11/02/2017

Parashat 36 Portion 107 B’Midbar/Numbers 11:1-35 Judges 6:1-16 Matt 6:25-30 Blessing of Torah.


Bar’chu et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.)

For us to have a deeper understanding of this Torah portion we need to understand that our status in this life is that of “desert wonderers.” YHVH has a good track record for providing for “desert wanderers.” The Torah provides an excellent road map for those who have accepted their destiny and fate in this life as desert wonderers to reach their destination.

Psa 84:5  Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Your (pilgrim) Highways are in their heart.

Heb 11:13  In belief all these died, not having received the promises, but seeing them from a distance, welcomed and embraced them, and confessed that they were aliens and strangers on the earth.
Heb 11:14  For those who speak this way make it clear that they seek a fatherland.

Mat 10:38  “And he who does not take up his stake and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:39  “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he that has lost his life for My sake shall find it.

Modern Christianity emphasises the many blessing we receive now and that our ultimate destiny is in heaven.

The way of blessing is to first seek His Kingdom – His restored Kingdom (Millennium reign), where Messiah rules, regathering all the tribes of Israel and teaching all the nations the Torah.

In the absence of a functioning Levitical ministry the goal of our desert pilgrimage is to teach us the Levitical mandate of Leviticus 10:10

Lev 10:10  so as to make a distinction between the set-apart and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,
Lev 10:11  and to teach the children of Yisra’ĕl all the laws which יהוה has spoken to them by the hand of Mosheh.”

Act 14:22  strengthening the beings of the taught ones, encouraging them to continue in the belief, and that through many pressures we have to enter the reign of Elohim.

See also Deut 8

If the “manna” Messianic Torah reality - does not continually sustain you and satisfy you, you like many Yisraelites, will begin to complain and long for the life you had in “religious” Mirsrayim/Egypt.

Our Torah Portion Begins:

Num 11:1  And it came to be, when the people were as complainers,

א  וַיְהִי הָעָם כְּמִתְאֹנְנִים

The root for “complain” in Hebrew is “anan” and can also mean “to be sorry.” The verb form used above is in the hitpael form (reflexive verb) and can also mean “to feel sorry for oneself.”
The English definition for “complain” is: “to express discontent or unhappiness about a situation.”
This does not mean we cannot express feelings of discontent and unhappiness about our situations in this life. We need to discern what kind of expressions of discontent are acceptable before YHVH and what kind of expressions are not acceptable. Clearly we see in the same verse that it was evil in the Ears of YHVH.

….it was evil in the ears of יהוה. And יהוה heard it, and His displeasure burned. And the fire of יהוה burned among them, and consumed those in the outskirts of the camp.

This kind of complaining was so unacceptable to YHVH that He destroyed those in the outskirts of the camp.

Let us midrash on this kind of unacceptable behavior:

רַע בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוָה; וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה, וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ, וַתִּבְעַר-בָּם אֵשׁ יְהוָה, וַתֹּאכַל בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה.

First of all we see in the passuk (verse) that YHVH “heard.” This may imply that the people were being very vocal amongst each other about their discontent. Maybe it’s a better idea to first remain silent about our discontent and wait on YHVH as to what He is trying to say to us in the situation and how we ought to respond to the situation.
Then we begin to see a progression of YHVH’s anger. First He becomes “hot” “charah” in Hebrew can mean “hot or furious.” “Ohf” in Hebrew means “nose or nostril” it also implies someone who is breathing hard and is angry. Get the picture someone is turning red with anger starts breathing hard and is about to “explode” If this was a man it can be very scary, imagine if this is YHVH?
If we have been filled with the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Set Apart Spirit) we ought to display some kind of discernment in our own spirits when YHVH is displeased and even furious. Sadly this is often not the case. The consequences are none the less extremely detrimental to those who have caused such anger.
“Vativar” comes from the root “ba ar” which means to kindle implying to “consume or destroy.” The Fire of YHVH is kindled and it brings severe destruction.
“Vatochal” comes from the root “ohchal” which means to eat, devour, burn up or feed. Get the picture, the fire of YHVH “eats up” the complaining people.
These “eaten up people” were on the outskirts (bikitsah) of the camp. In other words they were possibly distancing themselves from obeying and submitting to Moshe and YHVH’s Torah. They were displaying an “independent spirit.”
This should cause us to fear and not to judge. The coming fiery judgment of YHVH may first fall on those who are part of His Camp or His House.

1Pe 4:17  Because it is time for judgment to begin from the House of Elohim. And if firstly from us, what is the end of those who do not obey the Good News(Torah) of Elohim?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the wicked and the sinner appear?

The presence of YHVH can only dwell in a people set apart by His commandments. These set apart people will have an intense desire to follow and walk in all the commandments of YHVH.  Baruch ata YHVH melech ha olam asher kidishanu bimitzvotah vitzivanu la asok bediverei Torah-

English translation: Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.

Num 11:2  And the people cried out to Mosheh, and Mosheh prayed to יהוה, and the fire died down.

The Hebrew word root “shaka” is used and means “to drown”. Moshe’s intercessory prayer “drowned” the fire of YHVH.

Num 11:3  Then he called the name of the place Taḇʽĕrah, because the fire of יהוה had burned among them.
Num 11:4  And the mixed multitude who were in their midst lusted greatly, so the children of Yisra’ĕl also wept again and said, “Who is giving us meat to eat?

There was plenty of meat to be eaten. Reuben and Gad had large flocks of animals (32:1). Rashi states that this was merely a pretext to complain about the manna.

The “mixed multitude” in Hebrew “aspesuf” or “gathered gathering” seen as a kind of trouble making group within a group who gathered for the wrong reasons. Note the Hebrew word “erev rav” or mixed multitude is not used in this verse. This implies that it was not the sojourners who were to be singled out for the cause of this disturbance.
This is very dangerous because it implies that some were gathering with those inside of Yisrael in such a way as to distinguish themselves from the rest of Yisrael. Those with independent spirits found each other. An independent spirited person believes that they know what they need to reach the goal of their faith.

Num 11:5  “We remember the fish which we ate without cost in Mitsrayim, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic,
Num 11:6  but now our throat is dried up. There is naught to look at but this manna!”

Hebrew literally reads “our souls are dried up. “Dried up” comes from an ancient Hebrew root form meaning “ashamed, confused and disappointed.
We see herein the danger of not being content in the circumstances we have been placed in. Some of the Yisraelites felt that unbelieving Mitarites/Egyptians had it better than them and they were going to change that by protesting until they got what they wanted.

Php 4:11  Not that I speak concerning need, for I have learned to be content in whatever state I am.
Php 4:12  I know what it is to be humbled, and I know what it is to have in excess. In any and every situation I have learned both to be filled, and to be hungry, both to have in excess, and to be in need.
Php 4:13  I have strength to do all, through Messiah1 who empowers me.

Num 11:7  Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of bdellium.
Num 11:8  The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, and cooked it in a pot, and made cakes of it. And its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil.
Num 11:9  And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell on it.
Num 11:10  And Mosheh heard the people weeping throughout their clans, each man at the door of his tent. And the displeasure of יהוה burned exceedingly. And in the eyes of Mosheh it was evil,
Num 11:11  so Mosheh said to יהוה, “Why have You done evil to Your servant? And why have I not found favour in Your eyes, to put the burden of all these people on me?
Num 11:12  “Was it I who conceived all these people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as the foster father carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?
Num 11:13  “Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat.’
Num 11:14  “I am unable to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.
Num 11:15  “And if You are doing this to me, please slay me altogether, if I have found favour in Your eyes, and let me not see my evil!”
Num 11:16  Then יהוה said to Mosheh, “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Yisra’ĕl, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them. And bring them to the Tent of Meeting, and let them stand there with you.
Num 11:17  “And I shall come down and speak with you there, and shall take of the Spirit that is on you, and put on them. And they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it yourself alone.
Num 11:18  “And say to the people, ‘Set yourselves apart for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, because you have wept in the hearing of יהוה, saying, “Who is giving us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Mitsrayim.” And יהוה shall give you meat, and you shall eat.
Num 11:19  ‘You are going to eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,
Num 11:20  but for a month of days, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes an abomination to you, because you have rejected יהוה who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we come up out of Mitsrayim?” ’ ”
Num 11:21  And Mosheh said, “The people in whose midst I am are six hundred thousand men on foot, and You, You have said, ‘I give them meat to eat for a month of days.’
Num 11:22  “Could flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or could all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”
Num 11:23  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Is the arm of יהוה too short? Now see whether My word meets you or not!”
Num 11:24  And Mosheh went out and spoke to the people the words of יהוה, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the Tent.
Num 11:25  And יהוה came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders. And it came to be, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, but did not continue.
Num 11:26  However, two men had remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldaḏ, and the name of the other Mĕyḏaḏ. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but did not go out to the Tent. And they prophesied in the camp.
Num 11:27  And a young man ran and informed Mosheh, and said, “Eldaḏ (Elohim has loved) and Mĕyḏaḏ(love) are prophesying in the camp.”
Num 11:28  And Yehoshua son of Nun, Mosheh’s assistant from his youth, answered and said, “Mosheh my master, forbid them!”
Num 11:29  Then Mosheh said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Oh, that all the people of יהוה were prophets, that יהוה would put His Spirit upon them!”
Num 11:30  And Mosheh returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Yisra’ĕl.
Num 11:31  And a wind went forth from יהוה, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground.
Num 11:32  And the people were up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail. He who has least gathered ten ḥomers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
Num 11:33  The meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, and the wrath of יהוה burned against the people, and יהוה smote the people with an exceeding great plague.

Be careful what you pray for and set your heart on!

Num 11:34  Then he called the name of that place Qiḇroth Hatta’awah, (the graves of lust) because there they buried the people who had lusted.  
Num 11:35  From Qiḇroth Hatta’awah the people set out for Ḥatsĕroth – and they were at Ḥatsĕroth.(an enclosed space, possibly a place of safety.)

How many will survive this “desert” journey in the last days?


Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”