Daily Aliya for Balak, Sheni (2nd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: Bilaam sent word with Balak's messengers that G‑d doesn't permit him to go with them. So Balak sent more prestigious messengers to Balaam, promising him great riches in return for his services. Once again G‑d appeared to Balaam. This time G‑d allowed Balaam to go -- provided that he only speak the words which G‑d dictates to him.

In this Aliya we see the ups and downs of trying to curse the Jews.On one hand Bilaam was displaying an arrogance that he was unwilling to travel with lowly messengers, and he tells the next set of more important messengers that he needs to receive permission from G-d to curse the Jews, and that he'll ask again. But alas, persistence (on Balak's part) pays off because the second time G-d talks to him in his dream, he grants him permission to travel, although he still doesn't have permission to curse. In his mind, though, Bilaam sees it as a minor victory, and if he persists, there might be others. Such is human nature, especially children and our evil inclinations, to look for minor victories in search of others.

Daily Aliya for Balak, Rishon (1st Aliya)

General Overview: In this week's Torah Parsha, Balak, King Balak of Moab retains the sorcerer Balaam to curse the Jewish people. Instead of curses, only blessings come out of his mouth - including prophecies concerning the Messianic redemption. Moabite women entice some of the Israelites to sin, resulting in a plague amongst the Jews. Pinchas zealously kills two of the high-ranking offenders, and the plague comes to an end.

In the first Aliya, the Israelites have just conquered the Emorites and the Bashanites, the two mighty neighbors of Moab. Balak, king of Moab, worries that his nation would be the Israelites' next victim. He sends messengers to the Land of Midian, to Balaam, a famed non-Jewish prophet and sorcerer, asking him to come and curse the Jews. G‑d appeared to Balaam that night and instructed him not to go to Moab. "You shall not curse the people because they are blessed!"

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Shvii (7th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The Jews approach the land of the Emorites, which lies on the east bank of the Jordan River. They send a message to Sichon, king of the Emorites, asking permission to pass through his land en route to Canaan. Sichon refuses and instead masses his armies and attack the Jews. The Jews are victorious and occupy the Emorite lands. Og, king of Bashan, then attacks the Jews. The Jews are triumphant again; they kill Og and occupy his land too. Now the Jewish nation has reached the bank of the Jordan River, just across from the city of Jericho in the land of Israel.

Sichon was the bully of the region, having wrestled the strategic city of Cheshbon from Moav. When the Jews neared, though, Sichon inexplicably (unless you realize it's all G-d's work) took every warrior out of the city to go fight the Jews. Apparently he didn't learn the lesson from the previous army that attempted to fight the Jews for no reason. The Jews just wanted to pass through, but instead were forced to fight and win the land. Once they settle in the newly acquired land, Moshe sends spies to Ya'azer, and the spies themselves end up conquering the land (no need for armies or confrontations when you're on a roll). Then they head north to Bashan, and once again the leader comes at the Jews in battle, and once again loses (this time 120-year-old Moshe gets involved the fighting, as the Gemara describes how he lifted an entire mountain and dropped it on the enemy).

I'm not sure what there is to learn from all this fighting, other than sometimes people attack the Jews for no good reason other than maybe feeling threatened, and we have to have faith that we have G-d on our side, looking out for us.

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Shishi (6th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The Jews journey on, making their way towards the eastern bank of the Jordan River. Encrypted in this Aliya is a great miracle which occurred when the Jews passed through the Arnon valley. Tall cliffs rose from both sides of this narrow valley, and in the clefts of these cliffs the Emorites, armed with arrows and rocks, were waiting to ambush the Jews. Miraculously, the mountains moved towards each other, crushing the Emorite guerrilla forces. This section ends with a song of praise for the well which sustained the Jews throughout their desert stay -- and whose now-bloodied waters made the Jews aware of the great miracle which G‑d wrought on their behalf.

Look how far the Jews have come! Earlier in their tenure in the desert, they complained despite overt miracles, and now they sing the praises of G-d for a miracle they did not even witness (all they saw was their enemies' blood in the streams). Either they all learned from their experiences, or the new generation had a different attitude about what they were experiencing. Either way, they are closer to being ready to enter Israel because of it!

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Chamishi (5th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The Jews arrive at Mount Hor. At G‑d's command, Moshe, Aaron and Aaron's son, Elazar, go up the mountain. Aaron removes his high priest's vestments and Elazar dons them. Aaron then passes away. The entire nation mourns Aaron's death for thirty days. The Amalekites, disguised as Canaanites, attack the Jews. The Jews pray to G‑d and are victorious in battle. The Jews complain about their food, claiming that they are "disgusted" by the manna. G‑d dispatches serpents into the Israelite encampment, and many Jews die. Moshe prays to G‑d on the Jews' behalf. Following G‑d's instructions, Moshe fashions a copper serpent and places it atop a pole. The bitten Jews would look at this snake and be healed.

And why did they Amalekites disguise themselves as Canaanites? The Midrash explains that they figured that the Jews would pray to G-d to help them defeat these enemy Canaanites, and because they weren't really Canaanites, their prayers wouldn't work. Their mistake was that they only disguised their language, not their clothes, so when the Jews saw them, they weren't sure who they were, and simply asked for help in defeating this enemy (general request), and that worked. This definitely puts prayer in a different perspective, a perspective we could probably use more of these days.

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Revii (4th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: Moshe sends messengers to the King of Edom requesting permission to pass through his land (which is south of Canaan) on the way to the Promised Land. Despite Moshe's promises not to cause any harm to the land whilst passing, Edom refuses the Jews passage. The Jews are therefore forced to circumvent the land of Edom, and approach Canaan from the east.

Not only did we ask permission to cross their land, but we offered to pay for whatever we eat or drink (good for the local economy), avoid any fields where our animals might graze, and yet Edom still refused. Not only did they refuse, but they came at us with their entire force, just to make sure we adhere to their orders. Their actions hardly seem logical, unless you consider that they were still bitter over the affairs that happened many years prior, when Esav was "cheated" out of his blessing, and the Jews got it instead. Rather than focusing on the fact that we were cousins, they chose to be guided by their hate, much to their own detriment.

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Shlishi (3rd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: G‑d tells Moshe and Aaron to take a staff and gather the people in front of a certain rock. They should speak to the rock, and it will give forth water. Moshe and Aaron gather everybody, and Moshe strikes the rock and it gives forth water. In the course of this episode they committed a grave error, the conventional explanation being that they struck the rock instead of speaking to it. This caused G‑d to punish Moshe and Aaron, barring them from leading the Jews into Israel.

This is probably the sin that contributed the most to what happened to the Jews. The Egyptian astrologers saw that Moshe will be punished because of something to do with water (this event, where he hit the rock instead of speaking to it), and that's why they decided to throw all Jewish babies into the water, and that's how Moshe was saved, etc. There is so much to learn from what Moshe did wrong, why the punishment fit the crime - this Aliya is dripping with lessons (pun intended).

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Sheni (2nd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The previously discussed purification process is continued, along with an admonition that the impure individual not enter the Tabernacle or Temple until the purification process is completed. Miriam dies in the fortieth year of the Israelites' sojourn in the desert. With Miriam's death, the waters which flowed from the miraculous "Well of Miriam" dried up. The people complain bitterly about the lack of water.

When Aaron dies the Torah says that he died with a kiss from G-d (as opposed to an angel sent by G-d, and as opposed to a painful death), but when Miriam dies it does not say that. Rashi (and the Medrash) explain that they both died the same exact way, but it wasn't appropriate to describe it that way for a woman. How incredibly sensitive!

Daily Aliya for Chukat, Rishon (1st Aliya)

General Overview: This week's Torah Parsha, Chukat, begins with a discussion regarding the laws of the red heifer. Miriam and Aaron die. When the Jews are in need of water, Moshe strikes a rock – despite being commanded to talk to it. Waters stream forth, but Moshe is banned from entering Israel. Amalek battles the Israelites and is defeated. Edom and Moav refuse the Israelites passageway to Israel. The Israelites battle Sichon and Og, and are victorious.

The most severe of all ritual impurities is tum'at met, the impurity contracted through contact with a human corpse. This Aliya details the purification process for an individual or object which has contracted this form of impurity. A red heifer is slaughtered and is burned together with a few added ingredients. Water from a stream is added to the ashes. On the third and seventh day after contracting tum'at met, this mixture is sprinkled upon the individual or object. After immersion in a mikvah (ritual pool), the person or object is freed of this impurity.

Daily Aliya for Korach, Shishi (6th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: G‑d commands Moshe to return "Aaron's staff" to the Holy of Holies, where it is to remain for perpetuity. The Jews express to Moshe their fear of mistakenly entering a restricted area of the Tabernacle, and dying as a result. In response, G‑d commands the priests and the Levites to carefully guard the Tabernacle, to prevent unauthorized entry by non-priests. The Torah then lists the various gifts to which the priests were entitled. These include the privilege of eating certain sacrifices, as well as select portions of other sacrifices; receiving the five shekels for the redemption of Israelite firstborn sons; a portion of all grain, oil, and wine crops; the "first fruit"; and more. Aaron is informed that his descendents will not receive a portion in the land of Israel--instead, G‑d is their inheritance and portion.

The staff is meant to dissuade those rebellious ones from complaining, but the Passuk says that "their complaints will stop" (utechal telunotam), "complaints" being plural, but "stop" being singular. Why the discrepancy? Is it one complaint that this staff will deter, or many? Rashi analyzes the grammar and determines that the word used to mean "complaints" is actually a collective singular noun, so it makes sense that "stop" is singular. Nonetheless, logic would dictate that this staff should deter more than just one complaint. It could be, however, that complaints all come from the same lack of faith, and rather than focusing on the symptoms, the Torah focuses on the disease. How a staff can help deter someone from complaining is a discussion for another time (maybe next year's Aliya?).

Daily Aliya for Korach, Chamishi (5th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: This Aliya describes the "test of the staffs." G‑d tells Moshe to take a staff from each of the twelve tribes, with the name of each tribe's prince written upon their staff. Another staff was taken to represent the tribe of Levi, and Aaron's name was written on that staff. These staffs were placed overnight in the Holy of Holies chamber of the Tabernacle. Next morning they were removed, and miraculously Aaron's staff had budded with almond blossoms and almonds. This was further proof that Aaron was G‑d's choice for High Priest.

Of all the random miracles, ripe almonds growing overnight on a stick with a tribal leader's name on it is pretty high on the list. But since we know nothing in the Torah is random, ripe almonds must represent something more. Rashi helps by saying that almonds are the fastest growing "fruits", and it represents the possibility of immediate reward/punishment by G-d. G-d could have chosen to sprout fruits that normally take longer, but instead left the Israelites with a message of warning for those that question Him, and a lasting message for those that adhere to His word.

Daily Aliya for Korach, Revii (4th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: G‑d instructs Moshe and Aaron: "Separate yourselves from the community, and I will destroy them in an instant." And indeed, a plague struck the nation, and many thousands were dying. Moshe tells Aaron to quickly take a firepan with incense and go into the midst of the congregation and atone for their sin. Aaron does so. He stands "between the living and the dead," and the plague is halted.

Apparently the thought process of Korach and his men contaminated some others, and a plague started to cleanse this evil. But why use the very firepan and incense to atone and stop the plague, when that was the very item used to sin? the Medrash Agaddah explains that the Israelites were slandering and vilifying the incense, saying that it was a deadly poison. G-d's response is to show them that the very incense that was used to sin is the incense that will save them, proving that it was the sin that caused their demise. Same action, different results. And the only difference is the thought process behind them.

Daily Aliya for Korach, Shvii (7th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The Levites, too, will not receive a share of the land of Israel. Instead they are entitled to a tenth of all the Israelites' crops--this in return for the Tabernacle and Temple services which they render. Upon receiving this tithe, the Levites must, in turn, separate a tenth of this tithe and give it to the priests.

So the Levites get 10% of everyone's crops, and they must give 10% of that to the priests. This underscores the importance of giving, regardless of how or how much you have. As Rav Dessler explains, giving is what makes us love others, not receiving. The more you "invest" in those around you by giving them love, food, money, attention or respect, the more you grow to appreciate and love them, and the phenomenon grows exponentially from there. But it all starts by giving (this is where I should link you do the Donate page for Lelamed.com, but I won't).

Daily Aliya for Korach, Shlishi (3rd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: G‑d is angered by the Jews' association with Korach, and wishes to destroy them. Moshe and Aaron pray on the Jews' behalf and the decree is averted. The earth opens up and swallows Korach and his family, and a heavenly fire consumes the rest of the 250 rebels. Moshe instructs Aaron's son Elazar to retrieve the frying pans which were used for the incense offering, to flatten them and plate the altar with them--a visible deterrent for any individual who ever wishes to challenge Aaron's priesthood. The next day, the community complains that Moses and Aaron are to be blamed for the deaths of "G‑d's people."

As we reach the crux of the Korach confrontation, we reach about Moshe telling the people that the next morning they will see that everything he's said and done is all G-d's doing and wishes, and the proof will be that Korach and his followers will die an unnatural death. Sure enough, everyone is instructed to keep their distance, and Korach and his gang are swallowed by the ground. Incredibly, the very next day the Jews complain to Moshe that he's killed people of the Lord (6). After all the elaborate explanations and presentation proving that it's G-d behind all this, they still claim that it's Moshe's doing. Yet, the Torah doesn't describe anger or disappointment by either Moshe or G-d. Rather, it lets it go and moves on to describing the heavenly cloud that lowered. An interesting anecdote to complaints following a monumental event. Perhaps human nature was allowed a day to process, to vent, and then move on, as everyone apparently did.

Daily Aliya for Korach, Sheni (2nd Aliya)

From Chabad.org: Moshe pleads with G‑d not to accept the incense offering of the rebellious group. Korach spends the night inciting the Jews against Moshe, and gathers them all to the entrance of the Tabernacle to witness the grand spectacle. G‑d's glory appears.

Korach's complaint to G-d was that upon leaving Egypt they were promised this land flowing with milk and honey, and they never got it. And now they were told that they'll end up dying in the desert. But had they listened to the right spies, they would have realized that they were actually so close to entering this promised land, and they chose to believe the negative spies, instead of the truthful ones. Yet they were so convinced that they chose correctly that in THEIR mind they were never offered a flowing land. It's scary to think of how the mind will warp reality to make it fit its thoughts, with sometimes total disregard for actual reality. In this case we have the perspective to realize the mistake, and perhaps learn from it.

Daily Aliya for Shelach, Shlishi (3rd Aliya)

From Chabad.org: The Jewish people rejected the pleas of Joshua and Caleb, and decided to stone them. G‑d intervened, His glory appearing over the Tabernacle. G‑d informs Moshe of His decision to instantaneously wipe out the Israelites in a massive plague due to their persistent lack of faith. Moshe successfully invoked G‑d's mercy and pointed out that this mass execution will cause a mammoth desecration of G‑d's name. "People will assume that G‑d lacked the power to defeat the Canaanites in battle, so He instead slaughtered His people," Moses argued. Although G‑d agreed not to immediately wipe out the Israelites, that generation would not enter the Land. G‑d instructs the Jews to reverse course, and to head back to the desert.

So Moshe and G-d take turns giving up on the Israelites. This time Moshe saves the day with his quick thinking arguments. It's always amazing when Moshe is able to hold sway with G-d, appeasing Him with logic that He undoubtedly already knew. It must be that there was a benefit to 1) manually going through the arguments, and 2) recording those arguments for us to learn from. It could be similar to the concept of Vidui, or verbally admitting one's sins. There's a benefit to arguing for what you believe in!

Daily Aliya for Shelach, Sheni (2nd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The scouts spent forty days reconnoitering the land. They returned to the Israelite encampment with specimens of Canaan's produce, and with an ominous report. They conceded that the land flowed with milk and honey, but they warned that its population was mighty and the cities well fortified and impossible to conquer. Only Caleb and Joshua, the scouts representing the tribes of Judah and Ephraim, dissented. They argued that the land was magnificent, and there was no reason for concern because G‑d could surely bring the Israelites victory in battle. The Jewish people spent that entire night wailing, expressing their preference to return to Egypt rather than be defeated in battle by the Canaanites.

The Kotzker Rebbe and others define two components of the Sin of the Spies from this part of the passuk. First, that we saw ourselves as small and insignificant. Second, that we were concerned about how others perceived us. With G-d obviously on our side (we know what happened to Egypt and we witnessed so many miracles performed on our behalf), we should not have viewed ourselves that way. And, how others perceive us is their problem, not ours.

Daily Aliya for Shelach, Rishon (1st Aliya)

General Overview: Moshe sends scouts to Canaan and all of them -- except Joshua and Caleb -- bring back frightening reports. The people react fearfully and rebelliously. G‑d decrees a forty year delay until the Israelites will enter Canaan, during which time all males between the ages of twenty and sixty will perish. Many Israelites then attempt to unilaterally proceed to Canaan, but are cut down by the Canaanites. Various laws are discussed: libations, giving part of the dough ("challah") to a Kohain (Priest), certain sin sacrifices, and the mitzvah of tzitzit. A Jew is found desecrating the Shabbat and is executed.

Aliya Summary: G‑d allows Moshe to send scouts to reconnoiter the land of Canaan in preparation for their anticipated invasion of the land. One member of every tribe -- with the exception of the tribe of Levi -- was chosen for this task. Moshe instructed the scouts to bring back a report regarding the nature of the land; its strengths and weaknesses. He also instructed them to bring back samples of the land's produce.

Daily Aliya for Beha'alotcha, Shvii (7th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: G‑d causes a wind to sweep in huge numbers of quail from the sea. The people gathered piles of quail and started enjoying meat. Those who ate gluttonously died in a plague. Miriam, Mosh's sister, spoke negatively of Moshe's decision to become celibate. G‑d was highly displeased by this talk against His servant, and Miriam was stricken with tzara'at ("leprosy") for one week.

Moshe offers a short but eloquent prayer on behalf of his sister. The People delay their travels for the week of Miriam's isolation. (81 years previously, Miriam had stood by the Nile protectively watching over her baby brother Moshe in the basket. Her "reward-in-kind" is this 7-day delay. The Mishna points out that good deeds are thusly rewarded.)

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.

Daily Aliya for Beha'alotcha, Chamishi (5th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: Nearly one year after the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai, the cloud rises from the Tabernacle, signaling their impending departure. The Tabernacle was dismantled and they traveled in formation as outlined on last week's Torah reading. Moshe pleads with his father-in-law Yitro to join them on their journey to the Land of Israel.

At this point in the Torah, we are 13 months out of Egypt and neither the people nor Moshe have done what later caused them to be barred from entry into Israel. After Moshe talks to Yitro, it was supposed to be a three-day trip (condensed into one day) to bring us WITH Moshe, into the Land of Israel. But then things started going wrong...

Daily Aliya for Beha'alotcha, Revii (4th Aliya)

Aliya Summary: From the day the Tabernacle was erected, it was covered by a cloud during the day, and a fire by night. When the cloud lifted, this signaled G‑d's wish that the Jews should journey onwards -- following the cloud until it came to rest in a new location of G‑d's choosing. In some cases the Jews only stayed overnight in a particular location before the sign came for them to depart again, and on other occasions they would stay in one place for many years. This Aliya then discusses Moshe's two silver trumpets. These trumpets were used for several purposes: 1) To assemble the nation or its leaders. 2) To signal the beginning of a journey. 3) The trumpets were blown when the Jews went to battle. 4) The trumpets were sounded when certain communal sacrifices were offered in the Tabernacle.

The above-mentioned purposes of the trumpets applied to the generation of the wilderness only, but the mitzva for future generations concerning the trumpets is as follows: When the People enter the Land of Israel, the trumpets are to be used during times of troubles and on festive occasions during Temple service.

Daily Aliya for Beha’alotcha, Shlishi (3rd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: On the first anniversary of the Exodus, the Jews are instructed to bring the Paschal Offering. Certain individuals, however, couldn't participate because they were ritually impure. These people lodged a complaint, which Moshe then transmitted to G‑d. G‑d responds by designating a "Second Passover" to be observed exactly one month later. Anyone who could not offer the Paschal Offering in its proper time must do so on the Second Passover. G‑d then informs Moshe the laws of the Second Passover.

This Pesach Sheni episode occurred before the counting of the People as recorded in the opening Parsha of Bamidbar. It was not placed at the beginning of the book because it is embarrassing to the People of Israel that they (we) only brought one Korban Pesach in the entire Wilderness period.

Daily Aliya for Beha'alotcha, Sheni (2nd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: The exact prescribed initiation procedure is followed, and the Levites are consecrated to G‑d -- in stead of the firstborn who lost their hallowed status when they participated in the sin of the Golden Calf. Towards the end of this Aliya we learn the Levite service age-requirements and retirement age.

From age 25 until 50, the Levi was eligible for Mishkan service. From 25-30 the Levi studied and trained for Temple service, at 30 he began serving. Age 50 was the retirement age for the "carrying chores", but the singing and guarding functions of the Levi continued beyond that age.

Daily Aliya for Beha'alotcha, Rishon (1st Aliya)

General Overview: In this week's Torah reading, Beha'alotecha, G‑d instructs Aaron concerning the Tabernacle Menorah lighting. The Levites are initiated into the Tabernacle service. The "Second Passover" is instituted. At G‑d's behest, Moshe makes two trumpets, and is instructed how and when to use them. The Israelites leave Mount Sinai, and proceed towards the Land of Canaan. The people unreasonably complain about their "frugal" manna diet and receive a meat supplement, albeit with tragic results. Moshe appoints seventy elders to assist him in bearing the burden of the people. Miriam speaks negatively about Moshe and is punished with tzara'at (a skin disease).

Aliya Summary: G‑d commands Aaron to light the golden Tabernacle Menorah on a daily basis. Moshe is then commanded to initiate the Levites into Tabernacle service. This inauguration procedure included shaving their bodies, immersion in a mikvah, and the offering of certain sacrifices.