Torah Trivia for Parashah 43. Masei 118.11.8

Torah Trivia for Parashah 43. Masei (Questions Only)
1.) Can you place the proceeding Israeli encampment locations within the correct sequential order, amidst the successive “stages”:
Stage א:
a.) Elim;
b.) Marah (within Wilderness of Etham);
c.) Pi Haviroth (opposite Baal Zephon, near Migdal);
d.) Etham;
e.) Sukkoth; and/or,
f.) Rameses (within Egypt);
(At this juncture, the 12 springs of water and 70 palms are provided);Stage ב:
a.) Rephidim;
b.) Alush;
c.) Wilderness of Sin;
d.) Near the Sea of Reeds; and/or,
e.) Dofkah;
(At this juncture, there is an absence of any water to drink);Stage ג:
a.) Wilderness of Sinai;
b.) Kivroth HaTaavah;
c.) Hatzeroth;
d.) Rithmah;
e.) Rimmon Peretz;
f.) Livnah;
g.) Rissah;
h.) Kehelathah;
i.) Mount Shefer;
j.) Haradah;
k.) Macheloth;
l.) Tachath;
m.) Terach;
n.) Mitkah;
o.) Hashmonah;
p.) Moseroth;
q.) Bene Jaakan;
r.) Hor HaGidgad;
s.) Jatvatah;
t.) Avronah;
u.) Etzyon Gever;
v.) Kadesh (aka Wilderness of Zin); and/or
w.) Mount Hor (on the border of Edom);
(At this juncture, Aaron passes from life);Stage ד:
a.) Dibon Gad;
b.) Zalmonah;
c.) Plains of Moab (near Yordan River, opposite from Jericho);
e.) Iye Avarim (in Moab);
f.) Punon;
g.) Almon Diblathayim;
h.) Mountains of Avarim (near Mount Nebo); and/or,
i.) Oboth;
(At this juncture, Parashah Masei continues)
?
2.) Can you identify which is the Southern border, the Western border, the Northern border, and the Eastern border of ישראל ארץ , as described within Parashah Masei:
a.) From the Large Sea to Mount Hor, to Lebo Hamath reaching Zedad, running to Ziphron and ending at Hazar Enan;
b.) From Hazar Enan to Shepham, descending towards Riblah and Ain, continuing towards the slopes of the Sea of Chinnereth, descending along the Yordan River, and ending at the Dead Sea;
c.) The Coast of the Large Sea; and,
d.) From the Wilderness of Zin alongside Edom; starting from the tip of the Dead Sea to the ascent of Akrabbim unto Zin, reaching Hazar Addar until Azmon, turning towards the Wadi of Egypt and ending at the Sea?
3.) Can you describe the number of tribes who receive an official apportionment within the actual area of ישראל
ארץ ; and which of the proceeding tribes are actually included within this?
a.) Reuven;
b.) Shimon;
c.) Levi;
d.) Yudah;
e.) Dan;
f.) Naphtali;
g.) Gad;
h.) Asher;
i.) Issachar;
j.) Zevulun;
k.) Yosef;
l.) Venyamin;
m.) Manasseh; and/or,
n.) Ephraim?
4.) Can you match the selected tribal leader with the corresponding tribe?
Tribal Leader
a.) Eleazar;
b.) Yoshua;
c.) Caleb;
d.) Samuel;
e.) Elidad;
f.) Bukki;
g.) Hanniel;
h.) Kemuel;
i.) Elizaphan;
j.) Paltiel;
k.) Ahihud;
l.) Pedahel;Tribe:
1.) Israel;
2.) Yudah;
3.) Shimon;
4.) Venyamin;
5.) Dan;
6.) Manasseh;
7.) Ephraim;
8.) Zevulun;
9.) Issachar;
10.) Asher;
11.) Naphtali;
12.) Reuven;
13.) Gad; and/or,
14.) Yosef?
5.) Can you describe, after the description of each of the tribal leaders, what Adonai commands Moshe and the Israeli community to provide to Levis?
6.) Can you describe how many of each of the following items can fit within the minimum size of the pasture land prescribed to surround each Levi city?
a.) How many FIFA football pitches;
b.) How many NFL fields;
c.) How many Olympic tracks;
d.) How many Olympic swimming pools;
e.) How many Olympic ice rinks;
f.) How many MLB baseball fields;
g.) How many cricket pitches;
h.) How many NBA basketball courts; and/or,
i.) How many World Cup rugby championship pitches?
7.) Can you describe the total number of cities that are provided to the Levis?
8.) Can you describe the number of safe cities that are established within ישראל ארץ ?
9.) After a person is determined to be guilty of murder, who is permitted to kill the person deemed guilty of murder, wherever that person may be?
10.) Which of the following rationales, according to the teaching within Parashah Masei, exempts a person from being convicted of murder:
a.) the killer initially perceives that the assault is insufficient to cause death;
b.) the killer is intoxicated when committing the act;
c.) the killer finds the murder victim committing adultery with the killer’s spouse;
d.) the killer is without a malicious intent to cause the murder victim harm;
e.) the killer is taking revenge on the murder of the killer’s own relative;
f.) the murder victim explicitly and contractually solicits the infliction of death; and/or,
g.) the killer perceives that the murder victim is within the immediate process of attempting to kill someone else?
11.) Can you describe the type of evidence that is necessary to convict a person of murder?
12.) The leaders of the family of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, make a petition to Moshe for increased retention of hereditary land; can you describe who makes the previous petition that prompts this petition; and can you describe the solution that is reached regarding the inheritance of land to Israeli daughters?
Torah Trivia for Parashah 43. Masei (with Answers)
1.) Can you place the proceeding Israeli encampment locations within the correct sequential order, amidst the successive “stages”:
Stage א:
a.) Elim;
b.) Marah (within Wilderness of Etham);
c.) Pi Haviroth (opposite Baal Zephon, near Migdal);
d.) Etham;
e.) Sukkoth; and/or,
f.) Rameses (within Egypt);
(At this juncture, the 12 springs of water and 70 palms are provided);Stage ב:
a.) Rephidim;
b.) Alush;
c.) Wilderness of Sin;
d.) Near the Sea of Reeds; and/or,
e.) Dofkah;
(At this juncture, there is an absence of any water to drink);Stage ג:
a.) Wilderness of Sinai;
b.) Kivroth HaTaavah;
c.) Hatzeroth;
d.) Rithmah;
e.) Rimmon Peretz;
f.) Livnah;
g.) Rissah;
h.) Kehelathah;
i.) Mount Shefer;
j.) Haradah;
k.) Macheloth;
l.) Tachath;
m.) Terach;
n.) Mitkah;
o.) Hashmonah;
p.) Moseroth;
q.) Bene Jaakan;
r.) Hor HaGidgad;
s.) Jatvatah;
t.) Avronah;
u.) Etzyon Gever;
v.) Kadesh (aka Wilderness of Zin); and/or
w.) Mount Hor (on the border of Edom);
(At this juncture, Aaron passes from life);Stage ד:
a.) Dibon Gad;
b.) Zalmonah;
c.) Plains of Moab (near Yordan River, opposite from Jericho);
e.) Iye Avarim (in Moab);
f.) Punon;
g.) Almon Diblathayim;
h.) Mountains of Avarim (near Mount Nebo); and/or,
i.) Oboth;
(At this juncture, Parashah Masei continues)
?
Answer: The proceeding is the accurate sequence of Israeli encampments:
Stage א:
f.) Rameses (within Egypt);
e.) Sukkoth;
d.) Etham;
c.) Pi Haviroth (opposite Baal Zephon, near Migdal);
b.) Marah (within Wilderness of Etham); and,
a.) Elim;
(At this juncture, the 12 springs of water and 70 palms are provided);Stage ב:
d.) Near the Sea of Reeds;
c.) Wilderness of Sin;
e.) Dofkah;
b.) Alush; and,
a.) Rephidim;
(At this juncture, there is an absence of any water to drink);Stage ג:
a.) Wilderness of Sinai;
b.) Kivroth HaTaavah;
c.) Hatzeroth;
d.) Rithmah;
e.) Rimmon Peretz;
f.) Livnah;
g.) Rissah;
h.) Kehelathah;
i.) Mount Shefer;
j.) Haradah;
k.) Macheloth;
l.) Tachath;
m.) Terach;
n.) Mitkah;
o.) Hashmonah;
p.) Moseroth;
q.) Bene Jaakan;
r.) Hor HaGidgad;
s.) Jatvatah;
t.) Avronah;
u.) Etzyon Gever;
v.) Kadesh (aka Wilderness of Zin); and,
w.) Mount Hor (on the border of Edom);
(At this juncture, Aaron passes from life);Stage ד:
b.) Zalmonah;
f.) Punon;
i.) Oboth;
e.) Iye Avarim (in Moab);
a.) Dibon Gad;
g.) Almon Diblathayim;
h.) Mountains of Avarim (near Mount Nebo); and,
c.) Plains of Moab (near Yordan River, opposite from Jericho);
(At this juncture, Parashah Masei continues):
“These were the marches of the Israelites who started out from the land of Egypt, troop by troop, in the charge of (Moshe) and Aaron. (Moshe) recorded the starting points of their various marches as directed by the LORD. Their marches, by starting points, were as follows:
“They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. It was the morrow of the (Pesach) offering that the Israelites started out defiantly, in plain view of all the Egyptians. The Egyptians meanwhile were burying those among them whom the LORD had struck down, every first-born—whereby the LORD executed judgment on their (deities).
“The Israelites set out from Rameses and encamped at Succoth. They set out from Succoth and encamped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. They set out from Etham and turned about toward Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they encamped before Migdol. They set out from Pene-hahiroth and passed through the sea into the wilderness; and they made a three-days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and encamped at Marah. They set out from Marah and came to Elim. There were twelve springs in Elim and seventy palm trees, so they encamped there. They set out from Elim and encamped by the Sea of Reeds. They set out from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. They set out from the wilderness of Sin and encamped at Dophkah. They set out from Dophkah and encamped at Alush. They set out from Alush and encamped at Rephidim; it was there that the people had not water to drink. They set out from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah. They set our from Kibroth-hattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth. They set out from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah. They set out from Rithmah and encamped at Rimmon-perez. They set out from Rimmon-perez and encamped at Libnah. They set out from Libnah and encamped at Rissah. They set out from Rissah and encamped at Kehelath. They set out from Kehelath and encamped at Mount Shepher. They set out from Mount Shepher and encamped at Haradah. They set out from Haradah and encamped at Makheloth. They set out from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath. They set out from Tahath and encamped at Terah. They set our from Terah and encamped at Mithkah. They set out from Mithkah and encamped at Hashmonah. They set out from Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth. They set out from Moseroth and encamped at Bene-jaakan. They set out from Bene-jaakan and encamped at Hor-haggidgad. They set out from Hor-haggidgad and encamped at Jotbath. They set out from Jotbath and encamped at Abronah. They set out from Abronah and encamped at Ezion-geber. They
set out from Ezion-geber and encamped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh. They set out from Kadesh and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.
“Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command of the LORD and died there, in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. And the Canaanit, king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, in the land of Canaan, learned of the coming of the Israelites.
“They set out from Mount Hor and encamped at Zalmonah. They set out from Zalmonah and encamped at Punon. They set out from Punon and encamped at Oboth. They set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. They set out from Iyim and encamped at Dibon-gad. They set out from Dibon-gad and encamped at Almon-diblathaim. They set out from Almon-diblathaim and encamped in the steppes of Moab, at the (Yordan) near Jericho; they encamped by the (Yordan) from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Bael-shittim, in the steppes of Moab.” (B’midbar 33:1 – 49).
2.) Can you identify which is the Southern border, the Western border, the Northern border, and the Eastern border of ישראל ארץ , as described within Parashah Masei:
a.) From the Large Sea to Mount Hor, to Lebo Hamath reaching Zedad, running to Ziphron and ending at Hazar Enan;
b.) From Hazar Enan to Shepham, descending towards Riblah and Ain, continuing towards the slopes of the Sea of Chinnereth, descending along the Yordan River, and ending at the Dead Sea;
c.) The Coast of the Large Sea; and,
d.) From the Wilderness of Zin alongside Edom; starting from the tip of the Dead Sea to the ascent of Akrabbim unto Zin, reaching Hazar Addar until Azmon, turning towards the Wadi of Egypt and ending at the Sea?
Answer: The answer is:
The Southern border is: d.) From the Wilderness of Zin alongside Edom; starting from the tip of the Dead Sea to the ascent of Akrabbim unto Zin, reaching Hazar Addar until Azmon, turning towards the Wadi of Egypt and ending at the Sea;
The Western border is: c.) The Coast of the Large Sea;
The Northern border is: a.) From the Large Sea to Mount Hor, to Lebo Hamath reaching Zedad, running to Ziphron and ending at Hazar Enan;
The Eastern border is: b.) From Hazar Enan to Shepham, descending towards Riblah and Ain, continuing towards the slopes of the Sea of Chinnereth, descending along the Yordan River, and ending at the Dead Sea:
“The LORD spoke to (Moshe), saying: Instruct the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as your portion, the land of Canaan with its various boundaries.
“Your southern sector shall extend from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom. Your southern boundary shall start on the east from the tip of the Dead Sea. Your boundary shall then turn to pass south of the ascent of Akrabbim and continue to Zin, and its limits shall be south of Kadesh-barnea, reaching Hazar-addar and continuing to Azmon. From Azmon the boundary shall turn toward the Wadi of Egypt and terminate at the Sea.
“For the western boundary you shall have the coast of the Great Sea; that shall serve as your western boundary.
“This shall be your northern boundary: Draw a line from the Great Sea to Mont Hor; from Mount Hor draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and let the boundary reach Zedad. The boundary shall run to Ziphron and terminate at Hazar-enan. That shall be your northern boundary.
“For your eastern boundary you shall draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. From Shepham the boundary shall descend to Riblah on the east side of Ain; from there the boundary shall continue downward and abut on the eastern slopes of the Sea of Chinnereth. The boundary shall then descend along the (Yordan) and terminate at the Dead Sea.
“That shall be your land as defined by its boundaries on all sides.” (B’midbar 34:1 – 12).
3.) Can you describe the number of tribes who receive an official apportionment within the actual area of ישראל
ארץ ; and which of the proceeding tribes are actually included within this?
a.) Reuven;
b.) Shimon;
c.) Levi;
d.) Yudah;
e.) Dan;
f.) Naphtali;
g.) Gad;
h.) Asher;
i.) Issachar;
j.) Zevulun;
k.) Yosef;
l.) Venyamin;
m.) Manasseh; and/or,
n.) Ephraim?
Answer: The answer is there are “9½” (or 10) tribes that receive an apportionment; the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and Manasseh are excluded because each of these tribes is provided with land outside ישראל ארץ ; also, the tribe of Levi is also technically excluded, although Levis are provided cities and pasture land within ישראל
ארץ ; the tribe of Yosef is uncounted for these purposes, however the “½” tribe of Ephraim is included within this apportionment; the proceeding tribes are each included within the apportionment of land within ישראל
ארץ :
b.) Shimon;
d.) Yudah;
e.) Dan;
f.) Naphtali;
h.) Asher;
i.) Issachar;
j.) Zevulun;
l.) Venyamin; and,
n.) Ephraim:
“(Moshe) instructed the Israelites, saying: This is the land you are to receive by lot as your hereditary portion, which the LORD has commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. For the (Reuvenite) tribe by its ancestral houses, the Gadite tribe by its ancestral houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their portions: those two and half tribes have received their portions across the (Yordan), opposite Jericho, on the east, the orient side.” (B’midbar 34:13 – 15).
4.) Can you match the selected tribal leader with the corresponding tribe?
Tribal Leader
a.) Eleazar;
b.) Yoshua;
c.) Caleb;
d.) Samuel;
e.) Elidad;
f.) Bukki;
g.) Hanniel;
h.) Kemuel;
i.) Elizaphan;
j.) Paltiel;
k.) Ahihud;
l.) Pedahel;Tribe:
1.) Israel;
2.) Yudah;
3.) Shimon;
4.) Venyamin;
5.) Dan;
6.) Manasseh;
7.) Ephraim;
8.) Zevulun;
9.) Issachar;
10.) Asher;
11.) Naphtali;
12.) Reuven;
13.) Gad; and/or,
14.) Yosef?
Answer: The official matches, between tribal leader and tribe, as described within Parashah Masei, are:
a.) Eleazar; 1.) Israel;
b.) Yoshua; 1.) Israel;
c.) Caleb; 2.) Yudah;
d.) Samuel; 3.) Shimon;
e.) Elidad; 4.) Venyamin;
f.) Bukki; 5.) Dan;
g.) Hanniel; 6.) Manasseh;
h.) Kemuel; 7.) Ephraim;
i.) Elizaphan; 8.) Zevulun;
j.) Paltiel; 9.) Issachar;
k.) Ahihud; 10.) Asher; and/org,
l.) Pedahel; 11.) Naphtali:
“The LORD spoke to (Moshe), saying: These are the names of the men through whom the land shall be apportioned for you: Eleazar the priest and (Yoshua) son of Nun. And you shall also take a chieftain from each tribe through whom the land shall be apportioned. These are the names of the men: from the tribe of (Yudah): Caleb son of Jephunneh. From the (Shimonite) tribe; Samuel son of Ammihud. From the tribe of (Venyamin): Elidad son of Chislon. From the Danite tribe: a chieftain, Bukki son of Jogli. For the descendants of (Yosef): from the Manassite tribe: a chieftain, Hanniel son of Ephod; and from the Ephraimite tribe: a chieftain, Kemuel son of Shiphtan. From the (Zevulunite) tribe: a chieftain, Elizaphan son of Parnach. From the Issacharite tribe: a chieftain, Paltiel son of Azzan. From the Asherite tribe: a chieftain, Ahihud son of Shelomi. From the Naphtalite tribe: a chieftain, Pedahel son of Ammihud.
“It was these whom the LORD designated to allot portions to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.” (B’midbar 34:16 – 29).
5.) Can you describe, after the description of each of the tribal leaders, what Adonai commands Moshe and the Israeli community to provide to Levis?
Answer: Adonai commands Moshe and the Israeli community to provide Levis with cities and surrounding pasture areas:
“The LORD spoke to (Moshe) in the steppes of Moab at the (Yordan) near Jericho, saying: Instruct the Israelite people to assign, out of the holdings apportioned to them, towns for the Levites to dwell in; you shall also assign to the Levites pasture land around their towns. The towns shall be theirs to dwell in, and the pasture shall be for the cattle they own and all their beasts.” (B’midbar 35:1 – 3).
6.) Can you describe how many of each of the following items can fit within the minimum size of the pasture land prescribed to surround each Levi city?
How many of the proceeding items can fit within the minimum area described:
a.) How many FIFA football pitches;
b.) How many NFL fields;
c.) How many Olympic tracks;
d.) How many Olympic swimming pools;
e.) How many Olympic ice rinks;
f.) How many MLB baseball fields;
g.) How many cricket pitches;
h.) How many NBA basketball courts; and/or,
i.) How many World Cup rugby championship pitches?
Answer: The actual area of pasture land seems to vary, depending on the size of the city; the stipulated dimensions are measured from the wall or boundary of the city (the approximate equivalent of 1,000 meters from each wall); so based on the very minimum possible (if the size of a Levi city is simply a dot), the minimum area of the pasture land around that dot is: ~2,000m x 2,000m = (~4,000,000m²); and based upon that minimum, these are the coinciding capacities for each of the previously listed items:
a.) FIFA football pitches: 500 FIFA football pitches: a football pitch is generally 100 x 70m (7,000m²);
b.) NFL fields: 700 NFL fields: an NFL field is generally 120 x 50m (6,000m²);
c.) Olympic tracks: 200 Olympic Track and Fields: an Olympic track is generally 150 x 120m (18,000m²);
d.) Olympic swimming pools: 4,000 Olympic swimming pools: an Olympic swimming pool is generally 50 x 25m (1,200m²);
e.) Olympic ice rinks: 2,000 Olympic ice rinks: an Olympic ice rink is generally 30 x 60 (1,800m²);
f.) MLB baseball fields: 200 MLB baseball fields: an MLB baseball field is generally 120 x 120m 14,000m²);
g.) cricket pitches: 200 cricket pitches: a cricket pitch is generally 20,000m²): ;
h.) NBA basketball courts: 1,000 NBA basketball courts: an NBA basketball court is generally 30 x 15m (4,500m²); and,
i.) World Cup rugby championship pitches: 400 rugby pitches: 150 x 70 rugby pitch is (12,000m²):
“The town pasture that you are to assign to the Levites shall extend a thousand cubits outside the town wall all around. You shall measure off two thousand cubits outside the town on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west side, and two thousand on the north side, with the town in the center. That shall be the pasture for their towns.” (B’midbar 35:4 – 5).
7.) Can you describe the total number of cities that are provided to the Levis?
Answer: 48 cities are provided to the Levis:
“The towns that you assign to the Levites shall comprise the six cities of refuge that you are to designate for a manslayer to flee to, to which you shall add forty-two towns. Thus the total of the towns that you assign to the Levites shall be forty-eight towns, with their pasture.” (B’midbar 35:6 – 7).
8.) Can you describe the number of safe cities that are established within ישראל ארץ ?
Answer: There are 3 refuge cities established within ישראל ארץ (however, there are 8 total refuge cities, with 4 located across the Yordan River, East of Eretz Israel:
“The towns that you thus assign shall be six cities of refuge in all. Three cities shall be designated beyond the (Yordan), and the other three shall be designated in the land of Canaan: they shall serve as cities of refuge.” (B’midbar 35:13 – 14).
9.) After a person is determined to be guilty of murder, who is permitted to kill the person deemed guilty of murder, wherever that person may be?
Answer: A relative of the murder victim is permitted to kill the convicted murderer:
“The blood-avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; it is he who shall put him to death upon encounter.” (B’midbar 35:19); (similarly: B’midbar 35:21).
10.) Which of the following rationales, according to the teaching within Parashah Masei, exempts a person from being convicted of murder:
a.) the killer initially perceives that the assault is insufficient to cause death;
b.) the killer is intoxicated when committing the act;
c.) the killer finds the murder victim committing adultery with the killer’s spouse;
d.) the killer is without a malicious intent to cause the murder victim harm;
e.) the killer is taking revenge on the murder of the killer’s own relative;
f.) the murder victim explicitly and contractually solicits the infliction of death; and/or,
g.) the killer perceives that the murder victim is within the immediate process of attempting to kill someone else?
Answer: The answer is:
d.) A killer is absolved from a murder charge when the killer is found to be without malicious intent in harming the victim; perhaps taking revenge:
The remainder of scenarios are either explicitly discounted or unincluded as exceptions within Parashah Masei; the blood avenger is permitted to kill a convicted murder, however, the description within the question abstains from explicitly stating whether the target of the blood avenger, in this case, is actually a sufficiently convicted murder:
“So, too, if he pushed him in hate or hurled something at him on purpose and death resulted, or if he struck him with his hand in enmity and death resulted, the assailant shall be put to death; he is a murder. The blood-avenger shall put the murderer to death upon encounter.
“But if he pushed him without malice aforethought or hurled any object at him unintentionally, or inadvertently dropped upon him any deadly object of stone, and death resulted—though he was not an enemy of his and did not (search for) his harm--” (B’midbar 35:20 – 23).
11.) Can you describe the type of evidence that is necessary to convict a person of murder?
Answer: The eyewitness testimony of at least 2 people is required to convit a person of murder:
“If anyone kills a person, the manslayer may be executed only on the evidence of witnesses; the testimony of a single witness against a person shall not suffice for a sentence of death.” (B’midbar 35:30).
12.) The leaders of the family of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, make a petition to Moshe for increased retention of hereditary land; can you describe who makes the previous petition that prompts this petition; and can you describe the solution that is reached regarding the inheritance of land to Israeli daughters?
Answer: The daughters of Zelophehad make the initial petition; and the solution is for such daughters to marry within the tribe of the daughters:
“The family heads in the clan of the descendants of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the (Yosefite) clans, came forward and appealed to (Moshe) and the chieftains, family heads of the Israelites. They said, ‘The LORD commanded my (leader) to assign the land to the Israelites as shares by lot, and my (leader) was further commanded by the LORD to assign the share of our kinsman Zelophehad to his daughters.” (B’midbar 36:1 – 2).
“So (Moshe), at the LORD’s bidding, instructed the Israelites, saying: ‘The plea of the (Yosefite) tribe is just. This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelphehad: They may marry anyone they wish, provided they marry into a clan of their father’s tribe. No inheritance of the Israelites may pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelites must remain bound each to the ancestral portion of his tribe. Every daughter among the Israelite tribes who inherits a share must marry someone from a clan of her father’s tribe, in order that every Israelite may keep his ancestral share. Thus no inheritance shall pass over from one tribe to another, but the Israelite tribes shall remain bound each to its portion.’” (B’midbar 36:5 – 9).
--
Discussion Questions:
How is the teaching to “drive out all the inhabitants” reconciled with the teaching to “love the ger,” and treat the ger as a native? Amidst the consideration of the “ger” being considered within an increasingly esoteric and existential manner, as even one’s own self, what is an appropriate manner in which to consider the “inhabitant”? Might this be considered as a transcendent reference to the previous transgressions that Israel commits before receiving the mitzvot? Amidst any appropriateness of such esoteric considerations, what are appropriate comparisons, contrasts, and the dynamics between the nature of the “inhabitant” and the nature of the “ger”?
How does the power dynamic between Eleazar and Yoshua compare with the power dynamic between Moshe and Aaron? What additional implication are included amidst the consideration that Yoshua is descended from Yosef (via Ephraim) and that Eleazar is descended from Levi (as a ____cohen____)? How is the dynamic between Eleazar and Yoshua contextualised amidst the continuing leadership of Moshe?
What is the nature of the stewardship of the cities and the pastoral lands that are provided to Levis? How is this edict reconciled with the previous prohibition of the ownership of such lands? How does the hereditary nature of the Levi-designated lands differ from the hereditary nature of the additional Israeli lands?
What is the critical phenomenon/a that is manifested when the High Priest passes from life, to enable a killer to leave a refuge city and abstain from being in danger of the blood avenger?
118.11.8
ושלום אהבא , Family and Friends.
שלום .नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام .Peace.SatNam.صلح .Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن .和平.平和.평화.Aloha....
The Torah Trivia “trifecta” for this week is completed.
The actual Parshiot for this week are “Mattot” and “Masei.”
Parashah Mattot addresses vows made by men and women, the spoils of war, and the divisions of contributions.
The featured Hebrew terms for this Parashah are: “שבעה ” (“shevaa,” meaning, “vow” or “promise”), in reference to vows made by men, B’midbar 30:3; and, “ שפתיה מבטא ” (“Mivta S’fateha,” meaning, “utterance of her lips”) in reference to the vows made by women, B’midbar 30:7.
The featured Torah Trivia question for this Parashah is: “Who is older: Eleazar or Yoshua?”
Parashah Masei deals with the apportionment of ___eretz Israel and the continuing leadership of the tribal families of Israel.
The featured Hebrew term for Parashah Masei is: “מחנה ” (“m’chanah,” “camp”), and this pertains to the numerous encampments that are described within this Parashah, beginning with B’midbar 33:5:
“בסכת ויחנו מרעמסס בני־ישראל ויסעו ”
“V’yisu B’nai Israel m’Rameses v’achanu b’Succoth.”
“Israelis set out from Ramses and encamped at Succoth.”
The featured Torah Trivia question for this Parashah is: “How many?”: how many FIFA football pitches, NFL fields, Olympic tracks, Olympic swimming pools, Olympic ice rinks, MLB baseball fields, cricket pitches, NBA basketball courts, and World Cup rugby championship pitches can each fit within the smallest prescribed pasture lands stipulated to surround a Levi city?
Also included within this correspondence, below, is the Torah Trivia session for the previous week, Parashah Phinechas (because it has yet, until this point, to be distributed).
Your patience with any errors and/or lapses of concentration are appreciated.
Additional Torah study resources include:
USCJ Torah Sparks: http://www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/WeeklyParashah/TorahSparks/Archive/Default.aspx;
Orthodox Union: http://www.ou.org/torah/index;
URJ: http://urj.org/learning/torah/;
Masorti Olami: http://masortiworld.org/molami/parashat_hashavua;
Reconstructionist: http://jrf.org/recon-dt;
Chabad: http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/jewish/Torah-Portion.htm; and,
Aish: http://www.aish.com/tp/.
,שלום שבת
, ושלום אהבא
Peter
שלום .नमस्ते.สมาธ.Pax.سلام .Peace.SatNam.صلح .Kwey.Amani.Barış.ειρήνη.Pace.Paz.Paix.Fred.Frieden.Vrede.Siochana.мир.امن .和平.平和.평화.Aloha....
ૐ. אמן