Weekly Parsha

Refuah Sheimah: Yehuda Baruch ben Sarah, Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue praying for: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Bamidbar

Numbers 1:1 - 4:20

In the second year of travel in the desert, Moshe and Aharon were commanded by the Almighty to count all male Israelites between 20 and 60. There were 603,550 available for military service. The tribe of Levi was exempt because of their special duties as religious leaders. (It is probably from here that countries give divinity deferments to clergy and divinity students).

The twelve tribes were directed regarding the formation (three tribes were on each side of the Portable Sanctuary) in which they were to camp and travel.

The 22,300 Levites were commanded in the Sanctuary service. The family of Gershon was to transport the coverings of the Sanctuary. The family of Kehos carried the Ark, Table, Menorah and Altars. The family of Merari transported the boards, pillars, bolts and sockets.

The Torah gives instructions on how the children of Israel shall encamp in the desert -- on which side of the Tent of Meeting shall each tribe camp and which tribes shall encamp together. The Torah states, "The tribe of Issachar ...; the tribe of Zevulun..." Usually the Hebrew letter "vov" (meaning "and") is added to the name of each tribe as it is listed. However, the "vov" is conspicuously missing between the names of the tribes Issachar and Zevulun. What is the Torah coming to teach us?

The Baal HaTurim (a fascinating commentary on the Torah) explains that the tribe of Zevulun worked to support itself as well as Issachar so that the tribe of Issachar could totally devote itself to Torah study. Thus they are considered as one tribe and the reward for the Issachar's Torah study is the same for both tribes in the Heavenly World.

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz commented on this that just as one has the merit of Torah study for those he supports, likewise if one influences another to study Torah, he shares in the merit of that person. Thus we should help the study of Torah both through our financial support and through encouraging others to learn!

Giving up is a final solution to a temporary problem

Shabbat Shalom,

R. Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is pleased to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is a Jewish Chaplain actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank is the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation headquarters in New York and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.

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