Parashat Beha’alotecha

Dedication of the Levites

8 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you erect the lamps, the seven lamps are to illuminate the area in front of the menorah.” ³ Aaron did so. He erected the lamps facing forward so they illuminated the area in front of the menorah, just as Adonai had commanded Moses. ⁴ Now this is how the menorah was made: hammered gold from its base to its blossoms. Just as was the pattern that Adonai had shown to Moses, so he made the menorah.

⁵ Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ⁶ “Take the Levites from among Bnei-Yisrael and ceremonially cleanse them. ⁷ This is what you must do to them to make them clean: Sprinkle the purifying water on them,^[a] then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, thus purifying themselves.

⁸ “Then they are to take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, plus a second young bull for a sin offering. ⁹ Bring the Levites before the Tent of Meeting, and gather the whole community of Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁰ Bring the Levites before Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael will lay their hands on the Levites, ¹¹ and Aaron will present the Levites before Adonai as a wave offering from Bnei-Yisrael. Then they may go about the work of the service of Adonai.

¹² “The Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Use one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Adonai to make atonement for the Levites. ¹³ Have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons and present them as a wave offering to Adonai. ¹⁴ In this way you are to set apart the Levites from Bnei-Yisrael to be Mine. ¹⁵ After you have purified them and presented them as a wave offering, the Levites will come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. ¹⁶ For they are the ones from among Bnei-Yisrael given to Me in place of all the first from the wombs of Bnei-Yisrael. I have taken them for Myself.

¹⁷ “For every firstborn among Bnei-Yisrael is Mine, whether human or animal. On the day I struck down the firstborn of the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for Myself. ^{[b] 18} So I am taking the Levites in place of the firstborn of Bnei-Yisrael, ¹⁹ and I am giving the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among Bnei-Yisrael, to do the work on behalf of Bnei-Yisrael in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for them—so that there would be no plague among them for coming too close to the Sanctuary.”

²⁰ So Moses, Aaron and the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael did so with the Levites. All that Adonai had commanded Moses regarding the Levites, so Bnei-Yisrael did to them. ²¹ The Levites also purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes. Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Adonai, and, he made atonement for them to purify them. ²² After that, the Levites came to do their tasks before Aaron and his sons in the Tent of Meeting, just as Adonai had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

²³ Adonai again spoke to Moses saying, ²⁴ “This is for the Levites. Men 25 years old and upward are to present themselves for service to work in the Tent of Meeting. ²⁵ But at the age of 50 he is to retire from his service and work no longer. ²⁶ He may assist his brothers in the Tent of Meeting to do their duties, but he himself will no longer do the work. Thus, you are to assign to the Levites their responsibilities.”

Second Month Passover

9 Adonai spoke to Moses in the Sinai wilderness in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt saying, ² “Bnei-Yisrael is to observe Passover at its appointed time. ³ You are to celebrate it at its appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, with all its rules and regulations.”

⁴ So Moses told Bnei-Yisrael to observe Passover. ⁵ They celebrated Passover at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Sinai wilderness. In accordance with all that Adonai commanded Moses, so Bnei-Yisrael did.^[c]

⁶ However, there were some men who could not celebrate Passover because of being defiled by a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron on that same day, ⁷ and these men said to him, “We have become unclean because of a dead man’s body. Why should we be kept from presenting the offering of Adonai at the appointed time with the rest of Bnei-Yisrael?” ⁸ Moses answered them, “Wait, and I will inquire what Adonai commands concerning you.”

⁹ Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹⁰ “Say to Bnei-Yisrael saying: If any man, whether you or your descendants, becomes unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a long journey, he may yet observe Adonai’s Passover. ¹¹ They are to celebrate it at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month. With matzot and bitter herbs they are to eat it. ¹² They are not to leave any of it until morning, or break any bones. When they celebrate Passover they are to observe all its regulations.

¹³ “But the person who is clean and not away on a journey, yet neglects to celebrate Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people because that person did not present Adonai’s offering at the appointed time. That man will bear his sin.

¹⁴ “If an outsider living among you would celebrate Passover to Adonai according to the requirement, so he should do. There will be for you the same regulation for the outsider and the native of the land.’”

The Cloud as the Guide

¹⁵ On the day the Tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the Tabernacle. By evening until morning, the cloud above the Tent of Testimony had an appearance like fire. ¹⁶ It was that way continually. The cloud covered it, and by night it appeared like fire. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, then Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the place where the cloud settled, there Bnei-Yisrael would encamp. ¹⁸ At the mouth of Adonai, Bnei-Yisrael would set out, and at the mouth of Adonai they would encamp. All the days that the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, they would remain in camp.

¹⁹ When the cloud would remain over the Tabernacle many days, Bnei-Yisrael would obey the command of Adonai and not set out. ²⁰ At times the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle only a few days. At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at Adonai’s word they would set out.

²¹ At times the cloud remained only from evening until morning. When the cloud would lift, they would set out. Whether by day or by night, when the cloud lifted, they would set out. ²² Whether for two days or a month or a year, while the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, Bnei-Yisrael remained camped and would not set out. But when it would lift, they would set out. ²³ At Adonai’s word they would encamp, and at the mouth of Adonai they set out. They obeyed Adonai’s order by Moses’s hand.

Silver Trumpets for Assembly

10 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ² “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for yourself. They are for summoning the community and having the camps set out. ³ Whenever both are sounded, the whole community is to gather toward you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ⁴ But if only one is sounded, the princes—the heads of the tribes of Israel—are to gather toward you. ⁵ When you sound the trumpet the first time, the camp of those camped on the east is to set out. ⁶ When you sound the trumpet blast the second time, the camp of those camped on the south is to set out. Short blasts will be the signal for their moving out. ⁷ To gather the whole national community, you are to sound the sustained blasts, but not the short blasts. ⁸ The sons of Aaron will blow the trumpets. This is to be an eternal ordinance for you as well as for your generations to come.

⁹ Whenever you go to war in your own land against the enemy who is hostile to you, you are to sound short blasts of alarm. Then you will be remembered before Adonai your God and be delivered from your enemies.

¹⁰ Also at your days of rejoicing, feasts and new moons, you are to blow on the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They will then be a reminder for you before Adonai your God. I am Adonai your God!”

Journey From Sinai

¹¹ On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted up from above the Tabernacle of the Testimony. ¹² Then Bnei-Yisrael set out on their travels in the Sinai wilderness. The cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. ¹³ So they set out the first time by the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand.

¹⁴ The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first by their divisions. Over them was Nahshon son of Amminadab. ¹⁵ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Issachar was Nethanel son of Zuar. ¹⁶ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun was Eliab son of Helon.

¹⁷ Then the Tabernacle was disassembled, and the sons of Gershon and Merari, who were carrying it, set out. ¹⁸ The standard of the camp of Reuben then set out, by their divisions. Over his division was Elizur son of Shedeur. ¹⁹ Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Simeon. ²⁰ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Gad was Eliasaph son of Deuel.

²¹ Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy items. The Tabernacle was to be erected before their arrival.

²² The standard of the camp of the sons of Ephraim set out next, by their divisions. Over his division was Elishama son of Ammihud. ²³ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh was Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. ²⁴ Over the division of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin was Abidan son of Gideoni.

²⁵ The standard of the camp of the tribe of the sons of Dan, being the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their divisions. Over his division was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. ²⁶ Pagiel son of Ochran, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Asher. ²⁷ Ahira son of Enan, was over the division of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali.

²⁸ This is the order by which Bnei-Yisrael, by their divisions, set out.

²⁹ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place about which Adonai said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will do good to you, because Adonai has spoken goodness to Israel.”

³⁰ But he said to him, “I will not go, because I would rather go to my own country and to my own people.”

³¹ But he said, “Do not leave us now, because you know where we should camp in the wilderness. You can be like eyes to us. ³² If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good Adonai gives to us.”

³³ So they advanced from the mountain of Adonai, a trip of three days, the Ark of the covenant of Adonai going ahead of them for those three days to seek out a resting place for them. ³⁴ The cloud of Adonai was over them by day when they advanced from the camp.

³⁵ Whenever the Ark would set out, Moses would say:

³⁶ Then whenever it came to rest, he would say:

70 Elders to Share the Burden

11 The people were murmuring in the ears of Adonai about hardship, and when Adonai heard, His anger burned. The fire of Adonai blazed among them, ravaging the outskirts of the camp. ² The people cried out to Moses, so Moses prayed to Adonai and the fire died out. ³ The name of that place was thus called Taberah because fire from Adonai had burned among them.

⁴ The grumblers among them began to have cravings, so Bnei-Yisrael began to wail repeatedly, saying, “If we could just eat some meat! ⁵ We remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, for free—the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic! ⁶ But now we have no appetite. We never see anything but this manna.”

⁷ Now the manna was similar to coriander seed and had an appearance like gum resin. ⁸ The people went about, gathered it up, and ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. It had a taste like something made with olive oil. ⁹ When the dew descended on the camp at night, the manna descended with it.

¹⁰ Moses heard the people wailing by their families, each man at the door to his tent. Adonai’s anger became very hot, and Moses was troubled.

¹¹ So Moses asked Adonai, “Why have You brought trouble on Your servant? Haven’t I found favor in Your eyes—that You laid the burden of all these people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all these people, or did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom just as the nurse carries an infant’—to the land You promised to their fathers? ¹³ Where can I get meat for all these people? For they wail to me saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I am not able to carry all these people by myself! The load is too heavy for me! ¹⁵ If this is how You are treating me, kill me now! If I have found favor in Your eyes, kill me please—don’t let me see my own misery!”

¹⁶ Adonai said to Moses, “Bring me 70 of the elders of Israel whom you know to be elders of the people and their leaders. Take them to the Tent of Meeting, so they may stand with you there. ¹⁷ Then I will come down and speak with you there, and, I will take some of the Ruach that is on you and will place it on them. They will carry with you the burden of the people, so you will not be carrying it alone.”^[d]

¹⁸ “Now to the people say: Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because you will eat meat, for you wailed in Adonai’s ears saying, ‘If only we could eat meat! It was better for us in Egypt!’ Now Adonai will give you meat and you will eat! ¹⁹ You will eat—not for one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰ but for an entire month—until it is coming out of your nostrils and it becomes loathsome to you! For you rejected Adonai who is among you, and you wailed to His face saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?”

²¹ Moses then said, “600,000 foot soldiers—the people I am in the middle of—yet You say, ‘I am going to give them meat to eat for an entire month?’ ²² If flocks and herds were slaughtered, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught, would they have enough?”

²³ Adonai said to Moses, “Is Adonai’s arm too short? Now you will see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

Seventy Elders Prophesying

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people Adonai’s words. He gathered 70 of the elders of the people and had them stand around the Tent. ²⁵ Adonai descended in the cloud and spoke with him. He took some of the Ruach that was on him and placed it on each of the 70 elders. It so happened that when the Ruach first rested on them, they prophesied—but never again.

²⁶ Two men, however, had remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad. The Ruach rested on them. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the Tent. So they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”

²⁸ Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses since his youth, cried out and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

²⁹ But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous on my behalf? If only Adonai would make all the people prophets! If only Adonai would put the Spirit on all of them!”

³⁰ Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Quails From the Sea

³¹ Now a wind went out from Adonai and drove quails from the sea. He brought them into the camp to about a day’s journey in any direction, about two cubits above the ground all around the camp. ³² The people went out all that night and all the following day and collected quail. No one gathered less than ten omers. They spread them out all around the camp.

³³ Yet while the meat was between their teeth, before it was swallowed, Adonai’s anger burned against the people. So Adonai struck the people with a severe plague. ³⁴ For that reason the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah^[e], because they buried the people who were craving.

³⁵ From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth and stayed in Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses

12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on account of the Cushite woman he married, because he had married a Cushite woman. ² They asked, “Has Adonai spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t He also spoken through us?”

Adonai heard it.

³ Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.

⁴ Immediately, Adonai said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “The three of you, come out to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three came out. ⁵ Adonai descended in a column of cloud, stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and called to Aaron and Miriam. The two of them stepped forward.

⁶ “Hear now My words!” He said. “When there is a prophet of Adonai, I reveal Myself in a vision, I speak to him in a dream. ⁷ Not so with My servant Moses. In all My house, he is faithful. ^{[f] 8} I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even looks at the form of Adonai! Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”

⁹ Adonai’s anger burned against them, and He left them. ¹⁰ When the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, behold, Miriam had tza’arat, like snow! As Aaron turned toward her, behold, she had tza’arat! ¹¹ He said to Moses, “Please, my lord, don’t hold against us the sin we have committed so foolishly! ¹² Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, who comes from his mother’s womb with his flesh half-eaten away!”

¹³ So Moses cried to Adonai saying, “O God, heal her now!”

¹⁴ Adonai said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be in shame for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days. After that she may be brought back.”

¹⁵ So Miriam was restricted to outside the camp for seven days. The people did not move on until Miriam was brought back. ¹⁶ Afterward, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Wilderness of Paran.

¹⁰ Oy, oy! Flee from the land of the north”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“because I scattered you like the four winds of heaven”—it is a declaration of Adonai.

Two Witnesses

11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, saying, “Get up and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count those worshiping in it. ^{[a] 2} But do not measure the court outside the Temple—leave it out, because it has been given to the nations, and they shall trample the holy city for forty-two months. ^{[b] 3} And I will grant authority to My two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^[c] dressed in sackcloth.”

⁴ These are the two olive trees and the two menorot that are standing before the Lord of the earth. ^{[d] 5} If anyone wishes to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ^{[e] 6} These two have the power to shut the heavens, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying.^[f] And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.^[g]

⁷ When they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the abyss will make war on them, and overcome them and kill them. ^{[h] 8} And their corpses will lie in the open street^[i] of the great city that figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt—where also their^[j] Lord was crucified. ⁹ Some from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their corpses for three and a half days, not allowing them to be placed into a grave. ^{[k] 10} Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

¹¹ But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet;^[l] and great fear fell on those who were watching them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^[m]

¹³ At that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed.^[n] Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second woe is past. The third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel trumpeted, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders seated on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁹ Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of His Covenant appeared in His Temple. And there were flashes of lightning and rumblings and clashes of thunder and an earthquake and heavy hail.^[s]