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Daily Chumash Summaries

By: Sarede Rachel Switzer
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  • Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

    sarede.substack.com
    Sarede Rachel Switzer
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  • Shlach, 1st Aliya

    Shlach, 1st Aliya
    Jun 23 2024

    Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

    To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.com

    Sending in Men to Scout Out the Land

    The incident regarding Miriam (see last week's parsha) look place in an area called Chatzeroth.

    The incident regarding Korach (see next week's parsha) also took place there according to Rashi.

    In this current Parsha, we are told that they traveled from the Desert of Paran (which was where they camped after Chazeroth). Thus chronologically, this parsha occurred after the story of Korach, yet it is written into the text before.

    Rashi explains that this was in order to juxtapose the story of Miriam who was afflicted due to her speaking in a way which she shouldn't have, to the story of the spies, who did not learn from this.

    The Israelites had said that they wanted to be allowed to send men into the Land of Israel to scout it out. Moshe consulted G-d in this regard, who told him that he was leaving the decision up to Moshe. G-d allowed for this option to send in the spies who would ultimately lead them to sin, because the very act of asking to send in spies demonstrated their lack of faith.

    G-d says that the men that are to be sent in should consist of one leader per each of the tribes.

    So Moshe went ahead and sent these leaders out.

    All of these men were at the time honorable (though they later came to sin).

    These are the men who were sent out:

    * Representing the tribe of Reuven was Shamua the son of Zaccur

    * Representing the tribe of Shimon: Shaphat the son of Hori

    * Representing the tribe of Yehuda: Caleb the son of Yefuneh

    * Representing the tribe of Issaschar: Yigal the son of Yosef

    * Representing the tribe of Ephraim: Hoshea the son of Nun

    * Representing the tribe of Binyamin: Palti the son of Raphu

    * Representing the tribe of Zevulun: Gaddiel the son of Sodi

    * Representing the tribe of Menashe: Gaddi the son of Susi

    * Representing the tribe of Dan: Ammiel the son of Gemalli

    * Representing the tribe of Asher: Sethur the son of Michael

    * Representing the tribe of Naphtali: Nachbi the son of Vophsi

    * Representing the tribe of Gad: Geuel the son of Machi

    Before they left for this mission, Moshe prayed that G-d should save Hoshea the son of Nun from the scheme of the spies, and thus called him Yehoshua (literally "may G-d save you").

    In accordance with the custom of merchants to display their worst products first and save the best products for last, Moshe told the men to begin the scouting by ascending in the south, which was the inferior part of the land and to ascend the mountain there.

    Moshe tells them to to look at the land and find out if it produces strong or weak people by checking if the cities are fortified. If the cities are unwalled, this would indicate that they are strong, and if they are fortified, this would indicate that they are weak.

    They are also to find out:

    * If the land increases or decreases the inhabitants population.

    * If the land has springs and healthy deep wells or not

    * If it is fertile or barren

    * If the land contains an upright citizen (poetically referred to in the text as a "tree") who's merits could protect them.

    Moshe tells them that they should strengthen themselves and take from the fruit of the land. The first ripening of the grapes was during that time.



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    6 mins
  • BeHa'aloscha, 7th Aliya

    BeHa'aloscha, 7th Aliya
    Jun 21 2024
    Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”LTo sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.comMiriam and Aaron Speak About MosheMoshe and the elders left the Ohel Moed and enter their respective camps.A wind came out from G-d and swept quails from the sea and spread them over the camp about two cubits above the ground (i.e at a height that reached a person’s heart to make it easier for them to be gathered), about one day’s journey in both directions around the camp.The people spent that entire day and night and the following day gathering the quails. Even those who gathered the least amount, due to them being lazy or disabled, gathered 10 heaps of quails. After having gathered the quails, they spread them out in many heaps around the camp.The quails were not yet done* when G-d’s anger flared out at the nation and he struck them with a mighty blow.*Side note: According to the Targum, this means that the quails were still coming. According to the Gur Aryeh, it means that they had not finished eating them. According to the Be’er Mayim Chayim, the quails had not yet been removed from the field. According to the Sifrei, one didn’t have a chance to chew the meat before dying.G-d named this place Kivrath Ha’Ta’ava which literally means “The Graves of the Craving” after these people who “craved” being buried there.The nation continued to travel from there to Chatzerot where they stayed.Miriam and Aaron speak critically regarding Moshe divorcing his wife Tzipporah, whom scripture refers to as being a Cushite woman.She was actually a Midianite, not a Cushite, however scripture refers to her as a Cushite since everyone noticed her beauty, just as everyone notices the blackness of a Cushite. Also, the numerical value of the word Cushite in Hebrew (כֻּשִׁית) is equal to that of one who is beautiful in appearance (יְפַת מַרְאֶה,), i.e. 736.In the verse referenced above (Bamidbar 12:1) regarding Miriam and Aaron speaking about Moshe, scripture references Tzipporah as a Cushite woman twice. The Midrash Tanchuma (Tzav, 13) explains this repetition as being an allusion to her being both beautiful in appearance as well as in action, in contrast to some women who are are only beautiful in one of these ways.The Midrash Tanchuma there also explains that the reason she was referred to as being a Cushite, was to avert the evil eye, the way one who had a handsome son would refer to him as being a Cushite.Miriam initiates this discussion. She knew that Moshe had separated from his wife as we see later that Miriam was near Tzipporah when Moshe was told that Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp. Upon hearing this, Tzipporah decried her pity for their wives who would have to separate from their husbands as Moshe separated from her.Upon learning of this, Miriam tells Aaron. Miriam did not have any ill intent for this yet was still punished, which teaches us how much more so will someone who does have ill intent be punished.Miriam and Aaron discuss how G-d had not only appeared to Moshe, but to them as well, yet they did not abstain from marital relations.Moshe was exceptionally modest and patient, more than anyone else alive.Demonstrating that indeed Moshe had been correct in abstaining from marital relations, since G-d appeared to Moshe frequently and unpredictably, G-d suddenly appears to Moshe, Aaron and Miriam, whilst Aaron and Miriam cried out for water to purify themselves for having had marital relations from which they were still ritually unclean.G-d tells all three of them, with a single word (something which is impossible for the human mouth to speak or human ear to grasp) to go to the Ohel Moed.When a mortal king leaves for war, a large entourage accompanies him whereas when he travels when it is peaceful, he is escorted by only a few. By contrast, G-d goes out to battle alone and goes in peace with a large entourage. For this meeting at the Ohel Moed, G-d goes alone.G-d calls out to Aaron and Miriam, to lead them out of the Courtyard towards His speech. According to Rashi, G-d wanted them to be away from Moshe since only some of a person’s good qualities are related in his presence yet all are related in his absence. Another example of this in scripture is with Noach, who scripture calls “a righteous man, perfect” (Breishis 6:9) in his absence, while in his presence, G-d calls him righteous but not perfect (Breishis 7:1). Rashi also cites Sifrei Beha’alothecha 1:42:5) which provides an alternative interpretation that they were separated from Moshe so that Moshe wouldn’...
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    12 mins
  • BeHa'aloscha, 6th Aliya

    BeHa'aloscha, 6th Aliya
    Jun 21 2024
    Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”LTo sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.comThe Israelites Complain Asking For MeatThis section of Chumash (until where Moshe tells G-d to rest – see below) has an inverted letter נ placed before and after it to indicate that it is chronologically out of place. Logically, this section should have appeared earlier on (in Bamidbar, Chapter 2) where the layout of the Israelite camp is discussed.The reason for its appearance here, is so that there would be an interruption between two different events which involve trouble, namely 1)earlier in verse 10:33 “They journeyed from the Mountain of G-d”, an allusion to making distance between G-d and the Israelites, which Rashi interprets as the first inklings of their inappropriate demand for meat which occurs in Bamidbar 11:4) and 2)The sin of “those who seek pretexts” (Bamidbar 11:1).In the course of the Israelites’ journey, the ark would travel three days ahead of them, causing Moshe to call out to it to stop and wait for them and not go further from them. He also declared that G-d’s enemies, (i.e the enemies of the Israelites, since whoever hates Israel, hates G-d) be scattered and flee*.*Side note: “Scattered” applies to those who have gathered together to attack the Israelites but have not done so yet, while “Flee” applies to those who have already begun to chase after the Israelites.Once the ark came to a rest, Moshe would say, “Rest, G-d, amongst the myriads* of thousands of Israel. “*Side note: Rashi interprets this to mean that the Shchina does not rest on Israel if they number less than twenty two thousand.The nation* were looking for something to complain about, hoping it would reach G-d’s ears and provoke Him. They whine about how fatigued they are from walking for three days straight without rest. This causes G-d to become angry, since it was for their own good that He was having them move quickly so that they could enter the Land immediately. A fire of G-d burns in their midst and consumes the “mixed multitude”** who were the most sinful amongst them.*Side note, the word used here for “the nation”, i.e. הָעָם is only used in reference to the wicked. Other examples of such uses include Shmos 17:4 and Yermiyahu 13:10- see there. This is in contrast to the term עַמִּי (literally “my nation” which is used to connote their righteousness, as in Shmos 8:16 and Micha 6:3)**Side note, according to Rabbi Shimon ben Menassia, it was actually the most prominent amongst them who were consumed, as they had the power to squelch the rebellion and didn’t.The nation cries out to Moshe, Moshe prays to G-d and the fire falls in place into the earth (if it would have turned to one side of the camp, it would have rolled along that entire side and destroyed more).Rashi likens this to a mortal king who is angry with his son and then the son asks the king’s closest friend to ask the king to forgive him (the son).Moshe names the place “Tav’erah” (related to the word in Hebrew “to burn”), as an allusion to the fire of G-d that burned there.The mixed multitude, who had attached themselves to the Israelites upon leaving Egypt, started having strong cravings. This was followed by the Israelites who joined in, crying out asking who would feed them meat?This was merely a pretext for complaining, since in reality, they had taken flocks and cattle with them when they left Egypt (see Shmos 12:38), and they definitely had some left over as is evidence from Bamidbar 32:1 which it states that the children of Reuven had a lot of cattle.The Israelites begin to reminisce about the free* fish they had eaten in Egypt, as well as the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions and garlic. They specified these foods as these were the only food items the manna did not change into, as they are harmful to nursing mothers. Rashi likens this to a king who instructs his son’s teacher to prevent his son from eating or drinking anything harmful, yet the son complains to the father that these restrictions are due to him not wanting him to eat.*Side note: Not free as in “free of charge” but rather free of stipulations (i.e to adhere to the Torah)They complain about only having manna to eat, night and day.As a response to this, the Chumash describes how great the manna was, saying it was round like a coriander seed and looked like crystal, illustrating that they had nothing to complain about. The Israelites would casually walk up (i.e without exertion) to the manna and gather it up. It would taste...
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    15 mins
Judaism Spirituality
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