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
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?