Summary: Balak, the king of Moab, summons the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. On the way, Balaam is berated by his donkey, who sees, before Balaam does, the angel that יהוה sends to block their way. Three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses, but each time blessings issue forth instead. Balaam also prophesies on the end of the days and the coming of the Messiah. The people fall …
CHUKAT (ordinance of)
Numbers 19:1 And יהוה spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying, 2 זֹאת This is the ordinance from the Torah which יהוה has commanded: Tell the Children of Israel to bring you a Red Heifer without spot and blemish and has never been worked: 3 You will give אֹתָהּ it (her) to Eleazar the priest, so that he may bring …
KORACH (Korah)
Numbers 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohas, the son of Levi and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: 2 And came to Moses 250 princes of the assembly of the Children of Israel, famous renowned men in the congregation. C-MATS Question: What is …
SHELACH L’CHA (send for yourself)
Question: What did the spies do wrong? On the surface, the spies did nothing wrong in describing what they had seen. They had been sent to make their own observations and they could not be faulted for reporting the truth as they saw it. Yet they were, in effect, telling the nation that no matter how rich and blessed the …
Behaalotecha (When You Raise) the Lamps
(Verses 10:35-36 below are considered a complete new Book of the Torah by the sages because of the importance of these two verses) C-MATS Numbers 10:35 And it came to pass when the Ark set out that Moses said: RISE UP, יהוה and let your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate you flee before you. 36 And when …