Chapter 18 begins with the now oft repeated pronouncement that the kohamin and the Leviim are holy for God. At first this chapter seems to repeat what the Torah has dictated many times before- that the kohanim work in the Mishkan and the Leviim help as well. But this time when God explains that the Leviim and kohanim do not get any land, God also dictates the special gifts that they should receive. The kohanim get trumah, first fruits, and first born animal, and the Leviim get maaser- 1/10th of certain produce. These gifts are given to the kohanim and Leviim because they are not given any specific property in the land and as a gift for working in the Mishkan. The idea of maaser had come up before, but it was never designated as gift for the Leviim before. In Leviticus 27:30-32 God commands that 1/10 of all grains and fruits and flocks should be “holy for God.” Why does God only dictate now that maaser should be given to the Leviim? Perhaps this is another gift given to mollify the rebellion by the Leviim. Another possible answer is that it links the Leviim to the people. The kohanim are given the task of performing the sacrificial rites, so they have constant contact with the people who bring the korbanot and other offerings. These gifts given from these korbanot are personal in nature as the kohen and the penitent share the same animal. In the case of the Leviim, they perform perfunctory jobs. They sing, blow the trumpets, carry the Mishkan, and guard it. There is not as much interaction with the people. The concern here is that a rift may be created between the Leviim and the people. God gives the Leviim to create a symbiotic relationship between the people and the Leviim like to kohanim. The Leviim are given a leadership role in the Mishkan, but they are reliant on gifts from the people. This is a constant reminder that they serve at the behest of God and the people.

Chapter 17 can be split into two parts- the first is God’s instruction to Elazar and Aaron concerning the incense pans and incense and the second is the test with Aaron and his staff. What is the message of these two events after the Korach rebellion? If Korach and his coconspirators, including the 250 leaders were all killed either by the earthquake or by the fire, why is there a need for these two subsequent signs? To answer this question, we first need to look at these two events. In the first, God tells Elazar to take the copper incense shovels used by the 250 leaders and beat them into the outer altar:

“Tell Elazar son of Aaron the priest to pick up the firepans… and let them be hammered out as plating for the altar.”

אֱמֹר אֶל־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וְיָרֵם אֵת הַמַּחְתֹּת מִבֵּין הַשְּׂרֵפָה… וְרָקְעוּם פַּחִים צִפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃

(Numbers 17:2–3 [Hebrew numbering 16:37–38])

The message here is that no one except for the Kohanim should be allowed to offer up incense. As a postscript, God also has Aaron walk amongst the people with incense to save them from another plague:

“He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was halted.”

וַיַּעֲמֹד בֵּין הַמֵּתִים וּבֵין הַחַיִּים וַתֵּעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה׃

(Numbers 17:13 [16:48])

Event number one has echoes of the death of Aaron’s own sons. The Torah uses the same word “zar/foreign” to discuss the incense here as it did for Aaron’s sons:

“And the sons of Aaron… offered before ה׳ foreign fire (אֵשׁ זָרָה).”

וַיַּקְרִיבוּ לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֵשׁ זָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם׃

(Leviticus 10:1)

One of the interpretations as to why Aaron’s sons were killed was that they undermined their father’s leadership by bringing the foreign fire to burn the incense before Aaron had a chance to be involved. But their death occurred inside the Mishkan out of the sight of the people. The people clearly did not learn the proper lesson as these 250 men met the same fate as they both also died by fire. This time, God has the reminder placed on the outer altar so that everyone can see and be reminded.

Next, God has the 12 princes bring staffs together with Aaron’s staff.

“And on the next day Moses went into the Tent of Testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron… had sprouted, blossomed, and produced almonds.”

וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אֹהֶל הָעֵדוּת וְהִנֵּה פָּרַח מַטֵּה־אַהֲרֹן… וַיֹּצֵץ צִיץ וַיִּגְמֹל שְׁקֵדִים׃

(Numbers 17:23 [Hebrew 17:8])

When Aaron’s staff grows almond blossoms the next morning, it is brought inside the Mishkan as a lesson to those who murmur against him. These princes were not the ones to complain to Moshe or Aaron. Why are they forced into this test? Why is Aaron’s staff placed inside the Mishkan if it is supposed to be symbol for those murmur against him?

“Place Aaron’s staff before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for rebels.”

הָשֵׁב אֵת־מַטֵּה אַהֲרֹן לִפְנֵי הָעֵדוּת לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת לְאוֹת לִבְנֵי־מֶרִי׃

(Numbers 17:25 [17:10])

It must be that this sign is not for the people like the copper shovels, but for the other Leviim and Kohanim. The other leaders are brought to this test to show that even these great individuals are not worthy of Aaron’s special status all the more so the regular kohanim and Leviim are not worthy. These two symbols- the shovels outside and the staff inside are meant as a warning to the those external threats and internal threats to Aaron.

National murmuring turns into outright rebellion in chapter 16 with Korach and his crew directly confronting Moshe. Their question is simple- why is Moshe the leader? Our questions are also simple: Why are they bringing this all up now? Perhaps they are motivated by a combination of a doomed generation and seeing Moshe throw up his hands in the face of constant complaining. (This motivation is vindicated by Moshe falling on his face yet again as his initial reaction to this complaint). Next, who are these conspirators? “Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, along with Datan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben and two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community…” (verses 2–3). וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן־יִצְהָר בֶּן־קְהָת בֶּן־לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן־פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן׃ וַיָּקֻמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וַאֲנָשִׁים מִבְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם נְשִׂיאֵי עֵדָה קְרִאֵי מוֹעֵד אַנְשֵׁי־שֵׁם׃ (Numbers 16:1–2)

Korach is clearly the leader of the group and his complaint is with Moshe and Aaron. Korach was Moshe’s first cousin- the son of Moshe’s uncle. Moshe’s father Amram was the first born of Kehat, Levi’s son, so the complaint is not about a first born right. Korach probably felt that he was at least from the tribe of Levi and should have had a bigger leadership role. The 250 additional people are a mystery. This is the fourth group of “leaders” introduced in Numbers: the 12 princes of the beginning of the chapter, the 70 elders who were appointed to assist Moshe, and the 12 spies. 250 is a also a unique number in Tanach. Some commentators try to work out a mathematical split to say that Korach selected 23 from each tribe as 23 counts as the minimum number for a high court to assess capital cases. Others say that this group was mostly from Levi and Reuven- the two tribes of the main conspirators and was just a random group of people. Datan, Abiram and On, the other named co-conspirators are Reuven. These Reuven representatives must have felt they should have a larger leadership role as descendants of the first born. The tribe of Reuven was situated next to Korach’s family in the layout of the camp, so that could be another reason for their partnership. On is interesting as he never appears again. This leads the Midrash to explain that On either had cold feet or his wife got him drunk to keep him out of trouble later. The Torah must have named him in order to teach a lesson in teshuva. Datan and Abiram give the most chutzpah to Moshe and Aaron by even refusing to meet with them when Moshe summons them. Who are they? They do not appear anywhere else in the Torah. The Midrash speculates that they were the two Israelites whom Moshe tried to stop from fighting and who ratted Moshe out for killing the Egyptian. According to the Midrash, they were also responsible for much of the rabble rousing so far in the wilderness. The Midrash also explains that they were worse then Korach because at least Korach’s sons are saved and are included in Psalms. Datan and Abiram’s entire families are killed. This gives the Midrash license to blame all of the troubles of the past two years on these two troublemakers.

Numbers 14 was a devastating chapter. The entire nation finds out that they will not be entering the land for forty years until almost all of the adults pass away. After such an emotional tour de force chapter 15 discusses… more sacrifices? Sacrifices given by converts? A single incident of someone gathering sticks on shabbat? Tzitzit? Why are all of these topics mixed together now? The answer begins in the second verse “Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you to settle in.”

דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־אֶרֶץ מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם׃ (Numbers 15:2)

The details are all about korbanot, but the message comes first. God is telling the people not to worry. They will eventually be entering the land. Next, the people may have thought that with their severe punishment that their nation will become a pariah. Not so, says God. Converts will still want to be part of the nation. That’s why the second set of rules is about converts:

“As for the congregation, there shall be one law for you and for the resident alien... You and the stranger shall be the same before ה׳.”

הַקָּהָל חֻקָּה אַחַת לָכֶם וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר חֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם כָּכֶם כַּגֵּר יִהְיֶה לִפְנֵי ה׳׃ תּוֹרָה אַחַת וּמִשְׁפָּט אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם׃ (Numbers 15:15–16)

Next, the people think that law and order will break down now that the older generations are doomed. Not so says God. The legal system will still be in place and those that violate the laws will be punished accordingly—illustrated by the man who gathered sticks on Shabbat:

“Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community… Then ה׳ said to Moses, ‘The man shall be put to death.’”

וַיִּמְצְאוּ אֹתוֹ מְקֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים… וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה מוֹת יוּמָת הָאִישׁ (Numbers 15:32, 35)

Finally, God commands the people to wear tzitzit not only as a constant reminder of God’s rules and laws but also to remember that “I am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, your God” (verse 41).

אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃ (Numbers 15:41)

God took the people out of Egypt and he will not leave them all to die in the desert. This chapter is the perfect response to assuage the fears of the nation.

Chaos reigns in the Israelite camp following the report of the spies. The people are distraught, and Moshe and Aaron are besides themselves. The only ones trying to rally the people are Yehoshua and Calev. Moshe is able to rally, but his argument to save the people is more of a guilt trip to God than a defense of the masses. Ultimately, God decides to punish the people by decreeing a 40-year sojourn in the wilderness. The only two that will survive are Yehoshua and Calev. There are many references in this chapter to the time period just around the exodus as a way to frame the tragic fall of the people from that momentous moment to now. Some examples: The opening verse describes the crying “The whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night.” (verse 1)

Contrast “that night” with “that day” from the introduction to Az Yashir: “Thus God delivered Israel that day from the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea” (Exodus 14:30).

The people complain that God took them out of Egypt just to be killed by the sword (verse 3).

Contrast this with Moshe and Aaron’s retort to Pharoah: “They answered, ‘The God of the Hebrews has become manifest to us. Let us go, we pray, a distance of three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to our God lest he strike us down with disease or the sword.’” (Exodus 5:3).

While complaining about entering the land “And they said to one another, ‘Let us head back for Egypt.’” (verse 4)

Contrast this with the people talking to one another about the manna. “When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ‘that is the bread which God gave you.” (Exodus 16:15).

After the people complain that they want to return to Egypt- a reverse course- “Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembled congregation of Israelites." (verse 5)

Contrast this with the “assembled congregation of Israelites” commanded during the first Passover. “You shall keep watch over it until the fourteenth day of this month; and all the assembled congregation of the Israelites shall slaughter it at twilight” (Exodus 12:6).

Calev and Yehoshua defend the land saying it is exceedingly good- using the double Hebrew word “meod” (verse 14).

Contrast this with the propagation of the Israelites in Egypt. “But the Israelites were fertile and prolific; they multiplied and increased very greatly (meod meod), so that the land was filled with them.” (Exodus 1:7).

Finally, Amalek appears again twice in this chapter- as the reason that God tells the people to turn around—(verse 25)

—and as a raiding party that defeats a group of Israelites who try to buck the damnation and carry on to the land anyway:

וַיֵּרֶד הָעֲמָלֵקִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּהָר הַהוּא וַיַּכּוּם וַיַּכְתֻּם עַד־הַחָרְמָה׃ (verse 45)

Contrast this with the miraculous victory by Yehoshua over Amalek in Exodus 17:8. וַיָּבֹא עֲמָלֵק וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְפִידִם׃. Why would the text have all of these references? Perhaps the text is trying to highlight the fall of the people who two plus years earlier had just been part of the miraculous exodus from Egypt. The great highs of that day are not repeated as the lowest of the lows. This group left Egypt but their new fate is to die in the wilderness and never reach the land that was promised. This contrast also brings to mind the kinah קינה ל״א – Esh Tukad B’Kirbi from Tish abaav that contrasts the highs of the exodus with the lows of the destruction. It is no surprise that the Midrash explains that that the very first verse that says they cried on that night is a reference to the future destruction of the temple that God decreed would happen on the day the people cried for he false report of the spies.

Every single one of the spies is new to the text except for one- Yehoshua. After the text lists all twelve spies, it adds “Those were the names of the participants whom Moses sent to scout the land; but Moses changed the name of Hosea son of Nun to Joshua” (verse 16).

אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח מֹשֶׁה לָתוּר אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה לְהוֹשֵׁעַ בִּן־נוּן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ׃ (Numbers 13:16)

There is one problem with this verse. Except for this chapter, Joshua is never named Hoshea. In Exodus 17, in Joshua’s first appearance, Moshe appoints him to lead the garrison against Amalek. Joshua appears again in Exodus 32 informing Moshe about the Golden Calf and in Exodus 33, as Moshe’s attendant. In Numbers 11, Joshua rushes to imprison Eldad and Maydad when they begin to prophesize with the 70 elders. It is clear that Joshua was Moshe’s right hand man well before God selects him to lead the Israelites into the Land of Canaan. It is a little odd that 11 of the spies are new and yet Joshua appears in the list. Furthermore, while Joshua and Caleb are the only spies allowed to enter the land, it is only Caleb speaks out against the other 10 spies in verse 30. Moshe must have been skeptical of the idea of sending spies. Some commentators explain that when God tells Moshe “send spies for yourself” in the opening verse, the Torah is pointing the finger at the people. God did not see a need for the spies, but the people wanted them. Sensing trouble, Moshe sends Joshua hoping that at least one of the spies would come back with a positive message. When the spies return, however, Caleb speaks up to defend the land. Perhaps Joshua knew that if only he would speak up, the people would think he was biased. Instead, Caleb gets the speaking opportunity, but Joshua provides support later in chapter 14. So then why is Joshua given a name change here? The midrash explains that God took the letter “yud” from Sarai’s name when it was changed to Sarah, and gave to Joshua. That is a very nice story, but what is the connection? When God changed Sarai’s name he blessed her “I will bless her so that she shall give rise to nations; rulers of peoples shall issue from her” (Genesis 17:16).

וּבֵרַכְתִּי אֹתָהּ וְגַם נָתַתִּי מִמֶּנָּה לְךָ בֵּן וּבֵרַכְתִּיהָ וְהָיְתָה לְגוֹיִם מַלְכֵי עַמִּים מִמֶּנָּה יִהְיוּ׃

Joshua will eventually be the first appointed ruler of the Israelites. Moshe comes on to the scene before they are a people, but Joshua leads them as a nation. The most difficult job of a new leader is to do what is right in the face of the mob. Moshe knows that the spy mission was doomed to fail, and he needed an inside man on the job. Caleb may have started the argument, but only someone with the gravitas of Joshua could back it up. Moshe knew how difficult it would be to stand up to the people and so it is at this time Joshua needs the power of the blessing from God to Sarai. It is Moshe’s way of telling Joshua that he needs to be a leader.

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had taken [into his household as his wife]: ‘He took a Cushite woman!’

וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה עַל־אֹדוֹת הָאִשָּׁה הַכֻּשִׁית אֲשֶׁר לָקָח כִּי־אִשָּׁה כֻּשִׁית לָקָח׃ (Numbers 12:1)

Why were Aaron and Miriam gossiping about Moshe’s wife? Rashi explains that the word Cushite does not mean that Moshe married someone from Cush, which is translated as Ethiopia. The numerical value of the word is the same as beauty and it means that everyone agreed that she was beautiful. They were gossiping about Moshe having divorced his beautiful wife. Rashi’s interpretation is motivated by the fact that the only wife we know about is Tziporah and she is a Mediante woman, not an Ethiopian, so the Cushite must not be referring to her birthland. Rashi’s interpretation has some issue. The Torah also does not say that Moshe divorced his wife. Rashi also does not explain why the Torah did not say outright that she was beautiful. Why use a code? Ibn Ezra takes the complete opposite approach. He explains that she is called a Cushite because she had a dark complexion similar to an Ethiopian. Their complaint was not that Moshe divorced a beautiful woman, but they believed that Moshe divorced her because she was not beautiful because she was foreign. Ibn Ezra also has the problem of the Torah not mentioning a divorce. It also seems odd that Aaron and Miriam would think that Moshe divorced his wife because he did not think she was pretty or due to her complexion if they had been married for this long and had two sons! The Midrash explains that they knew Moshe had separated from his wife because of the previous story of the 70 elders. When the 70 men began to prophesize Moshe’s wife commented that she feels bad for their wives because their husbands will no longer be with them assuming that marital separation was a requirement of leadership. This is why God tells Aaron and Miriam that he speaks to other prophets in a dream but Moshe is a “member of his household.” The idea is that God could appear to Moshe at any moment, so he needed to be constantly ready for God and so he needed to separate from his wife. Perhaps a connection could be to another story in a previous chapter- Yitro leaving. Yitro only arrived with Tzipporah and Moshe’s children around the time of the giving of the Torah. When Yitro refused to continue on with the Israelites, he returned to Midyan with is daughter. Moshe had abandoned his wife and children before and now seems to be doing it again. Ultimately, Moshe’s family life is in turmoil as the Midrash will explain later that a story of a man creating an idolatrous cult during the time of the Judges was in fact Gershon, one of Moshe’s sons. Moshe’s sons also do not have any leadership role in Israel, unlike Aaron’s sons or even Chur, Miriam’s son according the Midrash who helps Moshe at the time of the attack of Amalek. The gossip may have been that Moshe chose a wife who was not able to fully be by his side or that Moshe was just not a good family man. God’s anger at Aaron and Miriam may also have to do with their lack of sympathy. Moshe needed to be fully ready for God at any time. This meant he was not able to lead a “normal” lifestyle. Instead of supporting their brother with this hardship, Miriam and Aaron chose to gossip about it.

After the high of chapter 10, chapter 11 starts the low point of Numbers. The people start complaining and Moshe loses patience. Much of this chapter seems like repeats of earlier episodes in the Torah. 1) Complaining. The people complain that they have no meat and they fondly remember the food in Egypt. This is a repeat of the complaint in Exodus 16 when the people complained to Moshe about not having any food. There, God provided the people with the manna. Here he provides them with so much meat that the people overeat and die. 2) Moshe complains that he has no help and God selects 70 elders to assist him. This is a repeat of the episode with Yitro. Moshe did not complain about the burden, but Yitro could see that Moshe was overworked and unable to handle the day-to-day functions of the people. 3) Moshe complains to God about not being able to find enough food and God responds: “Is there a limit to God’s power?” הֲיַד־ה׳ תִּקְצָר? (Numbers 11:23) (verse 24). This parallels Moshe telling God that he cannot go to Pharoah because he has a speech impediment. God responds: “who made a mouth for man, or who makes one mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the lord?”

מִי שָׂם פֶּה לָאָדָם אוֹ מִי־יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם אוֹ חֵרֵשׁ אוֹ פִקֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר—הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי ה׳? (Exodus 4:11)

Why does this chapter have so many reruns? The Torah is trying to paint a stark contrast between the first time these incidents happened and now to emphasize the changes in character. Back in Exodus, the people had a basis to complain. They had just been released from bondage and were traveling in the wilderness for many days with their resources running thin. God did not punish the people then, he simply provided them with miraculous food. In Numbers, the people are simply being ungrateful. Miraculous food is not enough for them. In the beginning of Yitro, Moshe was just starting out leading the people and adjudicating the newly given Torah. Perhaps he was truly able to handle it, but Yitro could see that Moshe was taking on way too much. This time around Moshe could see that he could no longer handle the complaints of the people. Finally, when Moshe first talked with God, he had reason to doubt himself in front of the most powerful ruler in the world. Moshe had not fully seen the wonders of God. Now, Moshe has witnessed the most awesome highs and miracles. He could not have been doubting God’s power. Instead, it is another example of Moshe’s exasperation of leading the people. These themes will dominate the latter part of the book so it makes sense for it to begin with episodes that contrast the people at the beginning with them now.

The building drama of the first ten chapters has reached its zenith. The people are counted. The camp is organized. The Levites carry the Mishkan. The trumpets fashioned and ready to call out. The cloud lifts from the Mishkan and Moses asks his father-in-law to accompany the people for the homes stretch (he declines). And then the dramatic song:

“When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: Advance, O God ! May Your enemies be scattered, and may Your foes flee before You!

וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה קוּמָה ה׳ וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ וְיָנֻסוּ מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ׃

And when it halted, he would say: return, O God, You who are Israel’s myriads of thousands!”

וּבְנֻחֹה יֹאמַר שׁוּבָה ה׳ רִבְבוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

(verse 35-36). These verses are bracketed by upside down nuns like parentheses. Why do these appear here? The Gemara in Tractate Shabbat 115-116 explains that this section is bracketed off because it should be considered its own book. The source is a verse in Proverbs 9:1 “With wisdom she built her house, she carved its seven pillars.”

חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה׃

The Torah only has five books. Where does the 7 come from? The Gemara answers that the seven books are- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers until the brackets, the bracket section, numbers after the brackets and Deuteronomy. Rashi explains that this bracketed section does not belong here but is placed here to separate two punishments. Ramban takes umbrage with Rashi because the first “punishment” seems to be missing. The next verse describes the people complaining, but nothing appears out of sorts in the verse before. He explains that verse 33 “They marched from the mountain of God they traveled for three days”

וַיִּסְעוּ מֵהַר ה׳ דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים

is really about the people removing themselves from God. This is more of a sin than a punishment, but nevertheless is the reason for the split. This interpretation matches an earlier “three day” removal. In Exodus 15:22: “they marched three days and found no water”

וַיֹּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּם סוּף וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל־מִדְבַּר שׁוּר וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְלֹא מָצְאוּ מָיִם׃

and then the people complained to Moshe. The homiletic interpretation there is that water is really Torah. Because the people went three days without it, they suffered. Hereto the people removed themselves from Mt. Sinai for three days and then complained. If water can be interpreted as Torah, Mt. Sinai can as well. But what was the point of bracketing this off but not the Exodus story? Furthermore, verse 34 does not seem to match the sinful behavior “The Ark traveled in front of them on that three days’ journey to seek out a resting place for them.” Why would the Ark move ahead if they were not supposed to move at all? It’s possible that this is bracketed off simply for poetic effect. The only other time this appears in Tanach is in Psalms 107 for poetic reasons. Every other instance of unique lettering in the Torah concerns a poem or song- the Song of the Sea, Moses’s final epic poem, etc. The brackets do contain a mini song by Moses and one that is sung every time the Torah returns to the Ark in Synagogue. Perhaps then the upside down nuns were meant to separate a brief moment in history when everything was going exactly according to plan before everything fell apart in the second half of Bamidbar.

The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:

וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר׃

(2) Let the Israelite people offer the Passover sacrifice at its set time:

וְיַעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַפֶּסַח בְּמֹעֲדוֹ׃

(3) You shall offer it on the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, at its set time; you shall offer it in accordance with all its rules and laws.

בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם תַּעֲשׂוּ אֹתוֹ בְּמֹעֲדוֹ כְּכָל־חֻקֹּתָיו וּכְכָל־מִשְׁפָּטָיו תַּעֲשׂוּ אֹתוֹ׃

Chapter nine begins with God’s commandment that the people celebrate Passover. (Numbers 9:1–3) God had already instructed the people to celebrate Passover generally multiple times already. The fact that God had to specially instruct the people to celebrate Pesach at its set time means that the previous pronouncements of the holidays were not meant to be immediate. God also provided a two week warning to the people, and that was not enough for some who approached Moshe with a conundrum. They were ritually impure and unable to sacrifice the korban Pesach. They approach Moshe and Aaron and ask for advice. This is quite an amazing moment. Until this point- through all the laws of Exodus and Leviticus there had been no dialogue. Everything was one sided except for the people’s pronouncement at Sinai that they will obey the laws. Now, a group of people have come up with an unforeseen dilemma. The fact that they went to Moshe to ask for advice is impressive and even more so that God agreed that the petitioners were correct. The original pronouncement did not take into account those who were unable to perform the ritual through no fault of their own. Moshe’s reaction is telling. The solution does not come from Moshe. He seems quite paralyzed by the question and immediately seeks out God’s advice. Moshe’s ability to lead here is in some ways hampered by his direct connection to God. He does not see a way to be flexible and must ask God for advice. This also seems like an amazing admission of oversight by God and gumption on behalf of the people that they even approach with this concern. Once this issue is brought up, God adds one other scenario that would qualify one for Second Passover- being a far distance away. This second scenario was not relevant to the wilderness but would be relevant in Canaan. “Speak to the Israelite people, saying: When any party—whether you or your posterity—who is defiled by a corpse or is on a long journey would offer a Passover sacrifice to God” (verse 10). “דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי־יִהְיֶה טָמֵא לָנֶפֶשׁ אוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ רְחֹקָה לָכֶם אוֹ לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם וְעָשָׂה פֶסַח לַה׳” The Gemara in Pesachim learns from the specific rule that the Second Passover is for “any party” and that if the entire nation is impure, then everyone can celebrate Passover at the regular time. The Second Passover also has the unique rule that one eats matzoh and marror with the korban but may have chametz in the household. In this way the second Pesach is not a complete replacement for the primary one. Later on, we will learn about the daughters of Tzelofchad who also approach Moshe and God with a dilemma that has not been addressed by Moshe’s pronouncement of the rules. Perhaps the fact that the daughters and these people wanted so much to be included in the rituals created the scenario for God to provide alternative ways for them to participate.