Posts in category: Parashot

This story teaches us several valuable lessons. First, it reminds us of the importance of emunah (faith) and trust in Yehovah, especially in times of difficulty and danger. It also highlights the need for integrity and honesty, as Balaam, despite his initial intentions, ultimately obeys Yehovah’s Word and utters the words He commands him to say. Furthermore, the intervention of Balaam’s donkey teaches us to be sensitive to the signs and manifestations of the Almighty, which can come from the most unexpected sources. In summary, the parashah of Balak invites us to reflect on the sovereignty of our Father, His protection of His people, and the importance of acting with integrity and obedience to His commandments.

Exhortation: Let us be humble before the Creator and not allow our stubbornness to reach such a point that Yehovah has to speak to us through a donkey!

This parashah recounts events that took place at the end of Israel’s 40 years in the desert. As they approach the reward of the Promised Land, new challenges arise that will cause the entire people to question their faith in the promises of the Almighty.

The role of faith plays a very important role throughout Scripture. Such as the faith that was counted to Abraham as righteousness, the faith necessary in the promises of the Creator in the desert for 40 years, and the faith that Yeshua exhorted His disciples to have in Him and in the One who sent Him.

Idolatry of the Serpent in the Days of Hezekiah

King Hezekiah, in his effort to purify worship in Israel and eliminate idolatry, destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made. Although the serpent had originally been a means of healing and a symbol of faith in God, over time the Israelites began to worship it instead of God Himself, burning incense to it and worshipping it as an idol.

“He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for until that time the people of Israel had been burning incense to it. He called the place Nehustan.”
2 Kings 18:4

Reflection Questions

1. What lessons of faith and obedience can we learn from the event of the bronze serpent?

2. How can we apply the teaching of looking to God in times of crisis in our daily lives?

3. How can the messianic symbolism of the bronze serpent deepen our understanding of redemption through Yeshua?

4. How can we avoid idolizing religious symbols and figures and instead focus our devotion on the Almighty, as Yeshua taught?

Summary of Ordinances for the Tribe of Levi

The Levites (non-Cohanim) were not to approach the holy utensils or the altar.

They were to guard and protect the Sanctuary (vv. 4–5) in every sense. Later, in the books of Chronicles, we see the organization established for gatekeepers, guards, and other related roles.

They were to strictly oversee everything concerning the Sanctuary so that no judgment would come upon Israel (v. 5).

No outsider (to the priesthood) was allowed to approach, under penalty of death (v. 7), including the Levites.

Benefits of the Cohanim (Priests)

Since the Levites did not receive a land inheritance, Yehovah provided another means of sustenance for them: the offerings, sacrifices, and other gifts that the people brought to Him. This was the way they were paid for their service in the ministry. The Cohanim received the most sacred offerings — kadosh: sin offerings, guilt offerings, and grain offerings. Additionally, they received the wave portion of the Peace Offerings.

Outside the sanctuary, the Cohanim also received the terumah — a portion — from the fields, vineyards, and orchards. The people were to bring them the first part of the harvests, the pressed oil, wine, and the sheared wool from the sheep. They also received portions of the dough, the firstborn of animals, and in addition, the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach lining (qeva, the final chamber of a ruminant’s stomach) of every sacrificed animal (Deuteronomy 18:3).

The Levites, on their part, received the tithes from all Israel (v. 24).

However, neither the Cohanim nor the Levites were to have an inheritance, because Yehovah is their inheritance.

The distinction between the roles of the Cohanim and the Levites is clearly established. The Cohanim were responsible for duties such as: burning the offerings on the altar, sprinkling the blood, making libations of wine, oil, or water — and many other tasks. None of these could be delegated to the Levites; it was strictly the responsibility of the Cohanim to carry them out.

This segment of Scripture provides us with a powerful and relevant teaching for our walk of faith today. The twelve spies returned from the land with two different reports: one filled with fear and pessimism, while Caleb and Joshua offered a message of faith and hope.

In our daily lives, like the ten spies who brought back the negative report, we face situations that can seem overwhelming. The “giants” and “walled cities” of our day can take the form of financial problems, illness, personal conflicts, or global uncertainties. However, Caleb and Joshua show us another way of looking at circumstances. Their positive report did not ignore the difficulties, but it focused on Yehovah’s faithfulness and His power to overcome any obstacle. They reminded the people that the Most High had promised to give them the land and that His word is trustworthy!

Questions to ponder

Let’s think about these four aspects that are very important in our lives:

1. Ten spies returned and brought back a negative report, and only two spies had the vision to see God’s promise coming true in their lives and in the lives of their families. Which group would you belong to?
2. Yehovah promised that He would raise up a man like Moses whom we should listen to and obey… Are you ready to follow and listen to Yeshua as He leads us back to obeying the commandments of the Almighty regardless of what others say or think?
3. The fourth commandment says that we must remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy, because Yehovah blessed it and sanctified it. Is the Shabbat truly a sign between you and the Most High as He established in His Torah? (Ex 31:13).
4. Perhaps you profess to be a follower of Yeshua the Messiah, wear tzitzit daily, and keep the Sabbath and the Creator’s diet. But do you truly behave like an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven? Let us remember Paul’s words to the Romans when he said that it is not the hearers of the Torah who would be justified before God, but the doers.

Let us love Yehovah with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves, just as Yeshua said, and in doing so we will fulfill the Torah and the prophets!

The connection between the cloud, the Ark of the Covenant, and the experiences at Mount Sinai and the Garden of Eden shows us the continuity of divine guidance and protection throughout biblical history. According to rabbinic commentators such as Rashi, the cloud not only provided physical guidance, but was also a symbol of the constant and protective Divine Presence (Rashi on Numbers 9:15). This narrative invites us to reflect on the importance of relying on divine guidance in our own spiritual journey.

Questions for reflection

1. Trust in Divine Guidance: In what areas of your life can you learn to rely more on divine guidance, just as the Israelites relied on the cloud and the Ark?

2. God’s Continuing Presence: How do you experience God’s presence in your daily life? What practices help you feel that presence more tangibly?

Symbolism of the Cherubim: What meaning does the image of the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant have for you in relation to divine protection?

4. Lessons from Sinai: What lessons can you apply from Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai when he ascended the cloud to receive the Law?

“God bless you”, has been the refrain with which we pretend to bless other people; it is very frequently used between parents and children or between close people when saying goodbye. However, the instruction of our Father Yehovah is very clear: Thus shall you bless the children of Yisrael.

During the days that the House of Yehovah stood, this blessing was pronounced twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening, after the ascending smoke offerings or burnt offerings; then the cohanim gathered in front of the Sanctuary, raised their hands and pronounced the blessing over the assembly gathered there.

Later, in the services of the synagogues, the ceremony of pronouncing the blessing was incorporated at the end of the teaching. The cohen present, passed to the front of the congregation, raised his hands and sang the Aharonic or Priestly blessing.

The Talmud informs us that for the pronunciation of this blessing the cohen raised his hands placing his fingers in such a way as to form with them the letter Shin, which symbolizes the name of Yehovah.

Our portion mentions an interesting aspect of the tribe of Levi: it was not counted along with the other tribes in the military census. This was because the Levites were assigned sacred tasks related to the Tabernacle, highlighting their unique and different role within the Hebrew community. This distinction underscores the importance of ministerial service in the people of Israel, indicating that while defense and tribal structure are crucial, connection with the Most High and maintenance of the sanctuary are also crucial. Furthermore, this emphasis on the Levites highlights the idea that each group and each individual has a specific and valuable role within the congregation.

Reflection: The Levites acted as intermediaries between Yehovah and the people of Israel by teaching the Torah, performing rituals and sacrifices, and maintaining service in the Tabernacle. In the same way, we see Yeshua’s role as mediator between Yehovah and His people. Yeshua, as the eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, offered himself as the perfect sacrifice. His life, death, and resurrection establish a new and eternal connection with the Most High, thus facilitating the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation, and fulfilling the mediating role of the Levites by providing direct and permanent access to the Father.