Parsha Bemidbar: Numbers 1:1-4:20

Parsha Bemidbar: Day #7

(Numbers 4:1-20)

(Study Notes)

(Numbers 4:1)

While Hashem typically only addresses Moshe, in this last daily section of Parsha Bemidbar, Hashem speaks to both Moshe and Aaron. Aron was the High Priest who oversaw all of the Levites and their activities and services withing the Tabernacle complex. As we learned in our studies on day #6 of Parsha Bemidbar, Aaron was also the first-born of Amram, who was the first-born of Kohath.

(Numbers 4:2-4)

Parsha Bemidbar: Day 6

(Numbers 3:40-51)

(Study Notes)

So far in this Parsha study, Hashem has commanded Moshe to take a census of the fighting-aged men of the Tribes of Israel aged 20 years and older and a separate census of the Levites (aged one month and older).

(Numbers 3:40)

We being today's portion with Hashem commanding Moshe to take yet another census of every first-born male of the Israelites who are one month old and up. Hashem specifies that the census of the first-born of Israel is to include only the males who are first-born and one month of age and older.

Parsha Bemidbar: Day 5 (Numbers 3:14-39)

(Study Notes)

(Numbers 3:14)

This parsha portion continues the census of the Levites that began in our daily portion of day 4. Today's portion begins by telling us (again) that Hashem spoke to Moshe "in the wilderness of Sinai." As we have learned previously, this wilderness of Sinai is close to the Mountain of Sinai where Hashem gave the Torah to the Israelites through Moshe. We know that the Israelites reached the mountain of Sinai after 50 days of leaving Egypt.

We are told in Exodus 19 that Hashem summoned Moshe to the top of the Mountain of Sinai on the third new moon after leaving Egypt. The Israelites then remained in the wilderness of Sinai for at least a year, given the dates for the various census' at the beginning of Parsha Bamidbar.

Parsha Bemidbar: Day 4 (Numbers 3:1-13) (Study Notes)

(Numbers 3:1)

In our previous daily parsha portion, we learned about the census that Hashem commanded Moshe to take of the fighting aged men who were 20 years and older from all of the 12 Tribes. The only Tribe that was not included in the census taken by Moshe was the Tribe of the Levites. We learned in our last daily study that the Levites were not included because their mission was not fight the physical warfare of the Israelites, but rather the mission of the Levites was to fight the spiritual battles of the Israelites.

Since the Levites had a separate mission, the members of their Tribe were accounted for in a separate (or set apart) census. This portion of Parsha Bamidbar begins to recount the separate census of the Levites. In the opening line we are reminded that the Levites…

Day 4: Numbers 3:1-13

Numbers Chapter 3

וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּי֗וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּהַ֥ר סִינָֽי׃

1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai.

וְאֵ֛לֶּה שְׁמ֥וֹת בְּֽנֵי־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַבְּכֹ֣ר ׀ נָדָ֑ב וַאֲבִיה֕וּא אֶלְעָזָ֖ר וְאִיתָמָֽר׃

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Day 5: Numbers 3:14-39

וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃

14 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying:

פְּקֹד֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם כׇּל־זָכָ֛ר מִבֶּן־חֹ֥דֶשׁ וָמַ֖עְלָה תִּפְקְדֵֽם׃

15 ’Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.’

וַיִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָ֛ם מֹשֶׁ֖ה עַל־פִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צֻוָּֽה׃

Day 6: Numbers 3:40-51

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה פְּקֹ֨ד כׇּל־בְּכֹ֤ר זָכָר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִבֶּן־חֹ֖דֶשׁ וָמָ֑עְלָה וְשָׂ֕א אֵ֖ת מִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁמֹתָֽם׃

40 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

וְלָקַחְתָּ֨ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֥ם לִי֙ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה תַּ֥חַת כׇּל־בְּכֹ֖ר בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֵת֙ בֶּהֱמַ֣ת הַלְוִיִּ֔ם תַּ֣חַת כׇּל־בְּכ֔וֹר בְּבֶהֱמַ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

41 And thou shalt take the Levites for Me, even the LORD, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.’

וַיִּפְקֹ֣ד מֹשֶׁ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ אֶֽת־כׇּל־בְּכ֖וֹר בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Day 7: All Above readings Plus Numbers 4:1-20

Numbers Chapter 4

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

נָשֹׂ֗א אֶת־רֹאשׁ֙ בְּנֵ֣י קְהָ֔ת מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֑י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם׃

2 ’Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’houses,