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?).
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