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<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
PARSHAT PINCHAS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Should Chumash end with
Parshat Pinchas?<BR> Obviously not, yet in the middle of
this week's Parsha we<BR>find the story of Moshe Rabbeinu's 'death' and the
transfer of<BR>his leadership to Yehoshua (see
27:12-23).<BR> Furthermore, a careful study of Parshat
Pinchas reveals<BR>that almost all of its topics seem to belong elsewhere
in<BR>Chumash.<BR> In this week's shiur, we attempt to
understand why.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> Up until
Parshat Pinchas, the narrative of Sefer Bamidbar<BR>has followed in a very
logical (chronological) order.<BR>However, towards the beginning of Parsha
Pinchas, we uncover a<BR>serious problem in relation to the story of the war
against<BR>Midyan.<BR> Even though God's command to
avenge the Midyanim is<BR>recorded towards the beginning of Parshat Pinchas, the
details<BR>of that battle are not recorded until several chapters later<BR>in
the middle of Parshat Matot. In the 'interim', Parshat<BR>Pinchas
discusses several events that are not only unrelated,<BR>but also appear to have
taken place at a later time!<BR> After explaining this
problem in a bit more detail, our<BR>shiur will attempt to explain the reason
for what otherwise<BR>seems to be a very strange progression of
parshiot.<BR> [Before we begin our shiur, a note of
convention:<BR> Parsha -
with a capital 'P - refers to Parshat<BR>HaShavua,<BR>
parsha (or parshia) - with a small 'p' - refers to<BR>
'parshiot' ['ptuchot' or 'stumot'] - the paragraph-<BR> like
divisions in Chumash, denoted by a wide blank<BR> space on the
line .]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>DEFINING THE PROBLEM<BR>
Review 25:1-15, noting how Parshat Pinchas begins by<BR>completing the story of
Bnei Yisrael's sin with the daughters<BR>of Midyan (from the end of Parshat
Balak). First, Pinchas is<BR>rewarded for his zealous act (that saved Bnei
Yisrael from a<BR>harsher punishment/ 25:10-15); and immediately afterward
God<BR>commands Moshe to avenge the Midyanites:<BR> "And God spoke to
Moshe, saying: Attack the Midyanites<BR> and defeat them, for they
attacked you by trickery..."<BR> (25:16-18).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Logic would dictate that
Chumash should continue at this<BR>point with the story of that battle.
But that's not what<BR>happens! Instead, the details of that battle are
recorded<BR>only some five chapters later -in the middle of Parshat
Matot:<BR> "And God spoke to Moshe, saying: Avenge the Israelite<BR>
people on the Midyanites...[then] Moshe spoke to Bnei<BR> Yisrael: Choose
men for battle, and let them attack<BR> Midyan to avenge God's anger with
Midyan..." (see<BR> Bamidbar 31:1-2 / compare with 25:16-18).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In the interim (i.e.
chapters 26-30), we find several<BR>unrelated topics, as summarized in the
following table:<BR> Chapter
Topic<BR>26:1-65 A census of the
entire nation<BR>27:1-11 The story of
'bnot Tzlofchad'<BR>27:12-14 Moshe
Rabbeinu's 'final day'<BR>27:12-23 The
transfer of leadership from Moshe to<BR>Yehoshua<BR>28:1-30:1 Laws of korbanot -
tmidim and musafim<BR>30:2-17 The laws
of nedarim (vows)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> This problem usually goes
unnoticed for a very simple<BR>reason. When the census begins in chapter
26, it appears to<BR>be directly connected to this commandment to avenge
the<BR>Midyanim:<BR> "And God spoke to Moshe, saying: Attack the<BR>
Midyanites..." (see 25:16-18)<BR> "And it came to pass
after the plague, God told Moshe...<BR> take a census of Bnei Yisrael from
the age twenty and up<BR> - by their ancestral houses, all who are able to
bear<BR> arms" (see 26:1-2).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> This juxtaposition leaves
us with the impression that<BR>this census is necessary as part of the
preparation for the<BR>ensuing battle against Midyan. However, by the time
the<BR>details of that census are completed (some 60 verses later) it<BR>becomes
quite clear that this "mifkad" has nothing to do with<BR>that battle.
Rather, its purpose is stated explicitly:<BR> "... This is the total
number of Bnei Yisrael: 601,730.<BR> And God spoke to Moshe saying:
To these [counted people]<BR> shall the land be apportioned - according to
the listed<BR> names, the larger the group the larger the share..."
(see<BR> 26:51-54).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In other words, this
census will form the basis for the<BR>partition of the Land after its
conquest. This observation<BR>explains why this specific census is
conducted "l'beit avotam"<BR>[lit. by their ancestral houses / see 26:2] - hence
it<BR>includes the specific the names of the official family units,<BR>as the
land will be apportioned according to the size of these<BR>family units (see
26:52).<BR> [Note how this detail of "le-beit avotam" is the
primary<BR> difference between the census here, and the census
in<BR> Bamidbar chapters 1-2. There, we don't find these<BR>
individual family unit names!]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Further proof that this
census is totally unrelated to<BR>the war against Midyan comes from the details
of that battle<BR>in Parshat Matot. Review 31:4-6, noting how God
instructs<BR>Moshe to conscript only one thousand soldiers from each
tribe.<BR>If only 12,000 soldiers are needed to fight Midyan, then there<BR>is
certainly no need for Moshe to conduct a comprehensive<BR>census of over 600,000
soldiers!<BR> Conclusive proof that the census in
chapter 26 is taken<BR>for the sole purpose of apportioning the land (and has
nothing<BR>to do with the ensuing battle against Midyan) is found in<BR>chapter
27, where we find the story of how the daughters of<BR>Tzlofchad complained that
they would not receive a 'nachala'<BR>[a portion of the land]. Certainly,
this has nothing to do<BR>with the war against Midyan, but everything to do
with<BR>inheriting the Land!<BR> [The final topic of chapter 27, i.e. the
appointment of<BR> Yehoshua to succeed Moshe, also relates to the topic
of<BR> inheriting the land, as it will become Yehoshua's<BR>
responsibility to conquer and then oversee the inheritance<BR> of the land
according the tribal families.]<BR> ]<BR> Finally,
chapters 28 thru 30 describe numerous laws<BR>regarding korbanot and nedarim
[vows]. These laws as well<BR>certainly have no direct connection to the
war against Midyan.<BR> Only in chapter 31, Sefer
Bamidbar finally returns to the<BR>details of the battle against Midyan that
began back in<BR>chapter 25.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The following chart
summarizes our discussion thus far<BR>and illustrates how the natural flow from
chapter 25-31 is<BR>interrupted by topics A-F:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>CHAPTER
EVENT / TOPIC<BR>=========
===============<BR> * 25 ==> GOD'S COMMANDMENT TO ATTACK MIDYAN<BR>A)
26 The Census of the
people who will inherit the<BR>Land<BR>B) 27:1-11 The
story of bnot Tzlofchad<BR>C) 27:12-14 Moshe Rabbeinu's final
day<BR>D) 27:12-23 The transfer of leadership from Moshe
to<BR>Yehoshua<BR>E) 28->29 The laws of korbanot - tmidim and musafim<BR>F)
30 The laws of nedarim
(vows)<BR> * 31 ==> THE BATTLE AGAINST THE MIDYANIM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Clearly, none of these
topics relate directly to<BR>'milchemet Midyan'. Nonetheless, the Torah
records them here<BR>in Parshat Pinchas.<BR> To
understand why, we must first determine where each of<BR>these parshiot (i.e.
A-F) does belong.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A) THE CENSUS - MIFKAD
HA-NACHALOT<BR> As we explained above, the census (in
chapter 26) was<BR>taken to enable the leaders to properly apportion the
land<BR>Therefore, it's rather easy to identify where this section<BR>'belongs',
for the last three chapters of Sefer Bamidbar<BR>discuss the topic of inheriting
the land (see 33:50 till the<BR>end of the book). In fact, we can pretty
much pinpoint where<BR>this unit belongs by noting a rather obvious textual
(and<BR>thematic) parallel. Simply review once again the
concluding<BR>psukim of the census:<BR> "Among these shall the land be
apportioned as shares,<BR> according to the listed names, with larger
groups<BR> INCREASE the share, with smaller groups REDUCE the
share.<BR> Each is to be assigned its share according to its<BR>
enrollment..." (see 26:52-54).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The note how we find
almost the identical commandment in<BR>Parshat Mas'ei, when God charges Bnei
Yisrael with the mission<BR>of conquering the land:<BR> "When you cross
the Jordan into the Land of Canaan... you<BR> shall take possession of the
land and settle it..."<BR> "You shall apportion the land among
yourselves... with<BR> larger groups INCREASE the share, with smaller
groups<BR> REDUCE the share... You shall have your portions<BR>
according to your ancestral tribes..." (see
33:50-55)<BR> [Note CAPS
in both quotes to highlight parallel]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Review these psukim once
again, noting how this<BR>commandment in Parshat Mas'ei is almost identical to
the<BR>commandment recorded at the conclusion of the census in<BR>Parshat
Pinchas (see above 26:52-54)!<BR> Furthermore, Parshat
Mas'ei continues with numerous other<BR>commandments concerning inheriting the
land. [For example,<BR>the borders of Eretz Canaan that are to be
conquered (see 34:1-<BR>15), the tribal leaders who will apportion the land (see
34:16-<BR>29), the cities of the levi'im and the cities of refuge
(see<BR>chapter 35), etc.]<BR> Hence, we conclude that
the census in Parshat Pinchas<BR>actually 'belongs 'in Parshat
Mas'ei!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>B) BNOT TZLOFCHAD<BR>
Note how this incident (see 27:1-11) is recorded<BR>immediately after the census
[read 27:1 carefully], and most<BR>probably that is exactly when it took
place. After all, the<BR>daughters of Tzlofchad's complaint stems from
their worry that<BR>their father's inheritance (as promised in the census) will
be<BR>lost, for they have no brothers.<BR> Clearly, this
story can be considered a direct<BR>continuation of the "mifkad ha-nachalot"
(i.e. chapter 26),<BR>for it too deals with laws concerning inheriting the
Land.<BR>Therefore, it too should have been recorded in Parshat Mas'ei.<BR>[In
fact, the story of bnot Tzlofchad actually continues in<BR>Parshat Mas'ei - see
chapter 36!]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>C) MOSHE RABBEINU'S FINAL
DAY<BR> In the next parsha (27:12-14), God commands
Moshe to take<BR>a final glance of the Promised Land prior to his
death:<BR> "And God told Moshe: Ascend Mount Eivarim and view
the<BR> land which I am giving to Bnei Yisrael, then you will be<BR>
gathered unto your people, just as Aharon was..." [ i.e.<BR> the time has
come for Moshe to die (see 27:12-13).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Obviously, this commandment should have been
recorded at the<BR>very end of Sefer Bamidbar, or even at the end of
Sefer<BR>Devarim - prior to Moshe's death; surely not in the middle
of<BR>Parshat Pinchas! [To verify this, simply compare it to<BR>Devarim
34:1-6.]<BR> Furthermore, even if this story 'belongs'
in Sefer<BR>Bamidbar, it most definitely should have been recorded
after<BR>"milchemet Midyan", for that story begins -stating
explicitly:<BR> "And God spoke to Moshe: Avenge the
Midyanites...<BR> afterward you shall be gathered to your nation"
(31:1).]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>D) APPOINTING YEHOSHUA AS THE NEW
LEADER<BR> The next parshia (27:15-23) is simply Moshe's
reaction to<BR>this commandment (that he must die). Therefore,
Moshe<BR>requests that God appoint a leader in his place. Clearly,<BR>both
of these parshiot [(C) and (D)] form a unit, but it would<BR>have made more
sense to records this unit somewhere towards<BR>the end of Chumash; but
definitely not in the middle of<BR>Parshat Pinchas!<BR>
In fact, considering that this story includes the<BR>appointment of Yehoshua as
the new leader, this unit could<BR>have formed a very appropriate conclusion for
the entire<BR>Sefer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E) KORBANOT TMIDIM
U-MUSAFIM<BR> The next two chapters (28->29)
constitute a schedule of<BR>the various korbanot musaf that are offered on
special<BR>occasions in 'addition' [= musaf] to the daily
tamid<BR>sacrifice.<BR> Obviously, this entire unit
doesn't belong here, for it<BR>has nothing to do with the ongoing
narrative. Rather, it<BR>should have been recorded in Sefer Vayikra, most
probably in<BR>Parshat Emor, together with the other laws of korbanot
and<BR>holidays (see Vayikra chapter 23, noting how the phrase:
've-<BR>hikravtem isheh la-Hashem..' relates to the complete details<BR>found in
Bamidbar chapters 28-29]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>F) PARSHAT
NEDARIM<BR> In chapter 30 we find a commandment
regarding the laws of<BR>"nedarim" [vows]; yet another parshia of mitzvot (as
opposed<BR>to narrative). These laws could be understood as a
direct<BR>continuation of the previous section - because the final pasuk<BR>of
the "tmidim u'musafim" section states that these korbanot<BR>were brought 'in
addition to their nedarim...' (see 29:39!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Based on this analysis, it becomes clear
that the Torah has<BR>intentionally 'interrupted' the story of the war
against<BR>Midyan with several unrelated parshiot! The obvious
question<BR>is: why?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>DIVIDE & CONQUER<BR> To
answer this question, we must first group these six<BR>topics (i.e. A-F above)
into two basic categories.<BR>I. PREPARATION FOR ENTERING ERETZ CANAAN
(26-27)<BR> A. The census for dividing the land -
mifkad ha-nachalot<BR> B. The complaint of bnot
Tzlofchad re: their inheritance<BR> C. Moshe's
death<BR> D. The transfer of his leadership to
Yehoshua.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>II. MITZVOT THAT BELONG IN SEFER VAYIKRA
(28-30)<BR> E. The laws of tmidim
u-musafim<BR> F. The laws of nedarim</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> These two categories can
help us pinpoint where each of<BR>these two units
belong.<BR> The first unit (I.) contains parshiot that
detail Bnei<BR>Yisrael's preparation for entering the land. As we
explained<BR>above, these parshiot belong in Parshat Mas'ei. To
illustrate<BR>this point, the following table shows the progression
of<BR>parshiot from the story of milchemet Midyan until the end of<BR>Sefer
Bamidbar:<BR>CHAPTER
TOPIC<BR>31:1-54 The war against
Midyan<BR>32:1-42 The inheritance of
Reuven & Gad in
Transjordan<BR>33:1-49 Summary of
B.Y.'s journey through the desert<BR>33:50-56 * The
commandment to conquer & inherit the
Land<BR>34:1-15 * The precise borders of Eretz
Canaan.<BR>34:16-29 * The tribal leaders who are to
apportion the<BR>Land<BR>35:1-18 * The cities of
the Levites for their<BR>inheritance.<BR>35:9-34 *
The cities of refuge to be set up in the
land.<BR>36:1-13 * Laws of inheritance relating to
inter-tribal<BR>marriages</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> This table illustrates how
the final topic of Sefer<BR>Bamidbar is preparation for entering Eretz Canaan
(i.e. 33:50-<BR>36:13). Considering that chapters 26-27 in Parshat
Pinchas<BR>discuss this very same topic, we conclude that they
actually<BR>'belong' at the end of Sefer Bamidbar.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The second unit,
containing the laws of tmidim u-musafim<BR>and nedarim, clearly belongs in Sefer
Vayikra. However, this<BR>phenomenon should not surprise us, for there are
many other<BR>instances in Sefer Bamidbar where we find 'insertions' of a<BR>set
of laws that seem to belong in Sefer Vayikra.<BR> [See our Introductory
shiur to Bamidbar, where this topic<BR> was discussed in detail.
Later in our shiur, we will<BR> suggest a reason why specifically these
mitzvot were<BR> 'transferred' from Vayikra to Bamidbar.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>CUT AND PASTE?<BR> Based on
this distinction, we can now redefine our<BR>question: Why does the Torah 'cut'
these parshiot (i.e.<BR>chapters 26 & 17) from Parshat Mas'ei (where they
seem to<BR>belong), and 'paste' them instead in Parshat Pinchas - after<BR>the
story of Bnei Yisrael's sin with bnot Midyan, but before<BR>they avenge the
Midyanim?<BR> Before we offer a thematic explanation, we
should note a<BR>small technicality that can support our conclusions thus
far.<BR> Using a Tanach Koren (or similar), take a
careful look at<BR>the opening pasuk of chapter 26, noting how there is a
parshia<BR>break smack in the middle of this pasuk!<BR> "Va-yehi acharei
ha-mageifa" - when the plague was over -<BR> SPACE , [i.e. a parshia break
in the middle of the pasuk]<BR> ...and God told Moshe...Take a census of
Bnei Yisrael..."<BR> (see 26:1-2)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> This strange 'parshia
break' in the middle of the pasuk<BR>may reflect this 'interruption' of the
narrative, which takes<BR>place precisely at this point, in the middle of this
pasuk!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Now that we have established that the census
in chapter 26<BR>'belongs' at the end of the book, we must now search for
a<BR>reason why the Torah intentionally inserted this unit<BR>specifically at
this point in Sefer Bamidbar, i.e. after the<BR>plague that followed Bnei
Yisrael's sin with 'the women of<BR>Moav & Midyan'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> We will suggest a reason
for this juxtaposition by<BR>considering the overall theme and structure of
Sefer Bamidbar.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE LAST PLAGUE<BR> Recall
how the narrative of Sefer Bamidbar began as Bnei<BR>Yisrael prepare for their
journey from Har Sinai towards the<BR>Promised Land. Ideally (i.e. had
Bnei Yisrael not sinned),<BR>Sefer Bamidbar would have continued with the story
of the<BR>conquest and settlement of the Land.<BR> Even
though everything seems to be going fine in the<BR>first ten chapters - i.e. up
until the psukim of "va'yhi bnsoa<BR>ha'aron" (see 10:35-36) - as soon as Bnei
Yisrael begin their<BR>journey (in chapter 11), everything seems to go
wrong.<BR>Instead of describing what should have been, Sefer Bamidbar<BR>becomes
the story of how and why Bnei Yisrael do NOT make it<BR>to the land of
Israel.<BR> Note how just about every story in Sefer Bamidbar
from<BR>chapter 11 thru chapter 25 describes a rebellious act of
Bnei<BR>Yisrael, followed by a terrible punishment.<BR> [For example, the
"mitonnim", the "mitavim", the "meraglim",<BR> Korach and his followers,
"mei meriva", the "nachash<BR> nechoshet" incident, and "chet bnot
midyan".]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The sin of the "meraglim" (in chapter 13)
was so severe that<BR>God swore that the first generation must perish in the
desert.<BR>Then, even in the fortieth year, we find additional
incidents<BR>where Bnei Yisrael sin (and are punished). For example,
note<BR>the story of the 'nachash nechoshet' (see 21:4-10) and 'chet<BR>bnot
Midyan' (see 25:1-6).<BR> Even though chapters 11 thru
25 of Sefer Bamidbar are<BR>replete with stories of rebellion, punishment, and
death; from<BR>chapter 26 and onward, the primary topic of Sefer
Bamidbar<BR>changes once again. Instead of stories of rebellion, now
we<BR>find stories of conquest and preparation for entering the<BR>land.
The following table summarize this division of the<BR>narrative of Sefer
Bamidbar into three distinct sections:<BR>I.
1->10 Preparation at Har Sinai to travel to
Israel<BR>II, 11->25 What went wrong, i.e. why first
generation<BR>failed<BR>III. 26->36 Preparation for
entering the land [new<BR>generation]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> From this perspective, the
act of Pinchas, which stopped<BR>the plague in the aftermath of the sin with
"bnot Mo'av"<BR>constitutes an important milestone in Sefer Bamdbar- for
this<BR>incident was the last punishment in the desert. Hence,
those<BR>who survived that plague are now destined to become the
first<BR>inheritors of Eretz Canaan!<BR> With this
background, we can suggest that the Torah's<BR>'insertion' of the census
specifically at this point in the<BR>Sefer emphasizes precisely this point -
that the tragic events<BR>in the desert have finally come to an end. Those
who survived<BR>this plague are now worthy of inheriting the
Land.<BR> This interpretation is supported by the final
statement<BR>of that census, recorded after the levi'im are counted:<BR>
"These are the persons counted by Moshe...Among these<BR> there was not
one of those counted by Moshe & Aharon in<BR> Midbar Sinai (chapters
1-2) ... For God had said of them:<BR> They shall die in the wilderness,
not one of them<BR> survived, except Kalev ben Yefuneh and Yehoshua bin
Nun"<BR> (26:63-65).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Further support is found
in Sefer Devarim, in Moshe<BR>Rabbeinu's opening address to the nation. In
Moshe’s<BR>introductory speech (before he begins his main speech that<BR>reviews
the various laws that Bnei Yisrael must keep once they<BR>enter the land / see
5:1, 5:28, 6:1 etc.), note his emphasis<BR>on this very same point:<BR>
"Your very own eyes have seen what God has done to Ba'al<BR> Pe'or, for
anyone who had followed Ba'al Pe'or [i.e. chet<BR> bnot Mo'av] - God has
destroyed him from your midst [via<BR> the 'mageifa']. But you - who
have remained loyal to<BR> your God - are standing here alive to today!"
(see<BR> Devarim 4:3-4).<BR> [Did you realize that this
is the context of the pasuk<BR> "v'atem ha'dvakim b'Hashem
Elokeichem" (that we often<BR> quote in our daily
tefilla)?]<BR> <BR>FROM CENSUS TO
LEADERSHIP<BR> In a similar manner, we can explain why
this census is<BR>followed by God's commandment to Moshe to ascend Har
HaEivarim<BR>to die, and the story of how his leadership is transferred
to<BR>Yehoshua. Considering that this census will become the basis<BR>for
the 'inheritance' of the Land of Israel, we mention<BR>immediately afterward
this transfer of leadership, for it will<BR>become Yehoshua's duty to lead the
new generation to conquer<BR>and inherit the Land. [See further iyun
section for a<BR>discussion of how Rashi relates to this point.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>TMIDIM U-MUSAFIM - WHY
HERE?<BR> Now that we have explained why the Torah moves
the unit<BR>of chapters 26-27 from Parshat Mas'ei to Parshat Pinchas,
we<BR>must also explain why the Torah moves chapters 28-30 (the<BR>second
category) from Sefer Vayikra to Parshat Pinchas.<BR> As
we explained in our introductory shiur, Sefer Bamidbar<BR>contains numerous
mitzvot that 'could have been' recorded in<BR>Sefer Vayikra. Here we find
yet another example.<BR> However, as was the case in the
other instances, we must<BR>look for a thematic connection between those laws
and the<BR>ongoing narrative. In other words, we must ask - what is
the<BR>connection between the laws of tmidim u-musafim and Bnei<BR>Yisrael's
preparation for entering Eretz Canaan?<BR> Once again,
we return to the theme of Sefer Bamidbar to<BR>suggest an
answer.<BR> Recall that the first ten chapters of Sefer
Bamidbar<BR>describe Bnei Yisrael's preparation for their journey from
Har<BR>Sinai to the Promised Land. Those chapters emphasize
the<BR>intrinsic connection between the camp of Bnei Yisrael and
the<BR>mishkan. Bnei Yisrael must travel with the mishkan, and thus<BR>the
'Shchina' (the Divine presence), at the center of the camp<BR>(see shiur on
Parshat Bamidbar).<BR> Now, forty years later, as the
Torah describes Bnei<BR>Yisrael's preparation for entering the Promised Land,
Chumash<BR>may be emphasizing this very same point once again - by<BR>recording
the laws of tmidim u-musafim in Parshat Pinchas.<BR> One
can suggest two thematic reasons:<BR>1)The korban Tamid, the daily collective
offering on the<BR> mizbeiach, together with the additional musaf offering
on<BR> the holidays, is purchased with the 'machatzit ha-<BR>
shekel', collected from each member of Am Yisrael when<BR> taking the
yearly census!<BR>2) The tamid offering is a symbolic daily reminder
of<BR> Ma'amad Har Sinai. Recall (from our shiur on
Parshat<BR> Tetzaveh) our definition of the Shchina unit in
Shmot<BR> chapters 25-29 (the commandment to build the mishkan).<BR>
That unit began with the purpose of the mishkan:<BR> "And they
shall make for Me a mikdash, ve-shachanti<BR> betocham - that
I should dwell in their midst" (25:8).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> That unit concluded with
the commandment to offer the<BR>daily korban tamid, whose purpose was to
perpetuate the<BR>Shchina which dwelled on Har Sinai:<BR> "Olat tamid for
all generations, at the entrance of the<BR> ohel mo'ed... for there
I will meet with Bnei Yisrael...<BR> v-shachanti - and I will dwell among
Bnei Yisrael, I will<BR> be their
God..."<BR>
(see Shmot 29:42-45 compare Bamidbar 28:1-6).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> A similar phrase is found
in the presentation of the<BR>korban tamid in Parshat
Pinchas:<BR> "Olat tamid, which was instituted at Har
Sinai..."<BR>(28:6).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Thus, the korban tamid may
symbolize the special<BR>connection between God and Bnei Yisrael that must
crystallize<BR>as Bnei Yisrael prepare to conquer and inherit their
Land.<BR> From this perspective, this korban tamid may
reflect both<BR>the collective nature of Am Yisrael's relationship with
God<BR>['korban tzibbur'], together with the value of the<BR>contribution of
each individual [machatzit ha-shekel].<BR>` As Yehoshua
prepares to lead Bnei Yisrael into a new era,<BR>these principles of the 'avodat
tamid' - collective purpose,<BR>individual responsibility, and daily routine -
must serve as a<BR>guiding light for the entire nation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
shabbat shalom,<BR>
menachem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>=======================<BR>FOR FURTHER
IYUN<BR>A. The interpretation presented in the above shiur can<BR>explain
why Rashi (26:1) quotes two Midrashim to explain why<BR>this parsha of the
census is located here.<BR> 1) The first Midrash
he quotes, relating to the<BR>connection between the plague and the census,
explains that<BR>Bnei Yisrael are so dear to God that He counts them
after<BR>every tragedy, just as the shepherd counts his sheep after<BR>they have
been attacked.<BR>
However, this approach is difficult, for it does not<BR>take into account the
Torah's explicit explanation that this<BR>census is to determine who will
inherit the land (see 26:53).<BR>Furthermore, in the other instances when Bnei
Yisrael are<BR>smitten by plagues, the Torah never records God's
command<BR>Moshe to take a census. Why should this plague be
any<BR>different?<BR> 2) Therefore, Rashi quotes a
second Midrash comparing<BR>Moshe to a shepherd: Moshe, like a shepherd, when he
took Bnei<BR>Yisrael out of Egypt he counted them, now that he is about
to<BR>die, he must return the sheep to their owner. Therefore, he<BR>must
count them once again.<BR>
While the first Midrash focuses on the connection<BR>between the plague and the
census, the second Midrash focuses<BR>on the connection between the census and
the transfer of<BR>leadership from Moshe to Yehoshua.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>B. Note the Ramban's explanation why the
parsha of Moshe's<BR>'death' is written at this time (in Parshat
Pinchas).<BR> What issue led Ramban to this
conclusion?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>C. The story of Bnei Gad & Reuven
(chapter 32) could be<BR>considered part of the nachala section.<BR>1.
Explain why.<BR>2. Explain why it isn't, and why it actually continues to
the<BR>story of milchemet Midyan.<BR>Pay attention to the opening words of perek
32.<BR> How does this relate to milchemet
Midyan?<BR>3. How does this story relate to other events in the
desert,<BR>such as chet ha-meraglim for example. (See the Netziv on
this<BR>issue.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>D. Use our explanation of the importance of
the korban tamid<BR>to explain why each korban musaf in Parshat Pinchas
concludes<BR>with the phrase 'milvad olat ha-tamid …'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E. Compare the names of the family groups in
the census in<BR>Parshat Pinchas [le-beit avotam...] to the names of
the<BR>original seventy members of Yaakov's family who went down to<BR>Egypt
(see Breishit 46:8-27). Can you find the significance<BR>of this
parallel?<BR> [To whom was this land first
promised?]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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