{"id":3399,"date":"2018-05-28T12:16:36","date_gmt":"2018-05-28T12:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=3399"},"modified":"2018-05-28T12:16:36","modified_gmt":"2018-05-28T12:16:36","slug":"parashat-behalotcha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2018\/05\/28\/parashat-behalotcha\/","title":{"rendered":"Parashat Behalotcha"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shabbat Table Talk<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Parashat Behalotcha\u00a0\u00a0 Shabbat, June 2nd<\/sup>, 2018<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Week of May 27th<\/sup> \u2013 June 2nd<\/sup><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Torah portion<\/em><\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0Num. 8:1-12:15\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Haftarah: Zech. 2:14-4:7<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Author: Rita Kammermayer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Download<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"T<\/em><\/strong>here are many important themes held within this week\u2019s parashah with its central focus on the inauguration of the Mishken. As I read I came to see more clearly the humanity of the three prominent figures in the Exodus journey, mainly the siblings, Aaron, Miriam and Moses, \u201cFor I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery and sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.\u201d (Micah 6:4)\u00a0 These chosen three accompanied and guided the Israelites through the desert.\u00a0 I would like to focus on each of these three seeing them as very human characters in both their greatness and their weakness.<\/p>\n

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Aaron, the High Priest, the first to wear the priestly vestments approached his work with a sense of reverence and mystery. He officiated at the purification ceremonies and trained the Levites in their respective roles. It was Aaron who was the spokesperson for Moses before Pharaoh. Aaron was a humble man, faithful to his calling and indeed a man of peace. However, it was Aaron, who while Moses was on Mt. Sinai yielded by popular pressure and helped the Israelites craft a golden calf. (Ex. 32:1-4)<\/p>\n

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Moses, the only person to whom the Lord spoke \u201cface to face\u201d (Ex. 33:11) is the most acclaimed prophet and leader. He had witnessed unsurpassed moments and yet the most insurmountable challenges. In time, Moses came to realize the extreme pressure and fatigue of his calling in leading the Israelites.\u00a0 Facing numerous complaints and disputes, Moses in desperation implored God, \u201cWhy have you done evil to your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes?\u201d (Num.11:11) It was while sojourning in the desert of Zin at Meribah, when the people demanded water, that Moses failing to follow God\u2019s instruction struck the rock in anger. (Ex.17:2)<\/p>\n

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Miriam, so instrumental in saving her younger brother was a courageous young girl who hid in the reeds and closely watched the basket float down the river. As Pharaoh\u2019s daughter took the child, Miriam approached and offered a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. (Ex 2:1-10)\u00a0 Her actions in actuality saved Moses!\u00a0 Later, it was Miriam, acclaimed as a prophetess who led the Israelite women in joyous song after crossing the Red Sea. (Ex.15:20) \u00a0Having known years of slavery, she now faced freedom and broke forth into song praising God who had heard their cry, saving his people with power and love. It seemed strange that both she and Aaron would later complain of Moses\u2019 marriage and of his authority, \u201cHas God spoken only through Moses?\u201d (Num. 12:2)<\/p>\n

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These three characters knew hope and despair, terror and deliverance, slavery and freedom.\u00a0 They were instrumental in God\u2019s plan of redemption and in moments of joy, they expressed their praise and gratitude to God.\u00a0 Yet being human, they were not exempt from moments of weakness and vulnerability. We too, know this in our own lives, times when we are in tune with God\u2019s design and yet at other times when we give way to our self-importance and fail to rely on God\u2019s help. Like Abraham, it was Aaron, Moses and Miriam who heard God\u2019s call and responded with \u2018Here I am,\u2019 as best they could. No matter what happened in life, whether they made a bad choice or a good one, they knew that their relationship with God was secure and alive. Their lives presented many challenges, yet their faithfulness and trust in God far outreached any of these, thus providing remarkable models for all who follow after them.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLife is God\u2019s question. We are his answer\u2026\u2026God does not need to know, or be assured by us, that he is God. He needs to know that we hear his call, that we are ready to rise to his challenge and that we are willing to take into our own hands the responsibility with which he has entrusted, empowered and given strength by that very trust itself.\u201d (Sacks 268)<\/p>\n

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For Reflection and Discussion<\/em><\/strong>: <\/em>Do we live our lives in gratitude and joy that God has called us to be part of God\u2019s great plan for all of humanity?<\/p>\n

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Bibliography<\/em><\/strong>: <\/em>Etz Hayim, <\/em>Torah and Commentary (New York, 2001); Adele Berlin<\/em> and Marc Zvi Brettler,<\/em> To Heal a Broken World, (New York, 2005); Jonathan<\/em> Sacks<\/em><\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s teaching commentary was prepared by<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rita Kammermayer, nds, BA, B.Ed, Masters of Pastoral Studies, Jerusalem, Bat Kol alumni 2001<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ritakammermayer@netscape.net<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[Copyright \u00a9 2018]<\/strong><\/p>\n

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PLEASE NOTE<\/em><\/strong>: The weekly Parashah commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.\u00a0\u00a0 The commentaries, along with all materials published on the Bat Kol website, are copyrighted by the writers, and are made available for personal and group study, and local church purposes. Permission needed for other purposes.\u00a0 Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/em><\/p>\n

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B<\/em><\/strong>at <\/em><\/strong>K<\/em><\/strong>ol <\/em><\/strong>I<\/em><\/strong>nstitute for Jewish Studies, <\/em><\/strong>J<\/em><\/strong>erusalem<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

~~<\/em><\/strong>1983<\/em><\/strong>–2018<\/strong><\/em>~~<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Website:<\/em><\/strong> www.batkol.info<\/strong>;<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 Parashat Admin: <\/em><\/strong>gill@batkol.info<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Shabbat Table Talk Parashat Behalotcha\u00a0\u00a0 Shabbat, June 2nd, 2018 Week of May 27th \u2013 June 2nd Torah portion:\u00a0\u00a0Num. 8:1-12:15\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Haftarah: Zech. 2:14-4:7 Author: Rita Kammermayer   Download   There are many important themes held within this week\u2019s parashah with its central focus on the inauguration of the Mishken. As I read I came to see…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":3401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}