Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Behaalotekha/0/en

Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Behaalotekha

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Second Chances

In Bemidbar 9, several ritually impure people request from Moshe that they not be left out of participating in the Paschal rite.

• Considering that it is prohibited for the impure to eat of sacrifices, on what basis do they expect Moshe to allow them to participate? Is their request grounded in legal arguments, with the working assumption that the prohibition should not apply to them, or are they asking for a humanitarian measure, that Moshe override the law?  Which possibility is better supported by the verses?  Is it even possible for Moshe to overrule a Torah law?  Can you think of other instances in which this might have happened?
• Why does Hashem allow for "second chances" with regard to the Pesach and not other commandments?  Should people always be given a second chance, or are there instances when doing so is not warranted?  Why or why not?  What does our story suggest about who deserves a second chance and who might not?

Miracles in the Wilderness: The Selav

After the nation complains about the tediousness of their diet of manna, Hashem provides them with שליו.  They gluttonously devour it, and with the "meat still between their teeth" Hashem smites them.

• Though most identify the שליו as quail, a minority opinion asserts that it refers to fish.  What support can be brought for each position? How might each identification illuminate the Biblical account?  For elaboration, see שְׂלָו – Fish or Fowl
• The nation's complaint of having only manna to eat would suggest that it was their sole source of nourishment.  The Hoil Moshe disagrees, suggesting that the manna served only as a supplement and there were often other food options.  What might be prompting this position?  What does it suggest about the miraculous (or not so miraculous) nature of the Israelite's wandering in the Wilderness? See Life in the Wilderness for more.

Idle Gossip or a Challenge to Authority?

How is Miryam and Aharon's critique of Moshe to be understood?  Was this simply idle and misguided chatter, or did they have a fundamental disagreement with his behavior leading them to question his authority as leader?

• The Sifre views Miryam and Aharon as intending no harm, and in fact trying to improve Moshe's family life by encouraging the resumption of normal relations between Moshe and Zipporah.  Modern scholars, in contrast, cast Miryam and Aharon in a negative light, suggesting that they were contesting Moshe's leadership and claiming to be his equals. With whom do you agree?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each position? 
• R"Y Bekhor Shor offers a different reading of the story, presenting the siblings as bothered by what they perceived as hubris in Moshe's decision to marry a non-Israelite. Was intermarriage prohibited at this point in history?  Is it a Biblical prohibition at all?  Even if not, was not marrying an Israelite the ideal, and Miryam and Aharon, thus, somewhat justified in their complaint? See Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage.
• When is it wrong to speak about another? If your intentions are to help, is it ok? If you find another person's actions troubling, is it problematic to consult a third party about their behavior before approaching the person yourself?