Bamidbar: The Power of Numbers

Tonight we begin the series of Sefer Bamidbar, which has been translated to the Book of Numbers. What an interesting and non literal translation! Over the course of the series we will find a deeper meaning to the message of the title of the sefer by learning about specific stories together. Tonight we will begin with an overview of the first 11 chapters and then dive into chapter 12, the story of Miriam speaking about Moshe. It seems like such a personal story and begs us to try to understand why Hashem would include it, and how it will connect to the book as a whole.

As we continue to progress into sefer Bamidbar we will meet more challenges and mistakes of the Jewish people. In today’s class we will learn about one of the most famous sins-the Sin of the Spies. Where did we go wrong? How did 10 men change the opinion of an entire nation? Why was Hashem’s reaction so intense? As we go through the story in depth we will hopefully answer these questions and more, but also gain a deeper love and appreciation for the land many of us are blessed to live in today.

In today’s shiur we will get to the heart of Mered Korach. What was he fighting for? What were Datan and Aviram fighting for? Why would the Jewish people be interested in any part of the mission? And, how can we relate to these issues in our own times?

In this weeks shiur we will get to learn the story of Balak, a king who felt intense fear of the Jewish People and understood he would not be able to beat them in war “naturally.” He therefore looks to hire a sorcerer, Bilaam, to curse the Jews instead. It is a unique story in that it is seen from someone’s perspective not within the Jewsih people or Gd Himself. But it’s messages are relevant to us both then and now!

In last week’s shiur we learned how prostitutes from Moav and Midyan entered the Jewish camp and ultimately cost the death of 24,000 Jews. The plague only stopped when Pinchas got up and stabbed Kuzbi and Zimri who were in front of the Ohel Moed. In this week’s class we will understand the “reward Hashem gives to Pinchas for his action. We will then learn about the daughters of Tzlafchad who fought for a piece of Israel in contrast to Reuven and Gad wanting their portion of inheritance on the other side of the Israel border and how all of these stories relate back to our original understanding of the title of this sefer being Numbers.