B’midbar - Numbers 1:1-15 - Names and Numbers

1. The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying.		א. וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָֹה אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר:
2. Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers' houses; a head count of every male according to the number of their names.		ב. שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כָּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם:
3. From twenty years old and upwards, all who are fit to go out to the army in Israel, you shall count them by their legions you and Aaron.		ג. מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה כָּל יֹצֵא צָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תִּפְקְדוּ אֹתָם לְצִבְאֹתָם אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן:
4. With you there shall be a man from each tribe, one who is head of his father's house.		ד. וְאִתְּכֶם יִהְיוּ אִישׁ אִישׁ לַמַּטֶּה אִישׁ רֹאשׁ לְבֵית אֲבֹתָיו הוּא:
5. These are the names of the men who shall stand with you; for Reuben, Elitzur the son of Shedeur.		ה. וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר יַעַמְדוּ אִתְּכֶם לִרְאוּבֵן אֱלִיצוּר בֶּן שְׁדֵיאוּר:
6. For Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.		ו. לְשִׁמְעוֹן שְׁלֻמִיאֵל בֶּן צוּרִישַׁדָּי:
7. For Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab.		ז. לִיהוּדָה נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עַמִּינָדָב:
8. For Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zu'ar.		ח. לְיִשָּׂשכָר נְתַנְאֵל בֶּן צוּעָר:
9. For Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon.		ט. לִזְבוּלֻן אֱלִיאָב בֶּן חֵלֹן:
10. For the children of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama' the son of 'Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamliel the son of Pedazur.		י. לִבְנֵי יוֹסֵף לְאֶפְרַיִם אֱלִישָׁמָע בֶּן עַמִּיהוּד לִמְנַשֶּׁה גַּמְלִיאֵל בֶּן פְּדָהצוּר:
11. For Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni.		יא. לְבִנְיָמִן אֲבִידָן בֶּן גִּדְעֹנִי:
12. For Dan, Ahi'ezer the son of 'Ammishaddai.		יב. לְדָן אֲחִיעֶזֶר בֶּן עַמִּישַׁדָּי:
13. For Asher, Pag'iel the son of 'Ochran.		יג. לְאָשֵׁר פַּגְעִיאֵל בֶּן עָכְרָן:
14. For Gad, Eliasaph the son of De'uel.		יד. לְגָד אֶלְיָסָף בֶּן דְּעוּאֵל:
15. For Naphtali, Ahira' the son of 'Enan.		טו. לְנַפְתָּלִי אֲחִירַע בֶּן עֵינָן:

1. According to Rashi’s comment on verse 1, when does God count the Israelites, and why does God count them over and over? Compare this to verse 3: what was Moses’ reason for counting the Israelites? Do these reasons go together? Why or why not?
2. In the Etz Hayim chumash (p. 769, bottom commentary), what are the different names (Hebrew and English) given to this book, and what do they signify? What is the reason behind each name? Which name, in your opinion, is better, and why?
3. In the Etz Hayim chumash (p. 770, bottom commentary, "Take a census"), what are the reasons Menachem Nahum of Chernobyl, Ramban, and Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev give for the census? What do you think of each reason?
4. According to Rebbe Nachman’s Torah (Numbers, p. 22, "The Israelite encampment"), what does the people camped around the Torah symbolize? What is each Jew equivalent to? Why do we read this at this time of year?

Bechukotai - Leviticus 26:3-12 - An Overabundance of Blessings

ב  אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ, וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ:  אֲנִי, יְהוָה.	2 You shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
ג  אִם-בְּחֻקֹּתַי, תֵּלֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִצְו‍ֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם.	3 If you walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them;
ד  וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם, בְּעִתָּם; וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ, וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ.	4 then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
ה  וְהִשִּׂיג לָכֶם דַּיִשׁ אֶת-בָּצִיר, וּבָצִיר יַשִּׂיג אֶת-זָרַע; וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לַחְמְכֶם לָשֹׂבַע, וִישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח בְּאַרְצְכֶם.	5 And your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time; and you shall eat your bread until you have enough, and dwell in your land safely.
ו  וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ, וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד; וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה, מִן-הָאָרֶץ, וְחֶרֶב, לֹא-תַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם.	6 And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
ז  וּרְדַפְתֶּם, אֶת-אֹיְבֵיכֶם; וְנָפְלוּ לִפְנֵיכֶם, לֶחָרֶב.	7 And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
ח  וְרָדְפוּ מִכֶּם חֲמִשָּׁה מֵאָה, וּמֵאָה מִכֶּם רְבָבָה יִרְדֹּפוּ; וְנָפְלוּ אֹיְבֵיכֶם לִפְנֵיכֶם, לֶחָרֶב.	8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
ט  וּפָנִיתִי אֲלֵיכֶם--וְהִפְרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם, וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶתְכֶם; וַהֲקִימֹתִי אֶת-בְּרִיתִי, אִתְּכֶם.	9 And I will have respect to you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you; and will establish My covenant with you.
י  וַאֲכַלְתֶּם יָשָׁן, נוֹשָׁן; וְיָשָׁן, מִפְּנֵי חָדָשׁ תּוֹצִיאוּ.	10 And you shall eat old store long kept, and you shall bring forth the old from before the new.
יא  וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי, בְּתוֹכְכֶם; וְלֹא-תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי, אֶתְכֶם.	11 And I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.
יב  וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי, בְּתוֹכְכֶם, וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם, לֵאלֹהִים; וְאַתֶּם, תִּהְיוּ-לִי לְעָם.	12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be My people.

1. According to Rashi’s comment on verse 5, what does “your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time” mean? What do you think an ancient person would think if he or she walked into a supermarket today? What are good things about abundance? What are some potential bad things?
2. According to Rashi’s comment on verse 6, why are the blessings listed in this Torah portion in the order of abundant food and then peace? What does Rashi teach about peace? What do you think is a minimum to have peace? If you were to imagine a world at peace, what would it look like?
3. According to Rebbe Nachman’s Torah on 26:4 (Leviticus, p. 427), what does rain symbolize? Where do you believe inspiration or genius comes from? Is it divinely inspired, or is natural? Why?
4. In the Etz Hayyim chumash (p. 748, bottom commentary on verse 9), how does Maimonides explain why God rewards us with good things? What does he compare it to? Do you think this is true? Why or why not?