Tachanot HaMidbar

B'nei Yisrael stopped at 42 different locations between Mitzraim and Eretz Yisrael, but only by some of them do we have a Mesorah as to what happened. I might fill in a few more later.

1. Sukkot - B'nei Yisrael are joined by the Erev Rav on the way to Sukkot (Shemot 12:37-38)
2. Eitam
3. Pi HaChirot
4. Marah
5. Eilim - There were 12 springs and 70 date trees (Shemot 16)
6. Yam Suf
7. Midbar Sin
8. Dofkah
9. Alush - They received the Man (Ba'al HaTurim 33:13)
10. Refidim - The war with Amalek (Shemot 17:8)
11. Midbar Sinai - Maamad Har Sinai, Chet HaEigel
12. Kivrot HaTa'avah - Recounted in BaMidbar chapter 11, includes the mitzvah to Moshe to appoint a Sanhedrin.
13. Chatzeirot - Lashon HaRa of Miriam (BaMidbar 12)
14. Ritmah - Sin of the Spies (Rashi to BaMidbar 33:18), Ma'apilim
15. Rimon Paretz
16. Livnah
17. Risah
18. Keheilatah - Ma'aseh Korach (Ba'al HaTurim to BaMidbar 33:22)
19. Har Shefer
20. Charadah
21. Makheilot - Ba'al HaTurim also relates this to Korach (per the girsah I have here), but perhaps it is referring to chapter 17:6 onwards, which is the day after Ma'aseh Korach.
22. Tachat
23. Tarach
24. Mitkah
25. Chashmonah - The 25th stop is Chashmonah, like Chashmonaim, hinting at Chanukah.
26. Moseirot
27. B'nei Ya'akan
28. Chor HaGidgad
29. Yotvatah - Devarim 10:8 says that at that time, Hashem separated the tribe of Levi for its work. According to (if I recall correctly) Rashi, this happened earlier, but the placement of this statement by this Tachanah nonetheless is relevant here.
30. Evronah
31. Etzyon Gaver
32. Kadesh - Death of Miriam, Moshe hits the rock (Bamidbar 20)
33. Hor HaHar - Death of Aharon, war with Melech Arad
34. Tzalmonah
35. Punon
36. Ovot
37. Iyei HaAvarim
38. Divon Gad
39. Almon Divlataymah
40. Harei HaAvarim
41. Arvot Moav - Maaseh Ba'al Pe'or (Bamidbar 25)
42. Har Nevo - Death of Moshe (Devarim 34)

The Defeat Is Complete

Today, the Israeli government has voted to free Lebanese prisoners, as well as the dead bodies of Lebanese combatants, in exchange for the Israeli soldiers captured on July 12th, 2006, dead or alive.

For those of you that remember, Hizbollah's stated purpose for attacking Israel in 2006 was to gain release for Lebanese prisoners in Israel.

At that time, there was a great patriotic sentiment that swept the country as we went to war. I was among the (unfortunately) minority that did not buy in to the uplifting speeches given by the upper political echelon. Their kavanah for going to war was invalid. It was not to eliminate the enemy, to liberate another section of Eretz Yisrael, or any other valid reason. It was to get back the missing soldiers, but on a grander scale to regain quiet on the northern border; to legitimize unilateral withdrawals (on the order of southern Lebanon and Gaza).

There are 2 parallels in Bamidbar.

The Ma'apilim went to war, as is known, after the punishment for the Sin of the Spies was anounced. They went to war in order to avoid Divine Punishment. They did not go to war because it was Hashem's will, but rather they fought in order to make up for a mistake. Moshe describes the Emori's chasing of the Ma'apilim as "the bees do". Rashi describes there (Dvarim 1:42) that the bees, while definitely cause pain, actually lose more themselves, since they die after attacking.

The other is in this week's Parshah, in the battle that ensued after the death of Aharon. The King of Arad came and fought with Israel, and took a captive (Bamidbar 21:1). Am Yisrael made a neder to utterly destroy the enemy and not touch any of their property, to make it all cherem. Hashem gave Am Yisrael victory.

Unfortunately, the 2nd Lebanon War was akin to the Ma'apilim and not the war with the King of Arad.

May Hashem quickly help us to bring new leadership to power which will do what is proper in His eyes.

_____________

It seems I'm not the only one that thinks this way:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126668

The Prime Minister's Office admits it too:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/149081

Korach's Influence

Parshat Korach starts, of course, with the story of Korach. The story of Korach is basically a direct challenge to the authority of Moshe Rabbeinu. This is in contrast to the Sin of the Spies, which was a sin against Hashem directly, in that they did not believe in Hashem's power to act in this world.

Korach's challenge to Moshe's leadership was answered swiftly and forcefully with Divine Intervention. It started with Hashem saying that He would destroy the entire nation. Moshe and Aharon's prayers brought this down to the sinners themselves, Korach and his faction.

Nonetheless, the following day brought a complaint. The people blamed Moshe and Aharon for the death of Korach and his faction. That is to say that the people failed to recognize that the reason for yesterday's death and destruction was Korach's sin. This too brought a similar statement from Hashem to destroy the entire nation.

That is to say that the punishment was originally limited in scope, but then there were those in the nation that even after Korach's death did not recognize the reason for the outcome, and in effect, aligned themselves posthumously to Korach.

Moshe's argument in his first prayer (shall one man sin and You punish the entire nation?) was no longer relevant. The plague began. Moshe told Aharon to run quickly with the incense in order to stop the plague. Why?

Moshe and Aharon prevented destruction at first by their prayer to Hashem. It was not visible that they had done good for Am Yisrael. It went unnoticed. Therefore to fix this problem, Moshe and Aharon had to visibly do something for Am Yisrael.

To recap:

• At first, the sin of the nation was in the heart (not yet verbalized), and therefore Moshe and Aharon's protection was not visible to the nation.
• When the nation followed Korach (so to speak) out loud, the protection of prayer was no longer sufficient.

Korach

We see in Chazal different elements to the dispute of Korach.

• The pshat of the text seems to indicate that he used populist speech, we are all holy (i.e. taking away from the gedulah of Moshe and Aharon), but only as a pretext to become the head himself.
• The Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 110A states that Yosef hid in Mitzraim 3 treasures, and 1 was revealed to Korach. In other words, he got his power from money that was not rightfully his. See also Targum Yonatan in Mikraot Gedolot for a slightly different version.
• The Zohar on Parshat Korach states that the Levi'im are from the Left, and the Kohanim were from the Right, and he wanted to take away the Kehunah, perverting the natural order of the world.

Faith and the Sin of the Spies

The beginning of the book of Devarim has a recounting of the Sin of the Spies from a slightly different perspective, it makes certain implied ideas more explicit.

Moshe says:

דברים א:לב - ובדבר הזה, אינכם מאמינם בה' אלקיכם

Devarim 1:32 - And on this matter, you do not believe in Hashem your G-d.

The basic format of the discussion between Yehoshua & Calev and the 10 tribes is as follows:

• The 10 spies describe how great the Land of Israel is.
• They describe how the people are much bigger and stronger than Am Yisrael.
• Calev ben Yefuneh stresses that we can inherit the land.
• The 10 spies say that we cannot inherit the land, stressing further how insignificant Am Yisrael is in comparison to the nations currently inhabiting the Land of Israel.
• The nation sides with the 10 spies.
• Calev ben Yefuneh and Yehoshua bin Nun stress how good the Land of Israel is, and that our inheriting it is dependent on Hashem being with us, which He is.
• The nation still sides with the 10 spies.
• Divine intervention.

The 10 spies and Calev/Yehoshua argument can be simplified to this:

• The 10 spies say we can't inherit the land because we are weak.
• Calev/Yehoshua say we can inherit the land because Hashem is with us.

Calev/Yehoshua do not address the base claim of the 10 spies. They didn't contradict a single claim of theirs, for that matter. They don't dispute the fact that the fruit brought back was abnormally large, that the cities were well fortified, that huge people inhabited the land.

Their only response was "Their protection has left them, Hashem is with us, do not fear them" (Bamidbar 14:9).

• The 10 spies saw realpolitik
• Calev/Yehoshua saw Divine Providence

Our forefathers sinned in that they didn't believe in the Divine Providence involved in settling Eretz Yisrael. They did not believe that they would be made successful by the Hand of Hashem. So they decided to give up on the mitzvah settling the land.

The Ma'apilim - Context

One thing interesting to note regarding the parshah of the Ma'apilim is what surrounds it.

• We start with the Meraglim
• Hashem sentences us to 40 years in the desert
• The Maapilim go up against Hashem's command.
• A parshah on how to bring certain korbanot
• The mitzvah of Challah - (See Pirkei Avot, search for the word Challah)
• A parshah on unintentional communal sin, the leadership being led astray and making mistakes
• A parshah on unintentional and intentional personal sin
• The story of the sabbath-desecrator and his sentence
• The mitzvah of Tzitzit

Dor HaMidbar Then and Now

The period of time that Am Yisrael spent in the desert was parallel to the time of Yenikah (suckling) in the upper realms. The manifestation of this on earth was that there was a high level of intimate contact between Hashem and Am Yisrael. When there was sin, punishment was many time in the form of open miracles and a departure from the natural order.

In our day, at the end of the period preceding Yemot HaMoshiach (Katnut Beit), it is not proper to expect this level of direct intervention, for we are at a more advanced stage in human history.

As a result, when studying the lessons from Dor HaMidbar to apply to our life today, we should not just say "and then Hashem smites them!" or anything else simplistic. That does not mean write Hashem out of the lesson, chas v'shalom. It means care must be taken with this analysis.

The Ma'apilim

After the Sin of the Spies, the Torah records that there were a group of people that decided to try to make up for their part in the sin.

במדבר יד:מ - וישכמו בבקר, ויעלו אל ראש-ההר לאמר: הננו ועלינו אל המקום אשר אמר ה' כי חטאנו

במדבר יד:מא - ויאמר משה, למה זה אתם עברים את פי ה', והוא לא תצלח

במדבר יד:מב - אל תעלו, כי אין ה' בקרבכם, ולא תנגפו לפני איביכם

במדבר יד:מג - כי העמלקי והכנעני שם לפניכם ונפלתם בחרב, כי על כן שבתם מאחרי ה', ולא יהיה ה' עמכם

במדבר יד:מד - ויעפלו לעלות אל ראש-ההר, וארון ברית ה' ומשה לא משו מקרב המחנה

במדבר יד:מה - וירד העמלקי והכנעני הישב בהר ההוא, ויכום ויכתום עד החרמה

Bamidbar 14:40 - And they arose in the morning and went up to the head of the mountain saying: Behold we have come up to the place that Hashem said, for we have sinned.

Bamidbar 14:41 - And Moshe said, why are you violating the word of Hashem, it will not be successful.

Bamidbar 14:42 - Don't go up, for Hashem is not in your midst, and (if you don't go up) you won't be smitten in front of your enemies.

Bamidbar 14:42 - For the Amelekite and Canaanite are there before you and you will fall by the sword, for this is the very reason that you turned from following Hashem, and Hashem will not be with you.

Bamidbar 14:43 - But they acted presumptuously and went up to the head of the mountain, and the Ark of Hashem and Moshe did not leave the camp

Bamidbar 14:44 - And the Amalekite and the Canaanite that dwell on that mountain came down and hit them and beat them until Chormah.

Points to notice in the story of the Ma'apilim.

• Hashem wanted Am Yisrael to go up to Eretz Yisrael and inherit the land for all generations, to fulfill the Divine Will that we be a Holy Nation. The Spies caused the nation to not want to inherit the land. Due to the punishment, and the guilt over the sin, the Ma'apilim were willing to fight. They wanted a do-over without actually fixing the base problem. Their intentions were simply impure.
• Moshe points out, essentially, that the Spies were right on one point. The nations that Am Yisrael feared indeed were stronger than Am Yisrael and would beat them, if Hashem were not on our side. Therefore when Hashem decreed that we stay in the desert for 40 years, it was not just a commandment that we could listen to or not. Hashem stated that He was unwilling to suspend the laws of nature for this generation.

Removing Jews From Galus and Vice Versa

Hashem removed Am Yisrael from Mitzraim in the year 2448, but it took another 40 years for Hashem to remove Mitzraim from Am Yisrael. Then, as a ready nation, Am Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael in 2488.

This is indeed a metaphor for our times. They do not start and end consecutively as they did, but the parallels are there.

• Mitzraim: We leave the Mitzraim of our times, the physical lands of Galus.
• The Midbar: We adjust spiritually to the new reality of being under the direct guidance of Hashem.
• Eretz Yisrael: We enter Eretz Yisrael. All of it.

Am Yisrael of today has 2 basic states, Galus and Geulah, and we have 2 basic levels, physical and spiritual. We do not, however, have an interim place on the physical plane akin to the wanderings of Am Yisrael in the desert.

• Mitzraim: Physical Geulah
• The Midbar: Spiritual Geulah
• Eretz Yisrael: Putting the combination of the two Geulot in to action. We will truly be an Ohr LaGoyim and we will completely fix the world under the kingdom of Hashem.

The period of the Midbar is more relevant to those of us who live in Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, it is wise for us to study well the lessons brought in the Torah regarding Am Yisrael in the Midbar. We are coming up to Yetziat Mitzraim in the weekly Torah portion. Let us learn well. Learn from the pshat, learn from the commentaries. Do not just read. Absorb it, it is one of the challenges of our times. He who understands the lessons well will be able to choose correctly, aligning with Moshe, with Hashem's will. Learn about the Golden Calf, the 10 Spies, Korach, B'not Moav along with the other mistakes made. Then you will be able to avoid them and choose the Side of Kedushah. May Hashem open our eyes to understanding His Torah.

Chanukah

In Parshat Masei, Moshe recounts the different locations that B'nei Yisrael visited during the years in the desert.

The 25th place that B'nei Yisrael encamped is recorded as Chashmonah. The two similarities are fairly obvious. Chanukah falls on the 25th day of Kislev, and the protagonists in the story are from the Chashmunai family. Furthermore, the word Chanukah can be read as Chanu (they encamped) and kah (gematria of 25).

It is a well known fact amongst Kabbalists that the most seemingly mundane passages of Torah contain the greatest of Creation's secrets. One which is well known to many who are acquainted on even a low level with Kabbalah is the Kings of Edom from the end of parshat VaYishlach. The GR"A, in his commentary on Sifra Ditzniuta, relates the kings to the 6000 years of history, and by way of remez, indicates that the Keitz "B'itah" is some time after 5666, in the time corresponding with the last king.

The following is a translated paragraph from the last note on chapter 3 of Kol HaTor from within HaTekufah HaGedolah:

And I (Rav Kasher) will bring here what Rabbi Avraham Isaac of Yerushalayim wrote me, and these are his words: The Elders of Yerushalayim tell that the students of the GR"A begged him to reveal to them the Keitz, which he knew. After they begged him much on this matter, he said to them once that within the 42 travels in the desert includes the secret with all its details.

(I recommend reading the whole footnote, for other related items that are mentioned there)

The quotation then goes on to discuss the warning from the GR"A that one who figures out the details of the secret should not reveal it to another.

Sha'ar HaGilgulim Introduction 20:

... for in the future, Moshe himself will return by way of gilgul (reincarnation) in the final generation, and then he will rise, this is why it says "behold you lie down with your fathers and rise" (Devarim 31:16). And also in the last generation, the entire Generation of the Desert will reincarnate with the Erev Rav, and that is what it says "And the nation will rise up" (same verse). And the matter is that there is no generation that doesn't have Moshe Rabbeinu in it, in the secret of "and the sun shines, and the sun sets", "a generation goes, a generation comes", in order to fix that generation. And also the Generation of the Desert itself, with the Erev Rav, all of them will reincarnate in the Last Generation, "As the days of your going out of Egypt". Also Moshe will rise up among them. For they are all from the secret of Da'at: Moshe, the Generation of the Desert, and also the Erev Rav, as was explained in Parshat Shemot....

An essential Tikun of the Geulah is the Tikun of Dor HaMidbar (The Generation of the Desert mentioned above). There was great potential and unfortunately great mistakes occurred. Therefore, these souls return (on some level) to get a final chance to make things right.

So the question is this: Does Chashmonah hint at Chanukah, or does Chanukah hint at Chashmonah?

Essentially, at some point, the message of Chanukah needs to be internalized in all of us. At some point, we must turn Chanukah in to a metaphor and apply it to our situation.

What is the message of Chanukah? Basically a story of extremism, a big taboo in our days. The two sides were Torah and Hellenism. The choice was imposed upon us, the Hellenists/Greeks demanded abandoning our way of life. To apply the metaphor to Dor HaMidbar, Torah and Eretz Yisrael or returning to Egypt. The way to stay true to the Torah was made extremely difficult by the surrounding environment.

Our age is one of polarization. Western values/attitudes allow for, to a large degree, live and let live attitudes, and therefore invite coexistence between ideologies and religious beliefs. The terrorist threat is causing an essential defining of sides, and the West must define itself in to narrower boundaries. We will soon be pressed to choose between the West and the Torah, it will no longer be a mixture.

May we all internalize the meaning of these 8 days, the miracles, both physical and spiritual, and make these part of our daily life, so we know what to choose when the time comes.