Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 28/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 28

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Overview

This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, 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.

Chag HaMatzot

Makbilot BaMikra demonstrates that Bemidbar 28 is one of seven times that the Torah described the festival of Passover. However, a close reading of these texts indicates that Chag Hamatzot and Chag HaPesach are two distinct holidays.  

Tools

• Use Makbilot BaMikra to find links to each of the places where Passover is discussed.
• Use the concordance to see where the verses refer to Chag HaPesach (or to the Pesach sacrifice itself) and where to Chag HaMatzot.

Articles

• See Pesach and Chag HaMatzot – A Two for One? for analysis of these two institutions and how they merged into one.
• See Pesach and the Festival of Matzot - Two Holidays Rather than One, by R. Yoel Bin-Nun, for thorough analysis of the various Biblical passages relating to Chag Hamatzot and Chag HaPesach, which identifies the distinct messages of the two.  Chag HaPesach commemorates the miraculous rescue of the Jewish people, whereas Chag HaMatzot focuses on the fact of the exodus.

Holidays

The holidays are discussed together in several places in Torah (in Parashot Mishpatim / Ki Tisa, Emor, Pinechas and Re'eh), each time with a different emphasis. Some relate the holiday to the agricultural (solar) year while others mention only lunar dates. Some deal with just the three pilgrimage holidays; others add also the holidays of Tishrei. Certain units highlight the unique laws of each holiday; others speak of the designated sacrifices. Comparing and contrasting the various units helps one understand the full nature of each holiday, but also makes one question why each unit has a different focus.

Tools

• Use Makbilot BaMikra here and here to find links to all the passages in other sections of Torah which speak of the various holidays described in Bemidbar 28-29.
• Use the Tanakh Lab to compare any of the units to each other. For example, compare Vayikra 23 and Bemidbar 28 here.

Articles

• See The Dual Nature of the Chagim, by R. Menachem Leibtag, for exploration of the different aspects of the holidays emphasized in different sections of the Torah, and how it is only by looking at all these various strands together that a complete picture of the messages and nature of each holiday emerges.  The holidays each both celebrate an agricultural milestone and commemorate a historical event, highlighting how "not only is Hashem the force behind nature, but He also guides the history of nation."