before the People could enter the Land

Where future generations could then stand

Compliant with Laws, with their Land cherished.

Now Moshe saw mob violence People made

So he feared becoming the next victim.

He was upset with politicking lies

After hoping at least some would realize

That mobs don’t follow Mitzvot. They stray.

So though told cut off* defiant sinners,

All the mob stoned the gatherer whose sin

Was Shabbat wood pick up. Hence no winners.

Not even one refrained from his stoning -

Was just such one what Moshe was hoping?**

Was the man senile? With one sick at home?

Context and intent were unchecked, unknown.

In wake of this so disappointing act,

Folk were told to always recall the fact

That Mitzvot must be followed all the time

So wearing Tzitzits*** now was to remind

Them all to observe and investigate

Violations. The Punishment can wait.

Was the act unknowing or with intent?

Was it defiant - or not - the way it went?

By the by, a sacrifice list given

Told what to do post-forty years living

In the desert, then entering the Land

Where all peoples there had one Law as planned.

Residents, citizens, and strangers, all,

Were to have same rituals, rules, and Laws…

Haftorah, Joshua

Now Caleb and Joshua were good spies.

So, too, Jericho’s Rahab helped two scouts;

Protecting both by hiding them with lies;

Helping them escape when they went about.

Now harlot was Rahab or prostitute

Or inn keeper, clear headed and astute,

Converted for community. Thus saved

And redeemed to have a future well paved

With rewards gained for her work it is told

With family safety and growing old

In marriage with Joshua, leader bold,

To have offspring who her name did restore,

Her successful and well-known descendants

Such as Jeremiah, Priests, many more

Showed the low can thus become ascendant!

Shabbat Shalom!

*cut off = excommunicate or shun; defiant = intentional

** if one refused to stone the man, then stoning would have been prevented

*** tzitzits = fringes or tassels with blue thread on clothing corners

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June 18, B'Ha-alotecha

Shabbat BeHa-alotecha Shalom! We at Beit Torah will discuss families, justice, calamities, desert foods and Priestly tasks...

Shabbat BeHa-aotecha 5782; Judges, Priestly Duties, Calamities and Desert foods

BaMidbar 8:1-12-16; Zechariah 2:14-4:7

How to make lamp stands from hammered gold alloy plate

Opens our parasha portion to light the way

To another revealed version of Yitro’s name,

One more account of Mishkan purification

Restating Levite’s special first born-like station

As purified attendants to Aaron and Sons

So by Cohanim no menial work was done...

Plus Israelite sons [but not from flocks] can regain

Family status when redeemed with shekels pay.

Now Yitro, Hobab, and Reuel are Zipporah’s line

As named Midian Priest, High Priest, Grandpa or Dad.

The confusing bit may stem from multi-sourced tales

Of the same events of history, yours and mine,

Just like Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb, both HaShem’s pad,

The Holy abode, source of our Brit, whence Mitzvot hale!

Also at odds are male head counts and job ages

Whereas before, Levites started work at thirty.

Now twenty-five, a larger workforce was made...

The old were only guards, no hands getting dirty…

Still as before, post-fifty we may find sages.

So elef’s unit, not a thousand as today,

Said unit likely comprised of five or six guys

Totalled a count where all could find work if they tried.

Herein is told: The Tent of Meeting’s outside camp

Unlike the central Mishkan, Shechinah’s cloud…

So when travel was needed, trumpet blasts were loud

With given signals to guide the gathering crowd

Following the high Mishkan cloud along their tramp.

Did Pa Hobab agree to be the People’s guide?

(Different blast sounds were used for wartime too!)

(Such horn blasts were used too to herald special days

Of Festivals and Rosh Chodesh BaAretz stays…

If one missed a Seder, in a month could re-do.)

Elef count's seen, too, when telling of longing for meat -

Three K plus kin [not six hundred K plus] to feed

Is easier with dropping quail for a month of meals,

So free dropping birds were at quite a price, a steal!

Were they low on oxygen, energy or air?

Did a toxin overcome them? hot fumes? or death fare?

As uncooked or uncured, with raw meat: Death was there…

Was bdellium colored Mannah a better stew?

Coriander seed and cream taste kept folk alive.

We are told the camp outskirts suffered a blaze

Of perhaps a lightning strike or man made mishap…

If Tent of Meeting was located at Taberah those days,

Then a first seventy elders in meeting trapped,

Perished- all lost – So Moshe tried to fill the gap;

Overwhelmed, suicidal, exhausted, despaired;

Told to gather another seventy; aware

Of their honest efforts to fairly judge with care

Along with Eldad and Medad, prophets spirit-filled,

In the camp among the people as HaShem willed.

Or was this version of how seventy gathered

An otherly sourced tale of how judging mattered?

His siblings hazed Moshe about his Cushite wife.

So Miriam’s stress caused her scaly skin so white;

Gave her seven days quarantine for skin to heal;

Then on to Paran with no further word revealed...

Shabbat Shalom!

Haftorah, Zechariah

According to Zechariah, HaShem promised to dwell

Amongst the Chosen - Jerusalem first chosen as well...

As if in a dream, Zechariah claimed to see

Joshua, the High Priest, standing in tattered clothes

Before the Holy Judge, Prosecutor on right.

The Prosecutor by the Judge rebuked sternly,

Told his attendants to dress Josh in Priestly Robes

As a guiltless servant crowned with diadem light,

Promising to be faithful to HaShem's Laws all nights

With reward to tend to HaShem, lead righteous Priests,

As marked on a seven eyed, engraved stone decree

That one day, all sit together in shade of fig trees...

Zach thought he woke up, asked by the Angelic Judge:

What, at that point, was it he was able to see?

He then saw a golden lamp stand beneath a bowl;

Seven lamps below pipes; each side an olive tree;

A mountain mined level by Zerubavel's path

Producing beautiful, excellent, building stones

For the Temple with Priest vestments and crown made whole...

Then the angel asked: "Prophet! What does it all mean?"

To Zerubavel HaShem said: Not by my might,

Nor by my power, but by my Spirit alone...

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Nasso, June 11

Shabbat Nasso Shalom! We at Beit Torah will discuss corruption and promises, gifts vs bribes.

Shabbat Nasso 5782; Vows, Priestly Duties, Nazarites, Gifts vs. Bribes;

BaMidbar 4:21-7:89; Judges 13:2 -13:25

Now we learn more of how Levites special were made:

Merarites stood to protect Mishkan contents all

Which were sacred to HaShem and the Tribes it’s said;

Gershonites transported Mishkan parts without falls;

Kohathites maintained the Tent of Meeting quite well

While each clan performed its tasks, too many to tell…

With the Mishkan fully anointed and all therein,

With appointed duties to different Levite clans,

Daily offerings each by another Chieftain,

Twelve came to dedicate the Altar as per plan.

Above the Ark of the Pact in the Meeting Tent

Moshe spoke with, heard from HaShem when there he went.

One said to be impure outside the camp was placed

While those who had stolen were then given a break

At a hundred twenty percent repayment take,

Not two hundred... [ Was it guilty conscience based?]-

Yet since perishable gifts to named Priests were okay,

One wonders: were there bribes to limit costs that day?

Communal non-perishable gifts to coffers saved

Allowed Mishkan functioning in every case

Such as for women accused of being unchaste,

Then given floor dirt and cursed ink flavored water

To cause childlessness if an unfaithful daughter,

But not death, just shaming, from the cursed bitter ink

Or bitterness when falsely accused one might think…

Yet no consequence for a false accuser was made…

[Paranoid misogynistic men on parade?]

Now the Nazarite vows were not taken lightly,

Required no takes of grapes or ferments in any form,

No hair cuts, no nearing the dead. So was the norm.

If someone present died, vows restarted once more

After seven days impure shaved rightly,

With purifying rites for spirit to restore.

Speaking of Nazarites, it’s good to know

That the Haftorah for this week, as Judges goes,

Is of the birth of Samson with his Mother’s vows

Of no grapes nor ferments nor wines nor nearing death

To finally have a child to raise with each breath,

Nazarite child to suppress Philistines somehow,

A male child who grew to be by HaShem quite blessed

Like our portion ending with three Priest blessings blessed...

Shabbat Shalom!

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B'Midbar, June 4 - Erev Shavuot

Shabbat B'Midbar Shalom! We at Beit Torah ask what expectations should we have of our leaders?

Shabbat B'Midbar 5782; Leaders, Protectors, Obligations, Responsibilities;

BaMidbar 1:1-4:20; Hosea 2:1-22

Why ‘Numbers’ when ‘in the desert’ the Hebrew says

For this next Book of Torah we now embrace?

Perhaps since it starts with many a census counts:

Of elected tribal Chiefs (for just dealings – a fount);

Of draft aged men; of one month old males and older;

Of all Levites en toto and by each clan’s case -

Not once but twice to assign tasks each must shoulder

Ages thirty to fifty, light tasks for older base

When post-fifty wisdom is the skill used best:

How to dismantle and assemble Mishkan parts;

How to organize the camp, all facing the ark,

By each unit of each tribe at Moshe’s behest.

In charge of Priestly functions were Aaron and sons

For some of tasks needed they were the only ones!

If elef is one thousand, the census seems wrong.

Yet if elef is a unit of six or five,

The numbers to camp for forty years and survive

Are reasonable in a desert clime to belong.

Since Reuven’s misbehaviours it possibly seemed

That the Levites were viewed like first born by HaShem…

Hence first born sons for the Priests could then be redeemed

At five shekels a head by the Pidyon HaBen.

Haftorah, Hosea

Of a spiritual desert Hosea wrote

In our Haftorah portion for this week’s readings.

By temptations refused, the Exodus recalled,

Our bond with HaShem restored by Mitzvot heeding.

How then was it a spiritual desert place?

The chasing of wealth and gods did goodness erase,

Bounty from G!d misused in unethical pursuits,

Like a 'wife' engaged in harlotry gave G!d the boot...

Israel's the wife, mother to be rebuked

Until enticed to return to the Law once more

So that full bounty and mitzvot can be restored

Without harlots, idolatry, hate emoted -

So that a Brit of safety's made with the devoted

To HaShem's Laws and Mitzvot so as to become

HaShem's "my people", a Nation acting as one!