Episodes

  • Shlach, 5th Aliya

    Shlach, 5th Aliya
    Jun 27 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

    Sacrificial Instructions Cont'd

    When offering a young bull, the meal offering should consist of 3/10ths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with 1/2 hin of oil and 1/2 hin of wine for the libation.

    These listed amounts (see yesterday's post for the rest of the info) should be included with each animal brought.

    These rules apply to converts to Judaism as equally as to a born Israelite.



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    3 mins
  • Shlach, 4th Aliya

    Shlach, 4th Aliya
    Jun 26 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 Spies' Consequences and Sacrificial InstructionsThe Spies' Consequences Cont'dG-d asks Moshe and Aaron rhetorically, in reference to the spies*, "How long for this evil congregation that provokes the Israelites to complain against Me?"*Side note: Rashi notes that this is where we learn that a "congregation" means a group consisting of at least ten people.G-d tells Moshe and Aaron to tell the spies that He is giving an oath that He will fulfill what they had asked, "if only we would die in the desert". Thus anyone who is usually counted as part of a tally (eg. for an army or for shekalim) will indeed die in the wilderness. This included anyone over the age of twenty, to the exclusion of anyone fro the tribe of Levi, since they were not counted the way the others were.G-d also excludes Caleb the son of Yefuneh and Yehoshua the son of Nun from this decree.G-d goes on to say that the children (who will remain alive) will wander in the desert for forty years, corresponding to the forty days the spies spent spying out the land.Thus none of those who were decreed to die here died before entering their sixtieth year (i.e. before the age of 59), thus forty years would have had to pass for this to be true for the youngest who were included (i.e. twenty year olds) to reach this age.This forty years began in their first year, since that is when the sin of the Golden Calf happened, and the thought of this decree entered G-d's mind, yet He only waited until this point, when their sins has accumulated, to fulfill it.Since they "removed their hearts" from following G-d, they will now know what it means to depart from Him.The actual spies (aside from Yehoshua and Caleb) died in a plague. The plague attacked them in a "measure for measure" manner. Since the spies sinned with their tongues (by speaking slanderously about the land), they were afflicted with having their tongues stretched out to their navels and having worms emerge from their tongues and enter their navels.The gemara in Sotah 35a elaborates that the Land of Israel is the center, i.e. "navel" of the world. And the Be'er BaSadeh (based on Mechilta, Beshalach 2) points out that worms attack and destroy plants with their mouths just as the spies attacked with their mouths.Yehoshua and Caleb took the other spies' portion of the Land of Israel as their own.So Moshe related all of these things to the Israelites and the nation mourned profusely.The Israelites woke up early in the morning and began traveling up towards the Land of Israel, declaring that they acknowledged that they had sinned and that they are ready to enter the Land of which "G-d had spoken". The Be'er BaShadeh notes that in calling it "the Land of which G-d had spoken" rather than the "Land which G-d told us to enter", they neglected to voice that in entering the land it would be a fulfillment of G-d's command.Moshe tried to stop them, saying, "Why are you going against the word of G-d? It won't work. Don't enter the land for G-d is not with you and don't be killed by your enemies." He warns that the Amalekite and Canaanites are before them and that the Israelites will be die by their hand. Since they turned away from G-d, G-d will turn away from them.Yet they were unstoppable in ascending towards the land, while the Ark remained behind in the camp. And the Amalekites and Canaanites who were dwelling in the land came down and attacked them until they were annihilated*.*Side note: The Hebrew word for annihilation is חרם, and thus the text has a dual reading of "until annihilation" or "until a place called חרם (which was so called due to what happened there).G-d then tells Moshe to relate some instructions to the Israelites regarding offerings they will bring when they "enter into the land* of your dwelling place".*Side note: One interpretation of this is that this instruction was regarding when they would eventually enter into the Land, however another reading suggests that they were meant to bring these offerings in the desert as well. Either way, the reason for commencing with when they enter the Land, was in order to reassure them that in spite of everything which had occurred, they would still eventually make it into the Land of Israel.Sacrificial InstructionsThe instruction is that for any offering they bring from their cattle or flock, whether it be an olah or peace offering, brought as a vow or from free will, or on a holiday, they must offer libations and a meal offering for each animal.Unlike in...
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    8 mins
  • Shlach, 3rd Aliya

    Shlach, 3rd Aliya
    Jun 25 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 Spies' ConsequenceYehoshua and Caleb continued speaking to the nation, saying that if G-d wants them, He will bring them to the land and give it to them.They caution the nation not to rebel and not to fear the people in the land, as they will "eat them like bread", as the decent ones from among them have died, thus they no longer have the protection they used to due to their merits (an alternate reading is that the "shade of G-d" has departed from them).However the entire nation said that Yehoshua and Caleb should be pelted with stones and then the Cloud of Glory appeared to the Israelites in front of the Tent of Meeting.G-d asked Moshe "To what extent would the Israelites anger Me and for how long will they not have faith in Me? Due to all of the miracles I did on their behalf, they should have faith that I will fulfill my promise (to bring them into the Land)."G-d continues speaking to Moshe, saying that He will hit them with a plague and eradicate them. He will then make Moshe into an even greater nation.Moshe responds, saying that if G-d does this, the Egyptians will hear about it and rather than saying that G-d killed the Israelites because they sinned, they will say that while G-d had enough strength to rise up against the Egyptians, He was not strong enough to fight the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.Moshe continues along this line, saying that if G-d kills the nation suddenly, the Egyptians will interpret this as being because the inhabitants of Canaan are strong and mightly, and that while G-d was able to fight Pharaoh, Pharaoh does not compare to the 31 kings of Canaan. And in being unable to bring the Israelites into the land, G-d killed them in the desert.Moshe pleads with G-d, invoking his 13 attributes of mercy (see Bamidbar 14:18 for full list). Beginning with His trait of being "Slow to Anger" and absolving anyone who repents, bringing to light a conversation Moshe had with G-d when Moshe ascended Mount Sinai. At that time, Moshe saw G-d sitting and writing "Hashem is slow to anger" and Moshe interjected, "For the righteous" to which G-d retorted, "for the wicked as well. Moshe then said, "Let the wicked be eradicated." To which G-d said that He swears by Moshe's life that he will need G-d's trait of being slow to anger for even the wicked. And indeed after the sin of the Golden Calf as well as here with the spies, Moshe invoked G-d's trait of being "Slow to Anger", to which G-d responded, "But didn't you say I should only be slow to anger for the righteous?" To which Moshe replied, "But had you not said it would be for the wicked as well?"G-d replies that He forgives the Israelites in accordance with Moshe reasoning. However, He Swears (saying "as I Live"), that those amongst them who tested G-d ten times* will be killed off slowly over the next 40 years.*Side note: The gemara in Archin 15a-b lists these 10 times as follows:2x at sea - first when they complained saying "are there no graves in Egypt that you took us here.." and second when they emerged from the sea they said that just as they came out of the sea, the Egyptians came out on the other side.2x with the manna - first when some people left some manna over in the morning when though they were commanded not to and second when some people when out to gather manna on shabbos even though they were commanded not to.2x with the pheasants (ie the two times they asked for meat in an ungrateful way - in Shmos 16:3 and Bamidbar 11:4)2x when they complained about lacking water (Shmos 15:23 and 17:2)And the last two were the sin of the Golden Calf and the sin with the spies.G-d says that he will save Caleb since he did not follow along with the rest of the spies. Caleb had told the spies that he was going along with them though in his heart he was not. The fact that he pretended to be going along with the spies is what made them open to listening to him as they thought that he would continue with the negative rhetoric of the other spies.He says that He will bring Caleb into the land and his offspring will drive out the Giants inhabiting the land.G-d then concludes saying that the Amelikites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley and if they are to go towards them now, the Israelites will be killed by them as G-d will not be with the Israelites. Thus instead, they are to pivot and tomorrow they are to redirect their journey in the direction of the Sea of of Reeds. Get full access to Sarede’s Substack at sarede.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 mins
  • Shlach, 2nd Aliya

    Shlach, 2nd Aliya
    Jun 24 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 Report of the SpiesThe spies ascended to the land and spied it out, starting at the desert of Zin which is at the south eastern corner of the land.From there they traveled across its southern border and then turned north and crossed its western border which was along the sea, making the shape of the greek letter Gamma: Γ.Eventually they reached Chamath, near Mount Chor in the northwestern corner.Caleb alone traveled northward from the south to Chevron, where he prostrated himself over the graves of the Patriarchs, praying that he not be persuaded by the others to collaborate in their plans.Noah's son Cham had four sons. He build Zoan for his second son Mitzrayim (the progenitor of Egypt) and Chevron for his youngest son Canaan.Chevron was seven times more fertile than Zoan.This shows how superior the land of Israel was in that Chevron had the rockiest terrain of the entire land (which is why it was reserved for burying the dead). Whereas Zoan was the best land in all of Egypt.The offspring of the giant were in Chevron: Achiman, Sheshai and Talmai.The spies arrived at the Valley of Eshkol and cut a branch of a grapevine that had a cluster of grapes hanging from it. This was carried on two poles by eight of the spies while another spy took a fig and another a pomegranate. Yehoshua and Caleb did not participate in this as they knew that the only reason why the spies were bringing back these fruit was to spread slander about the land of Israel - to say that just like this fruit is unusual, so are the people in the land unusual.As a side note, Rashi says that one can figure out the amount that each spy carried by looking in Yehoshua 4:3-5 where each person lifted one stone from the Jordan river onto his shoulders up at Gilgal. Each stone weighed 40 seah. And the amount that a person can lift on their own is but a third of what they are able to lift when he is helped.They named this area The Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster (Eshkol) they took from there.After 40 days, they returned from their journeys in the land. This was a miraculously short amount of time, since the area of the land of Israel is 400 "parsangs"(1 parsang = 2-3 miles) x 400 "parsangs. In a day's time, a person on average walks 10 parsangs, which means that after 40 days they should only have been able to traverse its width. G-d knew that He would decree that they would be exiled for one year per day of their spying, which is why He miraculously shortened their time in the land.Chumash hints here that the spies had bad intent from the start of their mission (by saying that they "went and came" - i..e they left with bad intentions just as they entered with bad intentions).Upon leaving the land, they approached Moshe, Aaron and all of the Israelites in the Desert of Paran at Kadesh with the fruit they took from the land.They reported to Moshe and Aaron that the land does indeed flow with milk and honey* and this is its fruit.*Side note: This inclusion of this positive aspect about it flowing with milk an honey demonstrates the idea that any lie only holds up if a bit of truth is inserted into its start.However, they continued, the people in the land are powerful, the cities fortified (denoting strength) and large and they saw the offspring of the giant.They said that Amalek dwells in the south. - Although Amalek was not one of the nations which the Israelites were commanded to conquer, the spies mentioned it to frighten them as they had been previously attacked by Amalek.They also said that the Chittites, Yevusites and Amorites dwell on the mountain and the Canaanites dwell by the sea next to the Jordan river, insinuating that they would not be able to cross the Jordan river due to these nations.Caleb silenced everyone and cried out "Is this alone what the son of Amram (i.e. Moshe) did to us?"Everyone became silent as they thought that Caleb was about to speak negatively about Moshe (it is sometimes considered disrespectful to refer to someone as the son of so and son without saying their name) and the people were already harboring negative feelings towards Moshe due to what the spies had said.But then Caleb continued:"Yet did he not part the sea, bring down the manna for us and make the pheasant fly to us? We shall definitely go up (i.e we will succeed at anything Moshe says - even if he says to make ladders to ascend to heaven) and conquer the land. We can definitely do it!"However the other spies retorted, "We cannot ascend as the people are ...
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    9 mins
  • 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
  • Be'Ha'aloscha, 5th Aliya

    Be'Ha'aloscha, 5th Aliya
    Jun 20 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' Journeys and YitroOn the 20th of the month of Iyar in the second year of the Israelites traveling in the desert, the cloud lifted up from the the Mishkan signifying that it was time for them to journey away from Chorev and the Sinai Desert.This means that they spent a year (12 months) minus 10 days in Chorev since they arrived there on the first of the month of Sivan (the third month) the previous year.The tribes stayed arranged in the way they were instructed to (Bamidbar, 4) as they journeyed, headed by the tribal princes (eg. the tribe of Yehuda traveled first with Nachshon the son of Aminadav heading it). Upon arriving at the Desert of Paran, the cloud rested, i.e. they set up camp there. Kivroth Ha'taavah (featuring later on in Bamidbar 11:35) was in this desert.Once the cloud of glory would depart, cuing the division of the tribe of Yehuda to begin traveling, the sons of Gershon and Merari would take apart the Mishkan and load its parts onto wagons. They would then commence traveling with the division of the tribe of Yehudah which was:* The tribe of Yehuda led by Nachson the son of Aminadav* The tribe of Issachar led by Nethanel the son of Zuar* The tribe of Zevulun led by Eliav the son of ChelonThen the sons of Kohath would stand the Ark and its accessories on poles, after which the division of the tribe of Reuven would travel followed by the sons of Kohath. The division of the tribe of Reuven consisted of:* The tribe of Reuven led by Elizur the son of Shedeur* The tribe of Shimon led by Shlumiel the son of Zurishadai* The tribe of Gad led by Eliasaph the son of DeuelThen the division of the camp of Ephraim followed. They consisted of:* The tribe of Ephraim led by Elishama son of Ammihud* The tribe of Menashe led by Gamliel the son of Pedahzur* The tribe of Binyamin led by Avidan the son of GideoniThis was followed by the division of the camp of Dan*. They consisted of:* The tribe of Dan led by Achiezer the son of Ammishaddai* The tribe of Asher led by Pagiel the son of Ochran* The tribe of Naphtali led by Achira the son of Enan*Side note: The Jerusalem Talmud (Eruvin 5:1) teaches that the tribe of Dan traveled at the back since it was so big. Although the tribe of Yehuda had more members, it did not travel at the back as Yehuda was the tribe of royalty.The tribe of Dan was termed "the gatherer for all camps" as they would retrieve any objects lost by other tribes during their journeys. There are two explanations for this corresponding to two different opinions on the shape of the tribes while they traveled:According to one opinion, the tribes traveled in a quadrilateral configuration, with Dan being on the North side of the camp. Since they were so numerous in size, they overflowed into the other sides of the camps and thus were able to return any lost objects to other tribes.According to another opinion, the tribes traveled in a straight line and Dan traveled at the back, which is how he was able to retrieve lost objects.When the Cloud of Glory came to rest, the sons of Gershon and Merari would erect the Mishkan. So when the sons of Kehoth would arrive it would be all set up and they would bring the Ark, Shulchan, Menorah and Atlars into it.Moshe tells his father in law Chovav, the son of Reuel the Midianite (i.e. Yitro*) that very soon (i.e within three days) they will be journeying to the place which G-d promised that He would give to the Israelites. Although G-d had already hinted at the fact that Moshe would not enter the Land together with the nation due to his sin with hitting the rock, this decree was not yet sworn upon, thus it could have still been repealed through prayer. This is why Moshe included himself here in being amongst those who would enter the land. Alternatively, he may not have been aware of the implications of G-d's "hint" in this regard.*Side note: This is confusing since elsewhere Yitro is referred to as both Chovav and Reuel (i.e in Shmos 2:18 Reuel is called the "father" of the girls from amongst whom Moshe took his wife. Rashi resolves this by saying that young children call their paternal grandfather "father").Indeed the Israelites would have entered into the Land three days later had not they sinned regarding inappropriately asking for meat (upcoming in Bamidbar 11:1-3) after which the were forced to journey an extra 30 days, in which time they sent the spies into the Land of Israel which ultimately led to the punishment that their generation die in the ...
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