Kohen - First Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 33:1-10
We indicate here the standard arrangement of Aliyot of Mas'ei when it is read separately from Matot. However, there is a custom (who? where? how widespread?) not to stop during the "travelog", but rather to combine the first two Aliyot (making the first Aliya 49 p'sukim long, moving it into first place as the longest (in p'sukim) first Aliya). In this case, an additional Aliya-stop is inserted elsewhere,

[P> 33:1 (39)] The sedra of Mas'ei begins with a summary listing of the 42 places of encampment during the years of wandering in the Wilderness. Most places are just listed; a few are anecdoted. The present day identity of many of these places is in dispute or unknown. This portion covers the Exodus from Egypt (the city of Ra-m'ses), the passage thru the Sea, and the 3-day journey that brought the People to Mara, with its "water problem" (and solution). From there it was back to Yam Suf, before continuing into the Wilderness.

Note that the city from which the Exodus was launched was Ra-m'seis, as opposed to Ra-am-seis, one of the two supply-cities the Jews were forced to build (see Sh'mot1:11).

Yosef, on Par'o's "order", settled his father and brothers (and families) in Ra-m'seis (SH'VA NACH under the AYIN, SH'VA NACH under the MEM, 2 syllables: RA and M'SEIS) back in B'reishit 47:11.

PITOM and RA-AM-SEIS (PATACHs under the REISH and AYIN, SH'VA NACH under the MEM, 3 syllables: RA, AM, and SEIS) were the supply cities referred to above.

In Sh'mot 12:37, the Torah tells us of our leaving MEI-RA-M'SEIS...

In Mas'ei, the word MEI-RA-M'SEIS appears twice more (33:3,5).

That's it for REISH-AYIN-MEM- SAMACH-SAMACH in Tanach. 5 times: 4 RA-M'SEIS and 1 RA-AM-SEIS.

Now you know. Listen carefully and see if your Baal Korei gets it right. Or better, give him a "heads up" before Torah reading.

Travelog - These are the places of encampment and some comments...

From Ra-m'ses (0) to Sukkot (1) to Eitam (2) to Pi HaChirot (3) to Mara (4) to Eilim (5) to Yam Suf (6)...

Levi - Second Aliya - 39 p'sukim - 33:11-49
From Yam Suf to Midbar Sin (7) to Dafka (8) to Alush (9) to R'fidim (10) to Midbar Sinai (11) to Kivrot HaTaava (12) to Chatzeirot (13) to Ritma (14) to Rimon Peretz (15) to Livna (16) to Risa (17) to K'heilata (18) to Har Shefer (19) to Charada (20) to Mak'heilot (21) to Tachat (22) to Terach (23) to Mitka (24) to Chashmona(25) to Moseirot (26) to Bnei Yaakan (27) to Chor HaGidgad (28) to Yotvata (29) to Avrona (30) to Etzion Gever (31) to Midbar Tzin (which is Kadesh) (32) to Hor HaHar (33)...

This is where Aharon died at the age of 123. He died on Rosh Chodesh Av.

Not only is this the only Yahrzeit mentioned in the Torah, but it is interesting that the date is NOT mentioned in Chukat, where we read of his death. It appears here in the recounting of the episode - on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Av (or near it).

[S> 33:40 (10)] The Torah then tells us again that our presence was noted by the K’naani king of Arad in the Negev of Eretz Yisrael. We know from earlier in the Chumash, that the K'naani attacked the people after Aharon's death, but that is not mentioned here. Rather, the list of places then continues...

...to Tzalmona (34) to Punon (35) to Ovot (36) to I'yei HaAvarim (37) to Divon Gad (38) to Almon Divlataima (39) to Harei HaAvarim (40) to Arvot Moav (41).
Apparently, the counting of the encampments includes their first point of departure, which we marked as 0. So the number 42 holds.

G’matriya of RA-M'SEIS = 430, the number of years from the original prophecy to Avraham Avinu in the BRIT BEIN HA'B'TARIM until the EXODUS (as in Sh'mot 12:40-41).

The first stop out of Ra-m'seis is SUKKOT, G'matriya = 480, the number of years from the Exodus until the building of the First Beit HaMikdash - the arrival of the People EL HAMENUCHA V'EL HANACHALA (D'varim 12:9). So just the first leg of the wandering represents (numerically) the major first (and second) leg of the journey of Jewish History. Note too that until the Beit HaMikdash was built, the Mikdash was the Mishkan - in different forms and several places. The Tabernacle, just as Sukkot is called.

SUKKOT, says the Baal HaTurim, got its name from the Heavenly Clouds that began "functioning" there.

MIDBAR SIN got an extra YUD and became SINAI to mark the fact that the ASERET HADIBROT were given there. - Baal HaTurim

The Midrash says that it was at ALUSH that the People first received the Manna and where we spent our very first Shabbat. The Manna was given to the People of Israel in the merit of our mother Sarah, who was asked by Avraham to knead and bake cakes for the angels/guests. Her enthusiastic providing of food for others was repaid by G-d, Who provided food for Sarah's children more than 400 years later. The name ALUSH is a play on the word "I will knead".

RITMA was the place from which the spies were sent, and therefore the place where the decree to wander the wilderness was pronounced. One can imagine a qualitative difference in the mental attitude during the first 14 encampments as compared to those following Ritma.

CHASHMONA was the 25th resting place of the People. Centuries later, there was a resting (from battle) on the 25th (of Kislev). The people through whom G-d wrought the miracles of Chanuka were the Chashmona'im. This is considered one of the "hints" to Chanuka from the Torah.

Rashi points out that with 14 places before the decree to wander, and with 8 places in the final year, there were only 20 places that the People moved to and from in 38 years or so. That is not really all that much. G-d was merciful with the People even as He was punishing them.

Shlishi - Third Aliya - 22 p'sukim - 33:50-34:15
[S> 33:50 (7)] G-d speaks to Moshe in Arvot Moav and commands the People to enter, conquer, acquire, and settle the Land, according to the “Divine Lottery”. This is one of the 613 mitzvot according to Ramban - The mitzva of YISHUV ERETZ YISRAEL, the mitzva to live in Israel. Ramban says that this mitzva applies in all times, including our own.

Part of the mitzva, explains the Ramban, is that the people of Israel may not shun G-d’s gift and promise and go conquer and settle elsewhere. Jews who live anywhere in the world outside of Israel should always remember their “stranger in a strange land” status. Adopting someplace else as your own and removing Israel from your personal agenda, seems to contravene the spirit (and maybe the letter) of this mitzva.

[P> 34:1 (15)] The boundaries of the Land are detailed. These boundaries are now for the 9½ tribes, since Reuven, Gad and half of Menashe have claimed their allotments on the East Bank.

Read the description of the boundaries of the land that is being given by G-d to the Jewish People. To the Jewish People. To the Jewish People. To us. Unlike the identity of many of the encampments, we know where these boundaries are. Eretz Yisrael for the Jewish People goes at least (see below) from the Mediterranean Seato the Jordan River. The Torah does not seem to indicate that parts of the Promise Land should become a foreign state or be given to enemies of the State of Israel or enemies of the Jewish People.

[Warning: Personal, again. PIKU'ACH NEFESH, you say? Here's the catch. Experts "in the know" say that Disengagement will save lives. Other experts "in the know" say that the Disengagement will endanger lives. Even if you want to say it's a 50-50 situation - how do you know you're right? How do you know you're right? - the real possibility that the Plan will harm us, plus the fact that it is being done unilaterally, plus the fact that Jews are being forcibly removed from their legal, encouraged communities, etc. etc. should be enough reason NOT to do it. You are sure the Plan will be good for us, support it. You are sure it will harm us, oppose it. You aren't sure either way - I believe you have to oppose it also. And that means a very significant majority opposed to Disengagement. There he goes again. Phil is politicizing Torah Tidbits. Wrong. I'm not talking politics. This is PIKU'ACH NEFESH. And that belongs in Torah Tidbits.

And, as they used to say on TV and radio in the States (maybe they still do), Torah Tidbits will print (B"N) responsible views to the contary. Or something like that.]

In G-d's original promise to Avraham Avinu, the land to be given to his descendants was to be "from the Egyptian River until the great river, P'rat". The boundaries described in this week's sedra contain a territory significantly smaller than that which was promised. Our Sages tell us that the original promise includes territory to be added to Eretz Yisrael in the future, in the times of the Moshiach.

R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 14 p'sukim - 34:16-29
[P> 34:16 (14)] Next the Torah lists the new leaders of the tribes who will be in charge of the "Divine lottery" by which the Land will be apportioned.
Elazar HaKohen and Yehoshua bin Nun are the overall leaders of the Nation.
Yehuda: Kalev b. Yefuneh
Shimon: Shmuel b. Amihud.
Binyamin: Elidad b. Kislon.
Dan: Buki b. Yogli.
Menashe: Chaniel b. Eifod.
Efrayim: K'mu'el b. Shiftan.
Zevulun: Elitzafan b. Parnach.
Yissachar: Paltiel b. Azan.
Asher: Achihud b. Shlomi.
Naftali: P'dah-el b. Amihud.

Notice: The absence from the list of representatives from Reuven and Gad. They will not participate in the apportionment of the land across the Jordan.
Notice: The word NASI is used for seven of the 10 tribal leaders. Ohr HaChayim says in the name of Rabeinu Nissim Gaon that Kalev was so well known as a leader of the people that it was not necessary to identify him as a Nasi. Shimon's leader was not worthy of the title. And Elidad from Binyamin was Eldad, a prophet. Prophet is a higher title than Nasi. Ohr HaChayim adds that for Yehuda and Binyamin, another reason for not using Nasi is that each will have kings from them - Sha'ul from Binyamin and David, etc. from Yehuda. King is higher than Nasi. Haamek Davar, on the other hand, says that Kalev was not a Nasi but was selected for the land distribution task only.

Notice: The names of 8 of the 10 tribes here represented are B'NEI Shimon, B'NEI Dan, etc. Yehuda and Binyamin are identified without the B'NEI. Is there a connection to the Ohr HaChayim's comment about Malchut? Or to the future Kingdom of Yehuda vs. (unfortunately) the Kingdom of Israel?

Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 8 p'sukim - 35:1-8
[P> 35:1 (8)] Following the general plans for dividing the Land, the People are instructed to provide cities for the Leviyim [408,A183 35:2], since they, the Leviyim, do not receive Land as inheritance. The cities and their surrounding areas, number 48, including the 6 cities of refuge.

Note that the measure of 2000 amot as "city limit" was subsequently borrowed by the Sages in fixing the distance outside the dwelling place that a person may walk on Shabbat, known as T'CHUM SHABBAT.

Rashi points out that there were three cities of refuge on each side of the Jordan River, even though in the western case, they would serve 9½ tribes and in the eastern case, they would serve 2½ tribes. An inference is drawn that there would be more careless homicides on the eastern side of the river.

These cities, to be given by the tribes to the Leviyim, were given proportional to the populations of the tribes.

Reference in this portion is made to 1000 amot and to 2000 amot outside the city itself. Rashi explains that the outer 1000 amot area is for fields and vineyards; the inner 1000 is to serve the city for whatever open areas are used.

Shishi - Sixth Aliya -26 p'sukim - 35:9-34
[P> 35:9 (26)] The cities of refuge (and the other 42 Levite cities, with some differences) serve to protect the inadvertent killer. Even a murderer flees to a protecting city pending trial.

It is forbidden to kill a murderer until he stands trial and is found guilty [409,L292 35:12].

The inadvertent killer is sent - or he flees - to a city of refuge [410,A225 35:25]. The Torah presents guidelines for defining murder and inadvertent killing and sets down some of the court procedures, such as the prohibition of a witness also acting as judge in a criminal case [411,L291 35:30]. We are also warned not to permit substitute punishments for a murderer [412,L296 35:31] and the inadvertent killer [413,L295 35:32]. Strict adherence to all rules of justice assure us continued "quality living" in E. Yisrael, accompanied by the Divine Presence.

MitzvaWatch
Mitzvot 412 and 413 basically command us to follow other mitzvot in the Torah that require a convicted murder to be executed and a convicted SHOGEG- killer to be exiled to a City of Refuge. How unusual for the Torah to do that. The small Sanhedrins of 23 judges, whose jurisdiction it is to carry out the commands of the Torah in matters of “sentencing” for certain crimes/sins are duty-bound to comply with halacha.

Why would the Torah command compliance with another command. The Torah requires us to "bench" after a meal. It does not command us separately to follow the command to bench and not to choose an alternative. The command itself is enough. What makes these cases different?

It is quite possible for us to rationalize an alternative punishment or treatment of the convicted murderer - intentional or inadvertent. And sometimes, the alternative suggestion will be more appealing, more logical, more beneficial than the Torah-required procedure. Very tempting. So the Torah comes to reinforce its insistence that its procedures be carried out. Ir Miklat, for example, is punishment, protection, and atonement all rolled into one. And it is the command of G-d. We cannot change it.

To clarify (a little) the Ir Miklat issue...
Anyone who causes the death of another individual is to flee to a city of refuge. Or he is to be taken their by deputies of the court. He then is brought from the Ir Miklat to stand trial. If he is found guilty of intentional murder, he is to be executed. If he is found to be free of all responsibility for the death, he is released. If he is deemed to be a SHOGEG-killer, he is returned to the Ir Miklat where he must remain until the Kohen Gadol dies. It would be up to the small Sanhedrin of 23 (which existed in all major cities and towns) to determine the level of the killer's responsibility. Aside from MEI- ZID (intentional), SHOGEG (inadvertent, "marked by unintentional lack of care"), and ONEIS (accidental), there are in between categories. Determination of the status of the perpetrator and what is to be done with him is made by the panel of 23 judges.

The laws of Ir Miklat are labeled with a rare term in the Torah: CHUKAT-MISH- PAT. (The only other area of Torah law called by this strange term is the laws of inheritance.) MISHPAT is the term used for areas of Jewish law that are easily understood, common sense, rational, logical. CHOK are the enigmatic mitzvot that defy (complete) understanding. By telling us that Ir Miklat is part CHOK and part MISHPAT, we must do the best we can to understand many aspects of it, but not expect to (ever) understand it all.

Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya -13 p'sukim - 36:1-13
[P> 36:1 (13)] Leaders of the family of Menashe to which the daughters of Zelofchad belong, approach Moshe and raise the problem of potential erosion of their tribal allotment if Zelofchad's daughters marry outside their tribe, taking their land with them. Moshe issues a ruling restricting them from marrying outside their tribe. This is not a law in perpetuity (and therefore, it is not counted as a mitzva among the Taryag); it applies only in this case. In compliance, Machla, Tirza, Chogla, Milka, and No'a marry cousins from their tribe of Menashe.

The Book of BaMidbar ends with the statement, "These are the Mitzvot and the Laws that G-d commanded Moshe to (transmit to) Bnei Yisrael, in Arvot Mo'av on the Jordan (Jericho) River."

Maftir (2nd Torah) - 7 p'sukim - Bamidbar 28:9-15
Chapters 28 and 29 in Bamidbar (Parshat Pinchas) deal with the daily and Musaf korbanot (sacrifices) in the Mikdash. Since the two Shabbat p'sukim are followed by the five that deal with Rosh Chodesh, both portions are read for the Maftir on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh. Notice that the Musaf of Shabbat is an expanded version of the weekday sacrifices and Rosh Chodesh's Musaf is like those of the Chagim. Makes sense when you think about it. Six days... and on the 7th - Shabbat is one of the days of the week and the unique one among them. The Chagim belong to the Jewish calendar, which is based on the months and Rosh Chodesh.

Haftara - 28 p'sukim - Yirmiyahu 2:4-28, 3:4
Some add pasuk 3:4 to the end of the second perek of Yirmiyahu, as indicated above. Others (S'faradim and Chabad) add 4:1,2 instead.

In addition, because the Shabbat Rosh Chodesh haftara did NOT pre-empt the regularly scheduled haftara (as it usually does), some communities (S'faradim and those who adopted their minhag) will finish the haftara readings with the first and last p'sukim of the Shabbat Rosh Chodesh haftara. Standard Ashkenazi practice not to add the extra p'sukim for Rosh Chodesh.

This is the 2nd of the 3 Tragic Haftarot read during the Three Weeks. It is the continuation of last week's haftara. In fact, these two haftaras are the only continuous portions of the Prophets read as haftaras on consecutive weeks. G-d, speaking through the prophet, chastises the People of Israel for the terrible double sin of forsaking Him AND turning to gods who are nothingness. Repeatedly, we are asked how it was possible that we turned away from G-d so. Terrible punishment for this betrayal of G-d is prophesied. The haftara ends on the hopeful note that if we return to G-d, then He will return to us and restore His special relationship with us.

[The Parshat Mas'ei Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
[www.ou.org]