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The summary of the entire Torah is as simple as this:
Love what HaShem loves; hate what HaShem hates.
All else is commentary.
בּמִדְבּר • B'midbar
(“In the Wilderness”)
The Fourth Book of Moses,
Commonly Called
Numbers
פָּרָשָׁה חֻקַּת
Parsha 39: Chukat • Continued
~ 20 ~
4. The Journey from Paran to the Plains of Moab (20:1-21:35)
a. The Death of Miriam (20:1)
1 In the first month, the whole community of Isra'el came into the Tzin Desert and stayed in Kadesh. [MAP] There Miryam died and was buried.
b. The Sin of Moses and Aaron (20:2-13)
2 There was no water for the community, so they gathered against Moshe and Aharon. 3 The people quarreled with Moshe and said, “We wish that we had died when our brothers died before ADONAI! 4 Why have you brought ADONAI’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5 Why have you led us up out of Egypt just to bring us in to this wreched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink!”
6 Moshe and Aharon went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They fell facdown and the Glory of ADONAI appeared to them.
(RY: ii; LY; iii) 7 ADONAI told Moshe, 8 “Take the staff and and assemble the community. You and your brother Aharon are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water to them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”
9 So Moshe took the staff from in the presence of ADONAI, as He had commanded. 10 Then Moshe and Aharon gathered the assembly together in front of the rock, and he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels! Must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moshe raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff twice, wo that a huge amount of water and water came gushing out; and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, “Because you didn’t trust Me to demonstrate My holiness in the sight of the people of Isra'el, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”[12]
13 These are the waters of Meribah,[13] where the people of Isra'el quarreled with ADONAI, and He showd His holiness among them.
c. Edom Refuses Passage (20:14-21)
(LY: 1v) 14 Moshe sent messengers from Kadesh to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Isra'el says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us; 15 how our fathers went down into Egypt where we lived a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. 16 When we cried out to ADONAI, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.
17 “Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any of the wells. We will stay on the King’s Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
18 But Edom answered, “You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
19 We will stay on the highway,” the people of Isra'el replied, “ and if we and our livestock drink your water we will pay you for it. We will not cause you a problem; just let us pass through on foot,”
20 But Edom said, “You may not pass through.” So Edom came out to confront [Isra'el] with a large army and a strong hand. 21 So Edom refused to allow Isra'el to pass through their territory, and Isra'el turned away from them.
d. The Death of Aaron (20:22-29)
(RY: iii; LY: v) 22 After they had set out from Kadesh, the entire community of Isra'el came to Mount Hor. [MAP] 23 At Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, 24 “Aharon willll be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given to the people of Isra'el, because you both rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aharon and his son El‘azar his son and bring them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aharon’s priestly garments and put them on his son El‘azar. Aharon wiall be gathered [to his people] and will die there.”
27 So Moshe did as ADONAI commanded. They climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28 After Moshe had removed Aharon’s garments and put them on his son El‘azar, Aharon died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moshe and El‘azar came down from the mountain. 29 When all the community saw that Aharon was dead, the whole the house of Isra'el mourned for Aharon thirty days.
12. In his speech of remonstrance to the people Moses seemed to glorify himself and his brother; and instead of speaking to the rock as God had commanded, he struck it twice with his staff. The flow of water was at once restored; but Moses and Aaron were heavily punished because they did not sanctify God in the eyes of the children of Israel. The “Waters of Meribah” was the name given to this scene of strife. [BACK]
13. מְרִיבּה (mə·rî·ḇāh) translates as “strife” or “quarreling.” [BACK]
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ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
