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…

Parsha: Bemidbar

Day 3: Numbers 2:1-34

(Study Notes)

In our last daily portion of Parsha Bamidbar, we learned that the Levites were to camp close to the Tabernacle, while the rest of the 12 Tribes (10 + 2 of Joseph) encamped in formation at a distance. Today’s portion provides the formation of the outer  Tribal encampments.

(Numbers 2:1-2)

We learn that the Israelite encampment was not random. The people did not haphazardly choose where to dwell. Rather, HaKadosh Baruch Hu instructs Moshe Rabbeinu and Aaron how and in what order the Tribes were to set up their dwellings. These dwellings were the sukkahs ordained by HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

Parsha: Bemidbar

Day 2: Numbers 1:20-54

(Study Notes)

This portion of Tanakh provides the details of the census taken by the 12 Chieftains, which was recorded by Moshe Rabbeinu. The census provides total numbers of the individuals enrolled in each Tribe of Israel. These numbers can be compared to the census taken in Genesis 46:8-26, which records the names of those 70 Hebrews who went down to Mitzrayim.

The census here in Numbers 1 does not provide the full list of names, arguably because the list was so vast: 603,500 men. We learn that the total number provided for each tribe is

Parsha: Bamidbar

Day 1: Numbers 1:1-19

(Study Notes)

(Numbers 1: 1-2)

(Numbers 1:1)

This verse teaches us that HaKadosh Baruch Hu spoke to Moshe Rabbeinu in “the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of meeting.”