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.comReuven and Gad's Land. Journey Recap.Reuven, Gad and 1/2 of Menashe's InheritanceMoshe told the children of Gad and Reuven that they could go ahead with their proposition to leave their families behind and travel in front of the rest of the nation across the Jordan to fight and conquer the land of Israel on the nation's behalf and make sure that the land was divided up amongst the nation and if they did so they would be free to go back to their families and keep the land of Gilead as their inheritance as they had requested (see yesterday's post). Moshe warns that if they fail to keep this part of the arrangement, they will have sinned against G-d. Although Moshe only would have made them fight and stay with the nation till they conquered the land, since the children of Gad and Reuven added that they would also stay until the land was divided up, they were now bound to this as well. This time of waiting for the land to be divided up ended up adding an extra seven years before they were able to return back to their families.The children of Gad and Reuven agreed to all of this and Moshe put Elazar, Yehoshua and the heads of the tribes in charge over them.Moshe articulated that if they battled before the rest of the nation they would be allowed to have Gilead as their heritage however if they failed to do so, they would inherit part of the land of Canaan instead. As one man, the children of Gad an Reuven conceded to this.So Moshe gave the children of Gad, Reuven as well as half of the tribe of Menashe the kingdom of Sichon and Og.The children of Gad built Dibon, Ataros Aroer, Atrothshophan, Yaer, Yogbeha, BethNimrah and Beth Charan. They built up these as fortified cities and enclosures for flock.The children of Reuven built Cheshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathchaim, Bevo, Baal Meon and Sibmah, calling them by different names.The children of Machir son of Menashe drove out the Amorites and captured Gilead which Moshe gave to them.Menashe's son Yair captured their villages and called them villages of Yair, calling them after himself as he didn't have any children.Nobah captured Kenath and the suburbs surrounding it and called it Nobah.A Recap of the Israelite's JourneysThe 2nd portion of this week's Parsha begins here - Masa'ai. With a recap of the 40 years of the Israelites journeying through the desert.According to Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan, this recap is to demonstrate G-d's kindness regarding these journeys in showing how much he let them rest throughout. He had decreed that they would wander around the desert for 40 years, however the first 14 journeys took place within their first year of travel and their last 8 journeys took place in the last year, after Aaron died (from Mouth Chor till the plains of Moav). So for the 38 years in between, they only had 20 journeys and thus a lot of rest/encampments.Alternatively, Rabbi Tanuchuma likens these journeys to a king who has a son who is ill whom he takes to a far away place to cure him. On their way back, the father counts all of the journeys along the way, pointing out where they slept, where the son was cold, where he had a headache etc.. .The 42 journeys were as follows:* On the 15th of Nissan, the day after sacrificing the Paschal offering, while the Egyptians were busy burying their firstborn from the plague, they journeyed from Ramses and from there they went to* Sukkos* Etham (which was on the edge of the desert)* PiHaChiroth - before Ba'al Sephon, where they camped before Migdol. Here they passed through the sea to the dessert and walked for 3 days in the Etham Desert* Stopped to camp in Marah* Elim - where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms* The Sea of Reeds* Desert of Sin* Dophkah* Alush* Rephidim - where they complained about not having water* Sinai Desert* Kibroth HaTaavah* Chaazeroth* Rithmah - so called because of the malicious talk of spies. The word ritmah is related to the word Rotem, a juniper plant. Just as a juniper plant is unique in that its coals remain burning even when exterior has cooled, so too with malicious talk. Even if a person who has been talked about has their name cleared, and the person who heard the negative talk about them says that they accept the clearance, this is only on the outside. On the inside they will still believe what they once heard.* Rimmon Perez* Libnah* Rissah* Kehelathah* Mount Shepher* Charadah* Makheloth* Tahath* Tarah* Mithkah* Hashmoah* Moseroth* Benei Yakaakan* Hor Haggidgad* Yotbathah* Abronah* Ezion Geber* Zin ...
