From Parshah Masei Chapter 33.1-36.13

Summary

The portion gives us a list of the 42 stopping points of the Israelites forty year journey in the wilderness.It also sets out the boundaries and borders  of the Promised Land. The cities of refuge were set aside for the protection of those found guilty of manslaughter, that is, of killing someone accidentally, without hatred or intention.The parshah ends with a claim on the part of the leaders of the tribe of Menashe that the ruling in favor of the daughters of Tzlofhad that they were entitled to inherit their late father’s share in the land could mean that the land was lost to the tribe if any of them married members of another tribe. A divine ruling resolves the conflict: the daughters have a right to inherit the land but must marry only within the tribe. With this, the book of Numbers ends.

Matot and Masei  are often read together in the book of Bamidbar. The Book of Bamidbar is full of stories of what happened while the people lived in the desert as well as the laws that the people were taught during this time.

Moshe taught about the Mishkan(tabernacle), Lashon Hara(gossip) and the future laws for the land. Every time the people made a mistake, God forgave them and Moshe tried to show them a better way to live.

Judaism appreciates its teachers, like it appreciates parents.Parents give us physical life, teachers give us spiritual life. When our parents teach us we are doubly blessed. Physical life is mortal, transient. Spiritual life is eternal.

17 These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses concerning a man and his wife, a father and his daughter, in her youth, while in her father’s house.

Discussion Questions

1.  How was Reuben and Gad’s request not to enter the Land of Israel different from the previous story of the spies?

2.  Why have Jews always been so passionate about their children’s education, and what impact has this had in Jewish history?

Torah story #10

Title: 40 years in the Desert

Label: From Parshah Masei Chapter 33.1-36.13

The portion gives us a list of the 42 stopping points of the Israelites forty year journey in the wilderness.It also sets out the boundaries and borders  of the Promised Land. The cities of refuge were set aside for the protection of those found guilty of manslaughter, that is, of killing someone accidentally, without hatred or intention.The parshah ends with a claim on the part of the leaders of the tribe of Menashe that the ruling in favor of the daughters of Tzlofhad that they were entitled to inherit their late father’s share in the land could mean that the land was lost to the tribe if any of them married members of another tribe. A divine ruling resolves the conflict: the daughters have a right to inherit the land but must marry only within the tribe. With this, the book of Numbers ends.

Matot and Masei  are often read together in the book of Bamidbar.The Book of Bamidbar is full of stories of what happened while the people lived in the desert as well as the laws that the people were taught during this time.

Moshe taught about the Mishkan(tabernacle), Lashon Hara(gossip) and the future laws for the land. Every time the people made a mistake, God forgave them and Moshe tried to show them a better way to live.

Judaism appreciates its teachers, like it appreciates parents.Parents give us physical life, teachers give us spiritual life. When our parents teach us we are doubly blessed. Physical life is mortal, transient. Spiritual life is eternal.

Numbers Chapter 33

1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel who left the land of Egypt in their legions, under the charge of Moses and Aaron.
2 Moses recorded their starting points for their journeys according to the word of the Lord, and these were their journeys with their starting points.
3 They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day following the Passover sacrifice, the children of Israel left triumphantly before the eyes of all the Egyptians.
4 And the Egyptians were busy burying because the Lord had struck down their firstborn and had wrought vengeance against their deities.
5 The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth.
6 They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, at the edge of the desert.
7 They journeyed from Etham and camped in Pi hahiroth, which faces Baal zephon; and they camped in front of Migdol.
8 They journeyed from Penei hahiroth and crossed in the midst of the sea to the desert. They walked for three days in the desert of Etham and camped in Marah.
9 They journeyed from Marah and arrived in Elim, and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.
10 They journeyed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
11They journeyed from the Red Sea and camped in the desert of Sin.
12They journeyed from the desert of Sin and camped in Dophkah.
13 They journeyed from Dophkah and camped in Alush.
14 They journeyed from Alush and camped in Rephidim, but there there was no water for the people to drink.
15 They journeyed from Rephidim and camped in the Sinai desert.
16 They journeyed from the Sinai desert and camped in Kivroth hataavah.
17 They journeyed from Kivroth hataavah and camped in Hazeroth
18 They journeyed from Hazeroth and camped in Rithmah.
19 They journeyed from Rithmah and camped in Rimmon perez.
20 They journeyed from Rimmon perez and camped in Libnah.
21They journeyed from Libnah and camped in Rissah.
22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped in Kehelathah.
23 They journeyed from Kehelathah and camped in Mount Shepher.
24 They journeyed from Mount Shepher and camped in Haradah.
25 They journeyed from Haradah and camped in Makheloth.
26 They journeyed from Makheloth and camped in Tahath.
27They journeyed from Tahath and camped in Tarah.
28They journeyed from Tarah and camped in Mithkah.
29They journeyed from Mithkah and camped in Hashmonah.
30They journeyed from Hashmonah and camped in Moseroth.
31They journeyed from Moseroth and camped in Benei jaakan.
32They journeyed from Benei jaakan and camped in Hor hagidgad.
33They journeyed from Hor hagidgad and camped in Jotbathah.
34They journeyed from Jotbathah and camped in Abronah.
35They journeyed from Abronah and camped in Etzion geber.
36They journeyed from Ezion geber and camped in the desert of Zin, which is Kadesh.
37 They journeyed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, at the edge of the land of Edom.
38 Aaron the kohen ascended Mount Hor at the Lord’s bidding and died there, on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year of the children of Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
39 Aaron was one hundred and twenty three years old when he died at Mount Hor.
40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the south, in the land of Canaan, heard that the children of Israel had arrived.
41 They journeyed from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah……
42 They journeyed from Zalmonah and camped in Punon.
43 They journeyed from Punon and camped in Oboth.
44 They journeyed from Oboth and camped at the ruins of Abarim, on the Moabite boundary.
45 They journeyed from the ruins and camped in Dibon gad.
46 They journeyed from Dibon gad and camped in Almon diblathaimah.
47 They journeyed from Almon diblathaimah and camped in the mountains of Abarim, in front of Nebo.
48 They journeyed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
49 They camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel shittim, in the plains of Moab.

Discussion Questions

1.Think of a teacher who is really important to you. How have they made an impact on your life?

2. How has Judaism’s emphasis on education impacted Jews over the generations of Jewish history?

Discussion Questions

    • How was Reuben and Gad’s request not to enter the Land of Israel different from the previous story of the spies?
    • Why have Jews always been so passionate about their children’s education, and what impact has this had in Jewish history?