Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 21/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 21

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Overview

This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event or law, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.

Complaints in the Wilderness

Bemidbar 21 is one of a long series of Israelite complaints in the desert which began already in Shemot 14 and continue throughout Sefer Bemidbar.

Tools

• See Makbilot BaMikra for a list of links to other stories of complaints in the Wilderness.

Articles

• Listen to Sefer Bemidbar: From Doubt to Debate, by Atara Snowbell, for a close reading and analysis of the evolution of the Israelites’ complaints from Shemot 15 through Bemidbar 21, reflecting their increasing faith and independence.
• See מסע בעקבות תלונות עם ישראל במדבר, by Dr. Brachi Elitzur, for a nuanced comparison and contrast of the complaints in the desert along six different parameters: the situation that prompted the complaint, the way that the Torah describes the people and their complaint, the content of their request, the way that the nation relates to Egypt, and the consequences of the complaint.
• See בני ישראל - הדור החדש, by R. Amnon Bazak, for comparison and contrast of the complaints and responses of the Israelites in Parashat Chukkat to the complaints of the previous generation, which reveal a fundamental change in Israel's attitude and behavior after the episode of the fiery serpents in Bemidbar 21. The harsh punishment of Bemidbar 21 leads to fear of Hashem and, ultimately, to faith
• See עליית הדור השני, by R. Yair Kahn, for comparison and contrast of the complaints of Parashat Chukkat to the complaints of the previous generation. Whereas the generation that left Egypt was hesitant and characterized by a slave mentality, textual hints indicate that the generation of Parashat Chukkat is the opposite: confident and eager to enter the land.

Snakes in Torah

Snakes play a role in three narratives in Torah: the stories of the Garden of Eden, the signs and wonders in Egypt, and the "bronze serpent".  Do these have anything in common?

Tools

• Use the concordance to find all places where snakes appear in Tanakh. 

Articles / Lectures

• Listen to The Image of the Snake - Between Gan Eden, the Exodus, and the Entering of Eretz Yisrael, by R. Dov Berkovits, for exploration of the symbolism of snakes in Torah.  Snakes represent an element of the human personality and are used as a symbol to illuminate the struggles within man and the challenges of free choice.  

Song at the Well and Song at the Sea

Tools

• The concordance¹ highlights that there are only two places in Tanakh in which the term "אָז יָשִׁיר" appears, introducing the Song of the Sea and the Song at the Well.

Primary Sources

• Bemidbar Rabbah, Tanchuma, and Yalkut Shimoni Bemidbar 21:14-17About Yalkut Shimoniall implicitly draw a connection between the two songs by asking why Moshe’s name does not appear in the song at the well, as opposed to the song at the sea. 

Articles

• See The Song of the Well, by Geula Twersky, which compares and contrasts the two songs.  Both describe God’s miracles that relate to water, but the Song of the Sea focuses on God as a warrior whereas the Song of the Well describes His mercy in providing for the Israelites’ day-to-day needs.  The Song of the Well also highlights Sefer Bemidbar’s shift away from an emphasis on centralized leadership to a focus on the individual members of the nation.
• See דיבור ושתיקה, by R. Itamar Eldar, who notes that the two songs frame the forty years in the Wilderness, a period marked by many sins of speech, including the complaints of the people, the slander of the spies and even the murmurings of Miriam and Aharon. R. Eldar analyzes the development of the Israelites' speech over this period and how it progresses from complaint to praise of God,  culminating in their independent song of thanksgiving in Bemidbar 21.

Battle Against Sichon

Israel's conquest of Arvot Moav from Sichon is originally described in Bemidbar 21:21-35 and then recounted by Moshe to the nation in Devarim 2, and by Yftach to the Ammonites in Shofetim 11:1-33 (the haftarah of Parashat Chukkat).

Tools

• The Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the two chapters most linguistically similar to Bemidbar 21 are Devarim 2 and Shofetim 11,² both of which recount the war.  To compare the chapters to each other, see here and here. 

Articles

• See Battles with Sichon and Og in Bemidbar and Devarim for a comparison of the account of the battle in Bemidbar and Moshe's retelling of it in Devarim.  In contrast to most of the other stories in Sefer Devarim which are shorter than the original, here there are numerous additions.  Many of these can be accounted for in light of Moshe's goal in the retelling - to instill confidence in the nation that they will be successful in conquering the Land of Israel.

Vows in Battle

In both Bemidbar 21 (during the nation's battle with Arad) and in the haftarah, Shofetim 11, (during Yiftach's was against Ammon), people make vows to do something for Hashem if He aids them in battle.  In both cases the war is won and the vow is fulfilled, but in Yiftach's case tragedy ensues as well.

Tools

• Use the Tanakh Lab to compare the two vows here.

Articles

• See Israel’s Vow, Yiftach’s Vow, by R. Alex Israel, which analyzes the parallel stories of vows in the parashah and haftarah and argues that the difference lies in responsible versus irresponsible use of language.  
• See Yiftach’s Vow, by R. Michael Hattin, which compares the vows of the Children of  Israel in Bemidbar 21 with Yiftach’s vow and argues that the problem with Yiftach’s vow is that it reflects an internalization of reprehensible Canaanite values. Seeing a culture of human sacrifice, he mistakenly believed that such an act would be seen favorably by God.

Moshe’s Battles and Yehoshua’s Battles

Many of the events of Sefer Yehoshua parallel events during the period of Moshe’s leadership. Among these, the battles of Yericho and Ha'Ai contain parallels to the battles against Sichon and Og

Articles

• See סיפורי שבח והצלחה - השוואה בין יהושע למשה, by Dr. Yehoshua Reiss, for a comparison of the splitting of the Sea to the splitting of the Jordan, and the battles of Sichon and Og to the battles of Yericho and Ha'Ai, which demonstrates the sense in which Yehoshua represents a continuation of Moshe’s leadership.

¹ Toggle to the advanced concordance and input "אז" and "שיר" in the boxes.

² In the Lab click on the Torah icon to see a list of links to the chapters most linguistically similar to the one being displayed.