Commentaries on Weekly Torah Readings
B'ha'alotcha Shelach l'cha Korach Chukat
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Chukat (חקת) – Numbers 19:1–22:1
by
Jon Thompson
“And the children of Israel, all the congregation, came into the Wilderness of Sin in the first month, and the people stayed in Qadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.
Now there was no water for the congregation and they assembled against Moshe and against Aharon.
And the people contended with Moshe and spoke, saying, ‘If only we had died when our brothers died before YHVH!
Why have you brought up the assembly of YHVH into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?
And why have you brought us up out of Mitsrayim (Egypt), to bring us to this evil place?—not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.’”
(Numbers 20:1—5)
When death strikes, it affects us in unpredictable ways. For some it brings reflection and a commitment to improve life. For others it incites anger over the loss and that anger frequently spreads to other areas. Miriam was Moshe's and Aaron's sister. They no doubt grieved over her loss. Some rabbinical scholars say that Israel remained encamped for thirty days to mourn the loss of the prophetess Miriam.
The text in our portion tells an interesting story. It says, “Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation.” The rabbis relate the statement “there was no water there” with the death of Miriam because it was on her account that the water flowed. But for this look into the portion, I would like to take a different approach.
Perhaps the reason that the statement about the lack of water immediately follows the burial of Miriam is because the people were more concerned with their daily survival than the loss of Moshe's sister. Were their thoughts along the line of: “She was a great lady, but she's gone, and it's time to look at out for ourselves. We would have been better off if we had died with Korach and his group, or with the thousands who died shortly thereafter?”
We should be careful not to make the same mistaken comparisons between the daily trials of life and the deceptively peaceful alternative of either returning to Egypt or going down into the grave.
There are reasons we experience trials. YHVH said that He chastises those He loves. One of the ways we know that we are His children is because He puts us through testing and trial. At the end of their upcoming forty year sojourn in the wilderness Moshe will tell the survivors: “And you shall remember that YHVH your Elohim led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)
We can have many responses to our trials, anger, despair, complaint, and others. What YHVH wants the trials to do is to humble us, to prove us and to see if we will guard His commands regardless of the circumstances we face.
We can look at the final reason for trial, “to know what is in your heart”, in at least two ways. The first perspective is that YHVH wants to see what is in our heart, whether we will patiently endure and call out to Him, or harbor anger or fear. The second perspective is that the trial is for us to see what is in our heart. It is we who need to know that we can remain faithful through testing. Too often we give in to complaining over small trials rather than standing firm in our trust of YHVH's provision.
Those who have survived devastating trials such as loss of family, home, and health, often remark that they never thought they could make it through a trial of that magnitude. Yet they did. YHVH is faithful and He promises that “No trial has overtaken you except such as is common to man, and YHVH is trustworthy, who shall not allow you to be tried beyond what you are able, but with the trial shall also make the way of escape, enabling you to bear it.” (1Corinthians 10:13)
We have the choice of how we respond to trial and testing. What YHVH looks for are those willing to remain faithful even when their faith is tested. Sometimes it is difficult to keep your eye on the big picture when there is no water and no grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates, but that's the reason you are where you are. If you have everything you need where is the test of your faith?
Keep your eye on the prize of Eternal Life regardless of the existing conditions. But along with that, work to improve the current conditions through prayer and through actions consistent with the Torah designed to alleviate the difficulty. YHVH tasked us with feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and afflicted. All designed to repair the damage in the world.
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Korach (קרח) – Numbers 16:1–18:32
by
Jon Thompson
“Korach, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi separated himself, with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, the offspring of Reuben.
They stood before Moses with two hundred and fifty men from the Children of Israel, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown.
They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, ‘It is too much for you! For the entire assembly – all of them – are holy and Yahweh is among them . . .’”
(Numbers 16:1–3)
Korach, the Levite, led a rebellion against Moshe under the guise that “the entire assembly—all of them—are holy and YHVH is among them.” Korach made what has become a classic mistake. He assumed that what YHVH revealed as the congregation's potential state was their current state.
In the last Torah portion, YHHVH instructed the children of Israel to make tzitzit (ציצית) —tassels on the corners of their garments, “So that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy to your YHVH.” (Numbers 15:40) Perhaps Korach misunderstood the instruction to “be holy” as a statement that the congregation was already holy.
The Torah makes a distinction between Korach's “assembly” in Numbers chapter 16 and the “children of Israel” in Numbers chapter 15. Korach confused the difference between the potential that the assembly has to become holy, “if you will remember and perform all (YHVH's) commandments”, with their actual condition.
They are still rebellious; they don't remember and do all the commandments. The fact that 250 leaders of the tribe of Reuben followed Korach in this rebellion is evidence that obedience to the commandments was not universal in the camp. To the credit of the children of Israel, it appears that Korach's group was relatively small.
The assertion Korach made is widespread today. Many people appropriate the promise that Peter quoted from the Torah and apply it to themselves:
“But you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you may openly speak of the virtues of the One who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1Peter 2:9, as he quoted from Exodus 23:22 in the Septuagint) (Emphasis added)
They erroneously conclude that they are “holy, a royal priesthood”. Like Korach, they neglect to examine the context of the promise.
In the Torah, the promise is based on, “If you will indeed hear my voice, and do all the things I shall charge you with, and keep my covenant . . .” (Emphasis added) When Peter quotes the passage from Exodus, he inserts the same caveat when he contrasts those who are entitled to this promise, “those who believe”, with “ . . . them which are disobedient”.
Too many people assume, as Korach apparently did, that the promise of being a royal priesthood, and being holy are automatic. They don't understand that these (and all) promises are contingent on obeying YHVH's instructions. We should be careful not to make the same mistake. We need to recognize that YHVH's promises are sure and wonderful; they are also dependant on our obedience to the instructions linked to them.
On the negative side, the curses are also contingent on our actions. We have the clear choice laid out in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. Obey and receive the promised blessings, rebel and receive the promised curses. YHVH is faithful to carry out His promises. It is up to us whether He gives us His promises of blessing, or cursing.
We shouldn't follow in the error of Korach and call ourselves holy even though we walk contrary to YHVH. We should instead follow YHVH's instructions, commandments, judgments, and statutes, and live our lives so that we actually become holy. When we are obedient rather than rebellious, then The Holy One calls us holy. Far better for Him to call us holy based on our obedience than for us to puff ourselves up and call ourselves holy out of hopeful ignorance or pride.
In the end, He wants His people to obey Him and cleave to Him. We who have come into covenant to follow the YHVH of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob can do it willingly, or He will encourage us through discipline and curses to return to Him. You can do it the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours.
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Shelach l'cha (שלח לך) – Numbers 13:1–15:41
by
Jon Thompson
“And YHVH said unto Moshe: ‘How long will this people despise Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?’” (Numbers 14:11)
Certainly, YHVH still asks the same question. The state of Israel is bowing to world opinion and giving away land they have no right to give away. YHVH deeded the land of Judea to the descendants of Jacob, Israel, for their occupancy until He returns to take possession of it. They don't have the right to give it away.
As it was in the days of Moshe, many of Israel's descendants look at their adversaries and see how big they are and how many there are. They don't listen to Joshua and Caleb, who are tearing their garments and shouting,
“Rebel not against YHVH, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defense is removed from over them, and YHVH is with us; fear them not.” (Numbers 14:9)
Israel wants to be like the rest of the world. They want to be secular. They don't want to have to answer to YHVH. To follow Joshua's advice and not rebel against YHVH means they would have to submit to His instructions in the Torah. They would have to give up their way of doing things and adopt His ways. They would lose the prestige and power they have gained if they submitted to His authority.
The people of modern day Israel still hope for peace, for a cessation of the ongoing horrors of terrorism they have suffered since they became a nation in 1948. Who can blame them for wanting the cowardly attacks against the innocent to stop? They want to be able to live life, go to the store, ride a bus, send their children to school, or go to work, without the constant fear that each day will be their last at the hands of some idiots with a gun or explosives.
Would you want to live with the daily expectation that wherever you are it's likely that a sniper or a suicide terrorist will snuff out your life or the lives of your family? Neither do the people in Israel.
The problem is that as their fathers did, instead of turning to the YHVH of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for help, they are turning again to Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. They hope without hope that maybe following the demands of the EU or the US that the latest “offering to end all offerings” of land to the followers of allah will finally put an end to the bloodshed. It won't.
Perhaps it's time to stop listening to the ten spies who cry out in anguish, “We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” (Numbers 13:31) and begin to listen to the two faithful spies Joshua and Caleb who confidently and passionately cry out unheeded, “We should go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)
What is true for Israel in the land is also true for Israel outside the land. Peace with the enemy of our souls is not possible, only defeat or victory. “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) There is no appeasing the thief with platitudes, peace offerings, or land. The thief doesn't come to steal, kill, or destroy, but to do all three. The only peace the thief will allow is his own, after he accomplishes all three of his desires.
The only viable option is to defeat the enemy. The only way to defeat him is the same way Joshua saw in our portion, if YHVH is with us. The only way YHVH will be with Israel in battle is if they begin to submit to His authority and His Torah. The same is true for everyone who professes to follow the YHVH of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same enemy who assaults the land of Israel today also wants to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you and everything you stand for and believe in.
The consistent message through all the prophets is “Repent”—stop violating YHVH's Torah and begin to obey Him. If you will, He will bless you and be your Shield and your Rock. He will fight for you, not against you, and He will gain the victory over the enemy.
“One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is YHVH your Elohim who fights for you, as He promised you.” (Joshua 23:10)
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B'ha'alotcha (בהעלתך) – Numbers 8:1–12:16
by
Jon Thompson
“And the mixed multitude among them lusted with a great lust; and the sons of Israel also turned back and wept,”
(Numbers 11:4)
The children of Israel lusted after the things of the flesh and often the world follows in their path because these desires are strong attractions. Can you see the reaction? “Sniff, sniff, if we get to . . . (have whatever the flesh desires) . . . then we want to do it too. We don't want to be left out.”
“Who shall cause us to eat flesh? We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; and now our soul withers. There is nothing except this manna before our eyes.”
(Numbers 11:4—5)
Part of their complaint was that they missed the fish without cost in Egypt. They disregarded that the manna was also without cost. Modern followers fall into the same trap. We fail to perceive the cost of those things we lust after, and fail to appreciate the value of the good things in our possession.
We yearn for the free fish and the spicy things of life, the leeks, onions and garlic. The comparatively mundane daily blessings from YHVH quickly bore us, even though they're delicious, like “cakes baked with oil.”
“And Moshe heard the people weeping by its families, each at the door of his tent; and the anger of YHVH glowed exceedingly, and in the eyes of Moshe it was evil. ” (Numbers 11:10)
Why did YHVH respond to Israel's desire for meat with anger, but to Moshe's complaint with a solution to the problem? Perhaps because Moshe's heart was congruent with YHVH's. That which made YHVH angry, Moshe also saw as evil.
Perhaps it was the difference in the motivations behind the two requests. The people lusted after meat of the world, Egypt. Moshe sought legitimate relief from the testing he was going through because of the people's lusts.
YHVH answered Moshe's honest plea for help by appointing seventy elders. This should give us hope that YHVH will equally accommodate our honest pleas for help as we go through periods of testing in our lives.
YHVH met the people's lustful demands for meat by giving them what they lusted for, and then killing them while their desires were still between their teeth, before they could even enjoy their fowl meal. This should cause us to pause and consider the intent behind our requests to YHVH. Yeshua's brother Yaaqov (James) said:
“You ask, and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order that you may spend on your lusts.” (James 4:3)
This portion serves to enlighten us and make us appreciate that YHVH would rather reject our requests and demands for those things we lust after than to grant them to us and then face His wrath. Just the opposite of what occurred in our portion at Kibroth—hattaavah (קברות התאוה) – the graves of lust. (Numbers 11:34)
Today we see the world lusting after the meat of the world, the sins of the flesh. The world clamors for the “aromatics” and deceives many followers of Yeshua who don't want to miss something good. If the lawless ones are getting quail, Yeshua's followers don't want to “settle” for manna. They want some of the melons, leeks, onions, and garlic too.
That's a mistake. YHVH's people are supposed to be holy, separate from the world. We are to be unique. If we're just like everyone else, we're not unique. What separates us from the world is that we make a distinction between clean and unclean, good and evil, and then reject the unclean and evil and choose the clean and the good.
Each moment of life, we choose. With knowledge of Torah we can distinguish between the opposing sides. Then all we need to do is choose to be on YHVH's side.
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“Behold, the days are coming, says YHWH,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah
. . . I will put My law in their minds,
and write it on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Jeremiah 31:31,33b