Friday, June 10, 2011

Daily Aliya for Beha'alotcha, Shishi (6th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: No sooner than the Jews start traveling, and they start complaining. First they complain about the "arduous" journey. Then they grumble about the manna, expressing their desire for meat. Moshe turns to G‑d and insists that he cannot bear his leadership role any longer. G‑d tells Moshe to gather seventy elders who will assist him in his leadership duties. He also promises to provide the Jews with an abundance of meat -- "until it will come out of their noses..." Moshe gathers seventy elders and brings them to the Tabernacle where his holy spirit is imparted upon them. Two additional elders, Eldad and Medad, remain in the camp, and the holy spirit descends upon them, too, and they prophesy as well. Joshua is displeased by this, and Moshe placates him.

Eighteen times in the Tanach, it says "And G-d got angry with..." Yisrael or Bnei Yisrael, or His people. When the People complained about the Manna, etc., the Torah says that G-d got very angry. Why? Kedushat Levi explains that usually when G-d got angry at the People, Moshe would rise to their defense and pursuade G-d, so to speak, not to punish them. This time the Torah says that "and in Moshe's eyes it was bad". Moshe was more upset with the people than usual, and this "angered" G-d all the more.

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