Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Weekly Parsha
Parasha # 34: B’midbar [Numbers] (In the desert) 1:1-4:20
Haftarah: Hosea (Hosea) 2: 1-22
B’rit Hadashah: Luke 2:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31
The book of B’midbar begins with Moshe and the rest of the heads of the tribes counting the people of B’nai Yisrael.
We are reminded of other times that B’nai Yisrael was counted. The first time was at the incident of the “Golden Calf.” We will see it again in the Parasha of Pinchas in a few weeks where they are counted after the plague.
In the Prophets we find it once more when King David decides to count the nation. But this time, because he counted the people, the entire nation is punished and a plague kills many in the camp.
Why this discrepancy? Is counting the nation a positive thing or is it something negative?
Rashi in our parasha (1:1) says that G-d counts us many times in order to show His love for us. According to this, counting is definitely a positive thing.
The commentator known as S’forno says that counting each person actually highlights their individually. It shows that no two people are alike. Every one of us has a specific job to do in life. All the individuals combined, forms a nation, where everyone uses his individual talents for the benefit of the whole.
However, there are also negative sides to the counting of B’nai Yisrael. First of all, B’nai Yisrael’s strength is unlike the strength of other nations. The other nations’ main strength is in their numbers. The greater the number the greater their influence.
B’nai Yisrael, on the other hand, influences the world not because of their number, but because they are the only nation chosen of G-d to fulfill His commandments. It does not matter how many people are in B’nai Yisrael, what matters are how they conduct themselves as G-d’s chosen nation. Quality, not quantity is of the essence. And don’t forget when you are grafted into Yisrael you to then become a part of Yisrael.
In addition, B’nai Yisrael is not supposed to act like a bunch of individuals thrown together, whose motto is: “Every man for himself.” Our uniqueness should be our togetherness. The fact is that every Israelite is responsible for his fellow Israelite.
So, we see the potential for positive and negative in the counting of B’nai Yisrael. That’s why Moshe counted only when YHVH ordered it. King David, on the other hand, for his own reasons counted Israel, and he clearly was not in line with G-d’s directive and the result was a plague upon the nation. This should prompt us to pick our leaders carefully for we as a nation may suffer for their ungodly acts.
We must learn also from this that man cannot presume to second-guess G-d. Our job is to use our individuality for the benefit of B’nai Yisrael so that the nation can fulfill the goal of being a Holy people to G-d.
Toward this in we can all count ourselves …….IN!
B’rit Chadasha Luke 2: 1-7
Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
Luke 2:2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Luke 2:3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
Luke 2:4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
Luke 2:5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
Luke 2:6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The scriptures here are pretty straightforward and historical instead of doctrinal or theological so I have elected to address another problem presented by them.
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was the founder of the Roman Empire, and in 27 B.C.E the title Augustus was given to him by the Roman Senate. This title carried with it the trappings of divinity. Julius Caesar ruled the Roman Empire until 14 C.E.
It is in verse two that we are faced with a historical and textual problem. Tacitus, a Roman historian wrote in 109 C.E. that Quirinius or Cyrenius did not begin governing in Syria until 6 C.E., which would have been after the events addressed in these scriptures. If we take Tacitus, and others to be correct this presents us with a historical problem and textual difficulty in the NT. During the time that the registration was taken Cyrenius would not have been governor. Josephus the Jewish Historian mentions no census taken during the reign of Herod the Great who died in 4 B.C.E., but he does mention one taken by Cyrenius[1] soon after Herod Archelaus was deposed in 6 C.E. If Luke dates the census at 8 or 7 B.C.E. and Josephus dates it at 6 or 7 B.C.E. there appears to be a discrepancy of about fourteen years. Also Tertullian[2], a “church” father reports that Saturninus was legate of Syria from 9 B.C.E. to 6 B.C.E. and Quintilius Vargus was legate from 7 B.C.E. to C.E. 4. We should also note that there is a one-year overlap in these two terms. Does that mean that the Scriptures are wrong? History would seem to support that contention. However, this can be resolved in various ways. First, lets note that Luke says this is the first enrollment that took place under Quirinius. A first implies a second one at sometime later. It stands to reason that Luke was well aware of a second census taken again in C.E. 7, to which Josephus alludes to in his Antiquities. In Acts 5:37 Luke quotes Gamaliel as alluding to the insurrection of Judas of Galilee “in the days of the census taking.” The Romans tended to conduct a census every fourteen years and this formula proves correct when we count from a first census in 7 B.C., and a second in 7 C.E. The question still remains was Quirinius or Cyrenius actually governor of Syria. How can we resolve this question? Initially we know that he was in charge of Syria’s defenses under Varus starting around 7 B.C.E. and continued in that position until much later. In this capacity he could have supervised the registration for tax purposes in Herod’s territory. We are given insight linguistically, for the Greek word translated governor here is hegemoneuo, hayg-em-on-yoo'-o; which means to act as a ruler: it derives from, hegemon, hayg-em-ohn'; meaning a leader, i.e. a chief person of a province. Moreover, the correct title for a governor was Legatus and the Greek does not actually call him by this title. The Lucan text says hegemoneuontos tes Syrias Kyrenioy that translates into: “while Cyrenius was leading-in charge of- Syria”. The participle hegemoneuontous is used here, which would be appropriate to a hegemon, like Pontius Pilate who was a procurator and not a Legatus, governor. Employing this translation it does not preclude that Cyrenius was the one who ordered the registration perhaps under the orders of the then chief governor, it only points out a poor translation.
Look it up!
1. Why wasn’t the tribe of Levi counted along with the rest of the tribes?
2. Why were the Levites counted from the age of one month and the rest of B’nai Yisrael from 20 years and above?
3. When B’nai Yisrael pitched camp, or was on the move, every tribe had a set place. Was it randomly chosen or is there a reason why each tribe was specifically put where it was?
The Sages Wisdom:
“And G-d spoke to Moshe in the desert saying,” (1:1)
The Midrash says that the Torah was given through three things: fire, water, and the desert. The fire and water symbolize two opposites, teaching us that the Torah is best learned with another friend who thinks in a different way than you do. The desert is symbolic of the humility that must be part of our personality if we want to be able to keep the Torah.
“As they rest, so too shall they travel.” (2:17)
These are the people who keep all the commandments in the confines of their home, but when they go outside their homes and mix with other people, they conveniently forget what it means to be a representative of G-d. In this sentence we are told that when we travel we should make sure to remain the same people that we are at home.
“And these are the offspring of Aaron and Moshe…” (3:1)
Why does the Torah treat Aaron’s children as though they belonged to Moshe too?
The Tractate Sanhedrin (9b) states that Moshe used to teach Aaron’s children Torah. From this we learn that whoever teaches his friend’s children Torah, it is as if he brought them up.
The Haftarah Connection (Hoshea 2:1-22)
Our Parsha deals with the counting of B’nai Yisrael in the desert.
In the Haftarah, the prophet Hoshea speaks of the future redemption. He begins by stating, “B’nai Yisrael will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore, which is so plentiful it can’t be measured.”
Both the Torah and the Haftarah shows that numeric greatness is also a part of B’nai Yisrael’s legacy.
How can this be accomplished without the two sticks of Ezekiel being joined again?
Gematria:
Saviv la’Mishkan: “Surrounding the Mishkan (they shall dwell). (1:50)
The Cohanim and Levites were in charge of the work in the Mishkan. As a result, they were situated around the Mishkan, and had to be careful to maintain a very holy state. This can be seen by comparing the numeric value of Saviv la’Mishkan which is 514, to that of Aham Kasosh, a holy nation, which is also 514.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Davis (R. Milchamah b. David)