CHAPTER 33
1. These are the stages of the journey [mas’ey] of the descendants of Israel who left Egypt by their armies at the hand of Moshe and Aharon.
Stages: or departures, from the term for “pulling up tent pegs” (i.e., breaking camp). This is only a single word in Hebrew, for this was a common occurrence when we had been nomadic shepherds, as well as during these 40 years. Our entire history began when YHWH told Avraham, at the age of 75, to pull up his stakes and move from all he had ever known to a place he had no map to find. (Gen. 12) His descendants are also looking for that Land. Willingness to pull up stakes and walk helps define who a Hebrew (“one who crosses over to the other side”) is. One must move from place to place whenever necessary to provide what is crucial to the flocks: water and grass. There are places one would go to find grass in the summer, whereas in the winter we could not camp there because they are flooded, though it is also easier to find water then, and the grass is much more abundant. In the summer the dry riverbeds would make easy-to-traverse highways. The whole household moves together when it is time to break camp, unlike the short excursions from the camp that were more common. Searching for grain and water is what defines a flock, and it holds true in the metaphorical sense as well. Water is a picture of the Torah (Eph. 5:26), since it is constantly flowing and is something that cleanses us, and from grain (one type of grass) we make bread, which symbolizes community, the only context in which we can fully keep the Torah or even understand it well. In other words, we need to find “grain” in order to really drink of the “water”. Seeking Torah and community is a basic drive “hard-wired” into Israel. This is what moves Israel to pull up its tent pegs, no matter how deeply they were hammered in. Every journey begins with a departure. One cannot stay where he is and get where he is going. Wherever we go, we leave someplace—and whatever is connected to it--behind.
2. Now Moshe recorded their departures by their stages, upon the command of YHWH. These, then, are the stages of their journeyings, by their points of departure:
It is helpful to occasionally look back to where we have been—not to romanticize the past as they did in remembering the leeks and cucumbers, forgetting that they were also slaves—but to see how far we have come, and remember what YHWH has done for us and can still do, especially when we are in the middle of a test or trial. Looking back, we remember what He brought us through, and the fact that we have made it as far as the current set of troubles reminds us not to sweat it this time. That He has never yet let us down will encourage us to keep on going. Seeing the progress that past departures have brought about will give us strength for more. Each stage is a new beginning. YHWH teaches us something with each segment of our return to our Land, and we have to learn to deal with new conditions in each. When we become too comfortable with one point along the way, we are tempted to stay there, when this is not the final resting place He intends for us. This is how moves of YHWH—whether doctrines, worship styles, or philosophies--turn into sterile denominations. Remember they are just that--moves. When He moves on, we should not stay. So when He brings us into pleasant pastures, we must “rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11), for He may move His cloud again at any moment. But this does not mean we should neglect to put down stakes when he brings us to a stopping point; we should do everything we do with all our might (Eccles. 9:10) But we must be ready to pull them back up when it is the season to do so. (Gibor) Looking back at where we started will also keep us from despising those who are twenty stops behind us, because we were once there too, and they are now who we were. Rather, help them get to where we are now—and beyond.
3. Now they set out from Raamses [“child of the sun”] in the first month. On the fifteenth day of the first month--the day after the Passover--the descendants of Israel left high-handedly in the sight of all the Egyptians.
High-handedly: boldly, openly, in broad daylight. This was not a covert operation. They were not sneaking out, but wanted Egypt to pay close attention to how superior YHWH was to their gods, because some of the Egyptians were meant to be shaken loose and come out with us. This is the testimony to them that it is YHWH that is moving us. Interestingly, an earlier Pharaoh had told Yosef that no one in Egypt was to lift a hand without his permission. (Gen. 41:44) Yosef did in fact tell his brothers to swear (a ceremony in which lifting of the hand also figured prominently) to take his body out with them when YHWH would make it possible to leave (Gen. 50:24-25), so on many levels this leaving with a raised hand was squarely within the realm of his permission. As we move out of beliefs and relationships that are not of YHWH, we should not be ashamed or intimidated, but, as a city set on a hill, light the way for others as a testimony of what YHWH has done. But do not stick around and wait for them, because as long as you stay there, so will they. Move on, or we will end up starving as the land we are meant to leave dries up. And tell your community what things you are determined to leave behind, so that they can help you leave. Raamses was one of the cities our ancestors helped build. They invested so much of their lives in it. How do we know when it is time to move on? When Moshe (the Torah) moves us, for he teaches us what is in season when. When we get to a part of the trail that no one has traversed for a long time, will we stop, or take up the responsibility to press on through the brambles and clear it ourselves? Torah is an endless supply of water that flows from YHWH’s mouth. But neither can flocks survive on water alone. No matter how clean, clear, or abundant the water is, we cannot spend all of our time alone with YHWH. We are a people. We need each other. There is only one ceremony per year in the Temple that involves water, but grain offerings are required to be brought every day, and the bread in the sanctuary is renewed every Sabbath. Bread is a picture of all of us being together in unity. The Torah delivers us and shows us who we are, but it can only be fully understood in the context of community with the rest of Israel. Sheep are meant to stay in flocks; lone ones become food for wolves. We need to gather as in Goshen to learn to care for sheep again before we can return to the Land. But though we have left the “Egypt” that held us in chains, Goshen is still part of Egypt, so we have not come all the way home even if we are regathering.
4. While the Egyptians were burying those whom YHWH had struck down--every firstborn (as YHWH had executed justice upon their elohim),
Each of the plagues in Egypt was directed against one of the specific things the Egyptians worshipped. The Egyptians always occupied themselves with death, but at this time the entire nation was distracted while burying their dead. They had asked for this just vengeance by killing the Israelites’ sons.
5. The descendants of Israel set out from Raamses and pitched camp at Sukkoth.
Sukkoth was where Yosef was buried. They took his bones along with them as he had requested. The name Raamses exemplifies Egypt’s emphasis on the sun, so YHWH took Israel out by the full moon. Today’s pagan festivals are also based on the equinox or solstice of the sun; YHWH based His calendar on the moon, possibly to take away the undeserved attention the sun was receiving. Sukkoth is a first step out of associating Y’shua with the “unconquered sun” (the lengthening of days after the winter solstice), because Sukkoth is the time he was actually born. It is also a time YHWH has given us each year to practice pulling up stakes and pitching tents—reliving our roots and preparing for the journey to come.
6. When they pulled up stakes from Sukkoth [booths for temporary dwelling], they encamped at Etham [their plowshare], which is on the edge of the uninhabited territory.
This Sukkoth was still in Egypt—a foreshadowing of the fact that we need to be gathering for the festival with the same name even before we can do it in the most ideal way at the place where YHWH has set His Name.
7. Then they set out from Etham, they turned back to Pi-haHiroth [mouth of the caves], which is at the face of Ba'al-Tz'fon [owner of
hidden treasure], and they encamped in front of
Migdol [tower].
Tz’fon can also mean “winter”. This is a time of darkness in which there are no prescribed times for all Israel to gather. Bonding during Sukkoth provides us with a safe haven so there can be light within when it is dark outside. But the watchtower reminds us to be watchful lest the depressing darkness gain a foothold in us as in Egypt, where it caused everyone to look at himself rather than his brother.
8. When they set out from before the caves, they crossed over into the wilderness through the middle of the Sea, then went three days' journey through the Wilderness of Etham, and encamped at Marah [bitterness or rebellion].
There are lessons to be learned if we see ourselves camping at all of these places. Some are pleasant; some remind us of where we need to change. Rebellion is why we have such a problem reestablishing the order of the camp. We have become bitter because we have been “burned” by authorities who took advantage of us and lied to us. But we must not let this keep us from the true order YHWH has established. Since creation, He has been bringing order out of chaos, and it will be a great miracle indeed when this large group of individualists truly becomes one people again.
9. Then they pulled up stakes from Marah, and pitched their tents at Eylim [large trees]. (Now at Eylim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there.)
Those who survived the rebellion arrive at this picture of the Kingdom. The 12 tribes of Israel have sustained the 70 nations (Gen. 10) with YHWH's word throughout history. But palm trees represent the righteous (Psalm 92:12), and the aim is for the nations to actually be righteous, not just submit to Israel because the Messiah rules with a rod of iron.
10. Then they pulled up stakes from Eylim, they encamped by the Sea of Reeds.
Why would they go back to the sea when it was in the opposite direction from Mt. Sinai? Dr. Glenn Fritz points out that the Gulf of Aqaba (this branch of the Red Sea) is warm and has no thermal clines deeper down which would in other bodies of water refrigerate the bodies of the Egyptian army which sank like stones and lead (Ex. 15). In warmer waters, bacteria would grow which would make them bloat and even with armor on, float to the surface. The prevailing southerly wind would carry them this 39 miles southward within a week and the Israelites could salvage the armor and possibly chariot wheels, harnesses, etc. for their own use such as a few weeks later when Y’hoshua fought the Amaleqites.
11. When they broke camp by the Sea of Reeds, they pitched camp in the Wilderness of Siyn [a thorn].
Especially after great victories, we need thorns to keep the proper perspective so that we do not become arrogant, spoiled “brats” (as with Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”).
12. Then they traveled from the Wilderness of Siyn and set up camp in Dafqah [place of violent beating/knocking].
13. From Dafqah they journeyed on and encamped at Alush [kneading].
Starting during the feast of Unleavened Bread (after the Exodus) we count fifty days until the loaves leavened with the permeating Kingdom are ready to be kneaded with the right ingredients to form YHWH’s “one bread” of unity. (1 Cor. 10:17) We need to know how to mix the ingredients of community in the right measure and with the right degree of pressure, and when to stop kneading.
14. When they pulled up stakes from Alush, they camped at Refiydim [slackenings], but there was no water there for the people to drink,
After we accomplish something positive (e.g., kneading the bread), we often think we can then take a break from bringing Torah teaching to the table, but we still need to keep bringing the water to one another or there will be none.
15. so they moved on from Refiydim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai [thorny].
At the “thorny place”, they received the Torah, which was meant to “prick” their hearts in advance to keep their minds off their greedy desires:
16. When they had pulled up stakes from the Wilderness of Sinai, they set up camp at Qibroth-haTa'awah [the Graves of Greedy Desire].
This is where the flock of quails encountered the camp after they complained about the lack of savory food.
17. Then they set out from Qibroth-haTa'awah, and encamped at Chatzeroth [sheepfolds].
The sheep are safer after the greedy are gone.
18. When they moved on from Chatzeroth, they camped at Rithmah [place of joining together].
We do not have details about what took place at the rest of the stops, but the names of these places still give clues about what may have taken place there, and their order is instructive to us in our journey Home. The safety afforded by a sheepfold should encourage us to put our energies less into defense and more into working together to form a united, and thus formidable, entity.
19. And they pulled up stakes from Rithmah, and set up camp at Rimmon-Peretz [split pomegranate],
Split pomegranate: full of seeds (a reminder of YHWH’s
promise to Avraham). Though the geographical region
around Sinai appears to be Midyan in norwestern Saudi
Arabia, the route described here is difficult to trace. One
possibility is that this Rimmon-Peretz may be the Ramon
Crater in the Negev, as a crater of this sort could
certainly be described as a breach or split. (See also the
note on 34:4.)
20. then departed from Rimmon-Peretz and encamped at Livnah [white place].
21. When they set out from Livnah, they camped at Rissah [place of moist, broken ruins].
Even this far out of Egypt, ruin is still possible. If we turn away now, even our former righteousness (symbolized by the color white) will not be remembered, no matter how much we have put into that storehouse. (Y’hezq’el/Ezek. 18:24) But if we continue, we will rebuild ancient ruins. (Yeshayahu/Isa. 58:12)
22. Leaving Rissah, they stopped at Qehelathah [place of assembly].
According to Midrash, the assembly this site was named after was that of Qorakh and his followers, not the original, proper assembly gathered by Moshe. So this was definitely a place to leave behind:
23. When they pulled up from Qehelathah, they pitched their tents at Mount Shafer [glistening beauty].
24. When they journeyed on from Mount Shafer, they encamped at Haradah [place of anxious trembling].
The glistening beauty is gone from us as soon as we start being anxious about ourselves.
25. Upon setting out from Haradah, they camped at Maq'heloth [assemblies].
The cure for much anxiety is to assemble for the right reason: to serve one another.
26. Departing from Maq'heloth, they set up camp at Takhath [the place beneath].
27. Then they pulled up stakes from Takhath, and encamped at Therakh [delay].
Therakh can also mean “a station on the way”, but it is also the name of Avraham’s father, and Avraham was indeed delayed on his journey until his father died. (Gen. 11)
28. When they broke camp at Therakh, they pitched tents at Mithqah [sweetness/pleasant water].
29. Moving on from Mithqah, they set up camp at Hashmonah [place of affluence].
30. Setting out from Hashmonah, they camped at Moseroth [bands of chastening].
31. Upon departing from Moseroth, they encamped at B'ney Yaaqan [sons of twisting].
When YHWH chastens us (v. 30), we tend to twist the facts to make it look like the one doing the chastening is the one at fault. But here Yaaqan is a proper name; the fuller name of the place is The Wells of the Sons of Yaaqan.
32. Having pulled up stakes from B'ney Yaaqan, they set up camp at Chor haGidgad [Cavern of the Invasion].
33. When they set out from Chor haGidgad, they pitched their tents at Yotbathah [pleasantness].
Notice the pattern of going back and forth between adversity and relief—one that exercises us more effectively and also teaches us gratefulness in a way that constant prosperity cannot.
34. Then they departed from Yotbathah and camped at Abronah [the pass].
35. And they pulled up from Abronah and encamped at Etzion-Gever [backbone of a strong man].
Etzion-Gever is at the site of present-day Eilat, at the northern tip of the eastern branch of the Sea of Reeds. It may be named for a land formation.
36. Then they set out from Etzion-Gever and pitched their tents in the Wilderness of Tzin [flatness], that is, Qadesh [set apart].
This was where Miryam died. They returned to the same site from which the spies were originally sent, which should have precluded all the stops in between up to this point, leaving only those that follow:
37. Then they pulled up stakes from Qadesh and set up camp at Mount Hor, at the border of the land of Edom.
38. And Aharon the cohen went up into Mount Hor upon the command of YHWH, and died there in the fortieth year of the descendants of Israel's exodus from Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first of the month.
All of the events at each of these places are skipped in this summary except this one. That Moshe stops the narrative flow to say in essence, “Don’t forget Aharon” highlights just how important he was.
39. Now Aharon was 123 years old at his death on Mount Hor.
This is three years older than YHWH told Noach that man's lifespan would be. (Gen. 6:3) His lifespan may have been extended because he honored his parents, as the fifth commandment promises. But he could have gone on from here at a mere 83 years of age if the people had trusted Moshe and YHWH the first time they were at Qadesh.
40. When the Kanaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the Land of Kanaan, heard about the arrival of the descendants of Israel,
41. they broke camp from Mount Chor, and pitched their tents at Tzalmonah [shady spot].
42. When they pulled up from Tzalmonah, they encamped at Punon [dark perplexity].
A Midrash says this was the place where the "burning serpents" bit the people. Such a copper-colored serpent is common in the Jordanian desert near Wadi Rum, which is a more recent theory about where Qadesh-Barnea was actually located, as no remains from the era of the Exodus have been found at the traditional site.
43. Then they journeyed on from Punon, and set up camp at Ovoth [water bottles made of skins].
Ovoth is also known as Thamar or Eyn haTz’va today. It has a natural spring, where the people would have filled these “bottles”. It became the corner of the Holy Land’s border, as the spring made it a strategic spot and it was inhabited for many centuries after this—up until Roman times, then again under the Turks and British in modern days.
44. Traveling from Ovoth, they camped at Iyey-haAvarim [ruins of the fords] on the border of Moav.
45. Then they moved on from the ruins, and set up camp at Dibon-Gad [wasting away of fortune].
46. Then they set out from Dibon-Gad and camped at Almon-Diblathayimah [concealing of the two fig-cakes],
47. then journeyed forward from Almon-Diblathayimah and pitched their tents in the mountains of Avarim [the lands across], facing Nevo [his prophet].
48. Then they pulled up from the mountains of Avarim, and encamped in the transitional lands of Moav [from the father] by the Yarden of Y’rikho.
49. Then they camped by the Yarden, from Beyth Yeshimon [place of wasteland] to the Avel-Shittim [Meadow of Acacias] in the transitional lands of Moav.
The distance from Beth Yeshimon to Avel-shittim is twelve mil [a mil equaling approximately 3500 ft., thus this is 42,000 ft.]. Rabbi Bar Channah says this informs us of the extent of Israel’s camp (nearly 8 miles across). There were 42 stages in their journey, which lasted 40 years. 14 of these stages all took place in the first year. The last 8 stages all took place between Aharon’s death and Moshe’s, so they actually stayed each place nearly two years on average (20 places in 38 years). Many of these places were probably not in the Sinai peninsula as tradition has it, but rather on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula, which is much larger and much easier to truly wander aimlessly in. But our journey back does not have to take so long if we learn from their story and avoid the pitfalls they chose to fall into.
50. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe in the transitional lands of Moav beside the Yarden of Y’rikho, saying,
51. "Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Yarden into the Land of Kanaan,
52. "‘then you must drive out all the inhabitants of the Land from your presence, destroy all their carved figures, blot out all their molten images, and cause all their cultic platforms to be annihilated.
Religious freedom is not a hallmark of the Torah. It may serve us well in exile, but if there is no standard, no one will recognize that the things he worships actually have no power. This sounds cold and hard, but when it is finished, the whole world will see real peace and prosperity, because everything will finally be in order. Figures: or stones. If we are concentrating on praising Him instead of on winning the battles as such (as in Y’hoshafat’s day), He will defeat our enemies for us, though we are the ones that must carry out the action. He will not do it for us if we do not take the initiative. We carry His name. He will go before us and be there waiting when we arrive, but the darkness will remain if we do not light the fire.
53. "‘When you have caused the land to be inherited, then settle in it, because I have given you the land to possess.
Settling the Land is a valid, standing Torah command. One cannot say he keeps Torah if he is not actively working toward this end. Like Yaaqov before his people was large enough, there are also again many who dwell there but do not possess it, evidenced by their willingness to give so much of it away. But Yehudah cannot do it alone; they need the rest of Israel there to help.
54. "‘Now you shall allot the land [systematically] by lot to be an inheritance for your clans; those that are large you shall give a larger share, and those who are few you shall give a smaller share. To whomever the lot falls out, it is his. You shall receive your inheritance for the tribal staffs of your ancestors.
For the tribal staffs: for the sake of one's ancestors. It could read: "according to the tribes of your fathers". To whomever the lot falls: This way no one could be accused of unjust treatment. Yet this seems contradictory: divide it out by size of the tribe, yet let the lot fall wherever it may? The lots must have been used to assign the land of particular families after the place of each entire tribe was chosen according to size.
55. "‘But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the Land from before your face, here is what will take place: whichever of them you allow to remain will become briars in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will cramp you on the Land in which you are living,
A prime example of this was the Book of Judges, in which many nations in the Land dominated Israel because we became slack before all of the nations were driven out. We had enough land for the moment, and wanted to settle down and enjoy it rather than continuing to go to battle. But Israel’s enemies always see it as weakness if we do not finish the job, and they attack all the harder rather than returning gestures of peaceful coexistence. True peace is made through the righteous being strong so that the enemies will not dare oppose us. Ignoring problems and staying quiet will not bring shalom; it means “completeness”, not just “peace”, so the way to bring it is to do something about the situation—dealing with the root causes so they do not come back to bite us. Cramp you: They might continue contending for space, as with Yitzhaq's wells, and today's Land of Israel, where the inhabitants were allowed to return after they fled in 1948. Israel needs the things from our past pagan lives out of the way so we can stay as close as possible to YHWH. Paul’s Roman citizenship opened some doors for him, but also ended up being his demise. (Acts 26:32)
56. "‘and I will end up doing to you what I had planned to do to them.'"
If we don't obey, we will become "them" if we let them remain, for we will become like them, and He will let our blood cleanse the Land instead. (We will end up destroyed because of being in their midst.) YHWH allows whatever we deliberately leave undone to overcome us--a great deterrent to slackness.
CHAPTER 34
1. Then YHWH said to Moshe,
2. "Give the descendants of Israel orders, telling them, ‘When you enter the land of Kanaan, this is the territory that will fall to you as inherited property (the Land of Kanaan up to its borders):
Just as our inheritance has borders, our heritage is based on boundaries. Children who have no boundaries are the ones that end up in prison, because parents who do not set limits for them have not proven to really love them, no matter how affectionate they may be. Boundaries show us that YHWH loves us. Orders: Again this is a military command, not a mere suggestion or recommendation. It is one on which our victory relies, for YHWH has just told us the consequences of not taking possession of the entire Land. If we do not establish these borders, destruction will come on us instead instead of our enemies. (33:55-56) Those whom modern Israel has placated and let remain, though they want to follow their own laws instead of Torah, are constant thorns in our side. If we wish to remain in the Land, we must stop thinking it is possible to give away YHWH’s Land. We cannot change His boundaries and expect peace. This is the territory where we belong. Other places may be nice, but this is set-apart, though (and because) it is right in the middle of everything. Everyone else wants it for their own purposes. Even being a safe haven from persecution is not its purpose. Rather, it is so we can be a light to all nations.
3. "‘Your southern edge will start from the Wilderness of Tzin alongside Edom, and your southern border will [run] from the extremity of the Salt Sea on the east,
Salt Sea: also called the Dead Sea or Lake Lot. The land of Edom is just south of it, in the mountains of Seir toward Petra. The wilderness of Tzin is west of this. This is the only boundary mentioned here that they are familiar with. But in the Hebrew text here we can see a deeper pattern that links Israelites ourselves and our very clothing to our Land. The word for “edge” here is peah, which is also used of the sides of the head and extremities of the beard, which YHWH commands us not to remove or disfigure. (Lev. 19:27) These are to serve as reminders like “guards” posted around the gates of the eyes, nose, and mouth, which can get us in so much trouble and cause harm to our brothers, especially our mouths. The word for border here and throughout the chapter means an area enclosed or bound together by a cord. Boundaries both hold us in place and define what is not safe to venture beyond. Without boundaries, there is confusion and disorder. We are told to bind YHWH’s words on our hands. (Deut. 6:8; 11:8) Yeshua said we must not loosen this cord. (Mat. 5:19) We cannot expand the boundaries of the Torah, though within them we have great freedom. (Psalm 119:45; Gal. 5:13; Yaaqov/ James 1:25) Yeshua gave his students authority to bind or loose (Mat. 16:19), which the Mishnah explains is legal terminology for how strictly we rule on specific ways of walking out the commands. That is, they had the right to set the standards for the particulars of how the lost sheep of Israel whom they were seeking are to interpret the laws in the Torah that leave room for various ways of being understood. No pope has a right to make such rulings! He said whatever we bind on earth must be what has been bound in heaven. The Torah defines the boundaries by which we can interpret any other Scripture. (Yeshayahu/ Isa. 8:20) This eliminates confusion; nothing Yeshua says must be construed to appear to contradict it. (Mat. 5:17; Acts 21:24; 28:17; Rom. 3:31) A boundary also binds us to one another. A rope is made of fibers not much larger than a hair twisted together to form small cords which are then hooked together and twisted again to become a larger cord. It ends up much stronger than a chain, which is only as strong as its weakest link. It is the difference between community and a mere organization. The possibilities are endless with a rope; it can even be made thick enough to lift large ships. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 speaks of how much better it is to have a companion to help in times of difficulty, but that having a threefold cord makes the bond very hard to break. It is hard to pull a strand out of a rope once they are twisted together. The two houses of Israel can be bound together by the Torah. The common boundaries we recognize are what makes the cord very strong and binds us together. While those under the same authority must agree on an interpretation (Amos 3:3), different tribes or different communities within returning Israel may interpret the specifics differently as long as they all still uphold the Torah. As we keep the Torah, our commonalities with the Jews will become obvious. As each becomes bound to YHWH, we cannot help but become interwoven with others who love Him, but it must come in that order.
4. "‘then your border will loop around from the Negev to the Ascent of Aqrabbim [scorpions] and run across Tzin [the flatland], then resume southward as far as Qadesh-Barnea, then leave Khatzar-Addar and go across to Atzmon [substantial].
Qadesh-Barnea seems to mean “holy quivering ground”. It appears to be above the escarpment. The Ascent of Scorpions is a few miles southeast of Dimona and east of the Great Crater, and is one of very few natural ways up to the Negev Plateau from the Aravah (Rift Valley). The Tzin Desert is identified today as being just below it (though the wording in Scripture makes it sound like it is above; the term simply means "flatland", so it could have two different references). By the way it is worded, Qadesh-Barnea would appear to be right up against Khatzar-Addar (which means “wide, majestic enclosure”) since the border “leaves” that enclosure thereafter. (Numbers 34:4) Something that is described as an enclosure could also be described as holy or set apart (qadesh), so they may be two descriptions of the same thing, or Qadesh-Barnea may have been at the entrance to Khatzar-Addar. Given the other geographical clues, I wonder if the “majestic wide enclosure” could be what is now called the Great Crater (not a meteor or volcanic crater, though it had some volcanic activity within it, but was formed by the erosion of rock softer than that which surrounds it). Anyone looking down on the crater—or looking up from the bottom—could certainly describe it as majestic, and it is several miles wide. It has high walls, forming a huge natural enclosure, set apart from the level of the ground around it.
5. "‘Then the border shall turn from Atzmon to the Wadi of Egypt, with its end at the [Mediterranean] Sea.
Wadi of Egypt: not actually in Egypt, but southwest of Gaza miles beyond where today’s border ends. However, the Negev (within today’s borders) was not fully possessed until Shlomo’s time. (1 Kings 9:26) The Hebrew word for “wadi” (a seasonal riverbed) is related to the word for”inherited property” in verse 2, which also means “possession”, so one of the things that defines Israel is that we take possession of Egypt in some way. The Hebrew word for Egypt means “from the two narrow places” or “tight spots”, so our inheritance includes the dispossessing of what oppresses us.
6. "‘For a western border you will have the Great Sea with a coast; this shall be your western boundary.
Great Sea: the Mediterranean. With a coast: It appears that in the Kingdom, though the boundaries of the Land proper seem pretty similar to these, each of the twelve tribes will have a coastline. (Y’hezq’el 47-48) This may be due to the fighting there ended up being among the tribes in later years. Nations without a seaport are dependent on the whims of those who do have one, and this often causes wars; in the Kingdom YHWH does away with unnecessary causes for strife.
7. "‘And this shall be your northern border: [follow] the Great Sea, mark out a line to Mount Hor.
Mount Hor: literally, Cave of the Mountain. Not the same mountain where Aharon died; this one is near Lebanon. It may refer to Rosh haNiqra, a brilliant white mountainous promontory on the Mediterranean near the northern modern limit of Israel’s coast, which is characterized prominently by caves. It would make an ideal landmark for a border.
8. "‘From Mount Hor, mark out a [straight] line to the entrance to Hamath, and the territory will extend as far as the mountainside.
The entrance to Hamath: or the way into Hamath, a city close to Damaseq [Damascus]. How would they draw a straight line to a road? The full title of the location is seen in 13:21: "the wide place at the entrance to Hamath"—i.e., the landmark was a gap or pass into Syria that leads to Hamath from Israel. There is such a widening as one enters Israel today through the pass just north of the ancient city of Dan.
9. "‘Then the border shall go on to Zifron [fragrance] and its termination-point shall be at Chatzer-Eynan [enclosure of fountains]; this will constitute your northern border.
10. "‘Then you shall mark out a line for yourselves from Khatzer-Eynan to Sh'fam [barren, wind-swept place] to be your eastern border.
Some of the exact locations are unknown, but the borders of Israel will be much larger than today’s when all the tribes return. (Zkh. 10:10)
11. "‘Then the border shall go down from Sh'fam to Rivlah [the fertile place] to the east of the spring, then the border shall come down and reach to the eastern bank of the Sea of Kinnereth.
Sea of Kinnereth: often known today as the Sea of Galilee. Note that the entire lake is within the borders of Israel (as apparently the Salt Sea is as as well, per verse 3), for we have seen attempts in modern days, when the Golan Heights were in the hands of Syria, to sabotage Israel by affecting the level of water in the lake, which is Israel’s largest reservoir. Thus the spring that feeds it is also fully within Israel’s borders.
12. "‘Then the border shall go down to the Yarden, then its termination point will be the Salt Sea; this shall be your land, by its borders on every side.'"
Rashi notes that YHWH defines the borders so clearly because many precepts apply only within the Land [of Israel] and do not apply outside the Land. An example is that some who live in modern Israel live outside the ancient boundaries, and therefore are not required to leave the land fallow in the seventh year, though it would still be better for their crops to do so.
13. So Moshe gave orders to the descendants of Israel, saying, "This is the Land which you shall receive as an inheritance by lot, which YHWH has ordained to be given to the nine and a half tribes,
14. "since the tribe of Reuven by their ancestral households and the tribe of Gad by their ancestral households have received, and half of the tribe of M’nasheh have received their share;
15. "the two and a half tribes have [already] received their apportioned property across the Yarden from Y’rikho--eastward toward where the sun rises."
16. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,
17. "These are the names of the men who will divide out the Land for you: El'azar the cohen and Y'hoshua the son of Nun.
Y’hoshua (who functioned as king, though he is never called that) and El’azar (the high priest) would be the only ones to divide the land between tribes, allotting it according to how large each tribe was. (26:52-56) This was figured according to percentage of the Land (though M’nasheh received far more, probably because of being Yosef’s firstborn; it even seems that none of his double portion in the Land proper was diminished due to being given more east of the Kinnereth, because they did not ask for more land). Another factor in the size of each tribe is the terrain and how arable the Land is. Yissakhar’s land is very small, but all of it can be farmed; Efrayim was specifically told he could cut down forests if he ran out of farmable land. (Y’hoshua 17:15) The division within tribes, by lot (33:54) was to be handled by leaders YHWH designated within each tribe:
18. "Then you shall select one captain from [each] tribe to divide up the Land [for inheritance].
Select: yet YHWH identified for him whom he was to choose:
19. "Now these are the names of the men: for the tribe of Y'hudah, Kalev ["like the heart"] the son of Y'funeh ["he will face"];
20. "for the tribe of the sons of Shim'on, Shmu’el ["El is his name"] the son of Ammihud [my nation is majestic];
21. "for the tribe of Binyamin, Elidad [My Elohim has loved] the son of Kislon [confidence];
Knowing one is loved by one so auspicious definitely adds to one’s confidence.
22. "for the tribe of the sons of Dan, Prince Buqi [one who lays waste] the son of Yaugli [my exile];
Prince: the pattern changes here and continues for the rest of the tribes. The previous three are those that would later be counted as the Southern Kingdom
23. "the sons of Yosef: for the tribe of the sons of M’nasheh, Prince Hanniel [favored by Elohim] the son of Efod;
Yosef’s leader is the son of Efod, and it is the same type of stone as used for Yosef on the high priest’s breastplate that also sit on the shoulder-piece that holds up the efod.
24. "and from the tribe of the sons of Efrayim, Prince Q'muel [raised up by Elohim] the son of Shiftan [judicial];
25. "and of the tribe of the sons of Z'vulun, Elitzafan [Elohim has protected] the son of Parnakh [delicate];
26. "and of the tribe of the sons of Issachar, Prince Palti’el [Elohim delivers] the son of Azzan [firm and prevailing];
27. "and of the tribe of the sons of Asher, Prince Akhihud [my brother is majestic] the son of Shlomi [my peace];
28. "and of the tribe of the sons of Nafthali, Prince Pedah'el [ransomed by Elohim] the son of Ammihud."
29. These are [the ones] whom YHWH appointed to divide the allotment to the descendants of Israel in the Land of Kanaan.
These leaders were not elected; YHWH chose them. No leader is designated to divide Reuven’s and Gad’s land, for it is outside the Land of Israel proper, and has presumably already been mapped out so their families could occupy all of this extra territory to keep the former inhabitants from coming back. They were not involved in dividing the Land west of the Yarden. Thus only ten men are listed here, which is considered a minyan, or quorum, for an entire congregation (based on Gen. 18:32; compare Z’kharyah 8:23). These men were already established leaders, but none of them is a son of any of the leaders listed in chapter 1, except Y’hoshua, who was grandson of Elishama’.
CHAPTER 35
1. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe in the transitional land of Moav above the Yarden of Y’rikho, saying,
The geographical location of this command is important because YHWH wants it to be established while they are at this location. Even if we are operating in the right season, we will often not learn what YHWH intends for us to learn if we are not in the right place as well. We cannot learn to swim in a sandbox or learn ballet dancing in a boot camp. We must be in the right context. We cannot learn how to be the people of Yosef in the Church, or even if exclusively among Yehudah, because their job is to be Yehudah, and we must learn to be Yosef before we can be reconnected with Yehudah, for each tribe has its own responsibilities:
2. "Give orders to the descendants of Israel, and they will grant to the Levites, from the property of their inheritance, cities to dwell in. You shall also provide for the Levites open land around the cities.
Here are some additional boundaries. Levites: Their name means “attached” or “joined”, and indeed this tribe was joined to YHWH in a special way beyond the rest of Israel’s relationship to Him. They were an “upper class”, highly respected because they were the ones who gave more and served more. They had no inheritance except these cities and the small amount of land that came with them, for they were occupied with YHWH’s particular business—the sanctuary, judgment at the highest level, and distributing supplies to widows and orphans. These cities were not purchased from the other tribes; they were a gift. But it is not as if anyone had bought these cities, either, except that they had fought for them. They are also not just giving them land on which to build cities, but cities that are already built—either building them themselves or giving them those that were built by the Kanaanites and left intact. The Levites are the keepers of the Torah, who care for the Dwelling Place, and are the highest human authority in Israel. No matter what it costs us, we must make sure we have Torah teachers in our midst. Open land: already usable for agriculture. But the word stems from a word meaning to cast out, expel, or drive out. The animals were also kept outside the wall that demarcated the area of human residence; Israelites kept livestock, not pets. While in some rural Israelite homes, animals would be kept on the lower level at night in the winter, in a Levite city, which had the highest standards in Israel, the animals would be kept separate from the people’s dwellings, picturing the fact that while we might need our “animal side” in order to accomplish certain objectives, we do not sleep among the animals. It most likely had a hedge of thorns at the extremity in addition to the city wall, as an added way of designating the safe zone. Walls in sheepfolds often had a similar layer of briers on top to keep predators out, since most animals that attack sheep have a soft underbelly, and this was an adequate deterrent. (See photos at left from Explorations in Antiquity in Dalton, Georgia.) We are indeed intended to “keep our brothers confined” within the parameters of the Torah. As Israel had to drive out the former inhabitants of the Land, we need to displace the parts of ourselves that act like selfish animals—personal ambitions that conflict with the needs of others--and help one another guard against those from outside (Ex. 34:12) who are really out to consume Israel for their own ends. And living in community also helps us displace even more of it. What we guard in common is what attaches us to one another.
3. "And they shall have the cities to live in, and their open lands shall be for their animals, their storage, and all their livelihood.
These additional borders must be established before He lets Israel into the Land. As there was extra area annexed to Israel to deal with animals in particular (chapter 32), this added land is for animals as well. The other tribes would be tithing from their abundance, so the Levites living among them in particular would have large flocks and herds as well, and from these they were responsible to provide the offerings that pertained to the whole nation. On the national scale, the Mishnah tells us that by Second Temple times, there was an analogous but larger area around the capital within which the lambs for offerings made for the whole nation had to be raised. One of its borders was at Migdal Eder (the Tower of the Flock, seen at left), the very place the “Lamb of Elohim” was born. (Mikha 4:8) Storage: for tithes to be taken to the Temple during the three pilgrimage festivals, as well as the storehouses for assistance for widows and orphans, for which the Levites are responsible.
4. "Now the open land [surrounding] the cities which you shall give to the Levites [shall extend] from the city wall outward a thousand cubits on every side.
A thousand cubits: 1,500 to 1,667 feet, depending on the cubit, or approximately half a kilometer.
5. "And you shall measure the eastward side 2,000 cubits, from the outside of the city, the south side 2,000 cubits, the west side 2,000 cubits, and the north side 2,000 cubits, with the city in the middle; this will constitute for them the common land of the cities.
Common land of the cities: i.e., the entire precinct (v. 27), including the city itself, if we consider verses 4 and 5 an “algebra problem” that leaves out the fact that the city itself must also be rebuilt as a square 2,000 cubits by 2,000 cubits. Then the 2,000 cubits “from the outside” (v. 5), i.e., the outer edge of the designated area, measured toward the center and meeting at the center from all four directions, agrees with the 1,000 cubits measured outward from the city wall (v. 4). In this way of interpreting it there are thus two concentric squares. The entire area, then, measures 4,000 by 4,000 cubits, or 16 million square cubits. This is over a mile (close to two kilometers) in each direction—quite a large city in that day, but these were also to be storehouse cities (v. 3). The area surrounding the city would constitute over 625 acres for all the uses listed in v. 3. The four corners would extend beyond the 1,000 cubits from the city if brought to a right angle. (Gibor) The corners might have been used to grow food for the widows and orphans, in a larger-scale example of Lev. 19:9, like tzitziyoth on the four corners of a square garment (Num. 15:38), reminding the rest of Israel to keep this commandment for the sake of the very same needy persons. A “Sabbath day’s journey” which was a common standard by Yeshua’s time (Acts 1:12) was 2,000 cubits, based on this command. Yeshua recognized that animals could be cared for on the Sabbath (Luke 13:15), but crops should not be.
6. "Now the cities that you shall give to the Levites are the six asylum-cities that you shall designate to which the manslayer may escape [for refuge], and on top of these you shall assign them 42 cities.
Asylum: See v. 11ff.
7. "The total [number] of the cities which you shall donate to the Levites is 48: [the cities] themselves as well as the open land [surrounding] them.
8. "And the cities which you shall dedicate [shall come] from the inherited property of the descendants of Israel. From where [there are] many you shall [require] more, and from where [there are] few, diminish [what you require]; each tribe shall give of its cities to the Levites according to the size of the property which he acquires as a possession."
YHWH gave this instruction before the Land was divided among the tribes so that this standard could be taken into account when determining how much area each tribe needed. Size: an Aramaic paraphrase for the Hebrew "mouth", an idiom for what it can afford or what it has to provide for--how many "mouths it has to feed". This is a Kingdom standard: those with more give more, those with less give less, but each gives some. We need to give back in proportion to how much we have been given, but if we do not give something even when we have little, we will never receive more. (Luke 16:10-12; compare Mat. 13:12.) We are part of a people whose portion has been greatly increased. Though our fathers inherited lies, YHWH had mercy on us and granted us an eternal inheritance. Though our numbers may be small, we have large possessions in the areas of truth, understanding, and community.
9. Then YHWH told Moshe,
10. "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you cross the Yarden into the land of Kanaan,
When we become Hebrews—when we cross over—things will indeed change. But we do not need to wait until we arrive there to begin doing things that are required there; if we use the excuse that we do not have to because we are in exile, we will remain in exile. YHWH’s festivals are even called “rehearsals” in Hebrew. There is much that we can do to some measure now so that we will already know how to carry out the orders once we get there; by the time the Kingdom arrives, the standards will already be expected of us.
11. "‘you shall appoint cities to be asylum-cities to which the manslayer--one who kills a person inadvertently--may escape [for refuge].
The term for “appoint” also has the nuances of encountering and experiencing, so these cities had to be chosen after they were seen, so each group of tribes would know which cities would work best for this purpose--which would be easiest to flee to when they needed them. Asylum: or refuge, shelter, from the word for “receive”.
12. "‘Now these cities shall be for asylum for you from the avenger, so that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for a legal verdict.
Avenger: the same word as the "kinsman redeemer" illustrated in the book of Ruth. Usually the closest male relative (brother, paternal uncle, or paternal cousin), he had a dual role of restoring the inheritance to a relative who lost it, as well as avenging the blood of a relative. Hirsch renders it "acceptor of responsibility for the blood" (see v. 33). He was a blood relative, with the closest possible DNA to the one killed, so it was as if his own blood had been spilt. His job was to bring things back into balance. Until: If he is found by two or more credible witnesses to have hated the victim or wanted to harm him, there is no further protection for him.
13. "‘So [of] the cities which you shall designate, six shall be asylum cities for you.
14. "‘You shall designate three of the cities on [this] side of the Yarden, and three of the cities you shall designate within the Land of Kanaan; they shall serve as cities of asylum.
In Deut. 4:42ff we see that Moshe specified which three cities would be best on the east side of the Yarden (possibly because he still did not trust the tribes of Gad and Re’uven since they chose to live outside the Land). Only one sixth of the population lived east of the Yarden, yet half of the Cities of Refuge were there. Those who preferred to live apart from the rest of the community of Israel and further from YHWH’s presence, and who were more concerned for their animals than for their children and wives would be expected to be less careful to avoid situations where they might accidentally harm someone, and thus had more occasion to utilize the cities. Rashi cites the fact that Gil’ad had many murderers, as it says,“Gil’ad, a city of workers of violence, who lurk to shed blood” (Hos. 6: 8). They had apparently carried their wartime skills over wrongfully into peacetime. With so much wealth, we would also expect more murders. The particular cities later chosen are listed in Y’hoshua 21:13, 21, 27, 32, 38. By giving the Levites cities, they were providing for their own safety at such times.
15. "‘These six cities shall serve as a refuge for the descendants of Israel as well as for [any temporary] visitor or anyone staying among you, so that anyone who kills a person inadvertently may escape there.
Inadvertently: literally, without paying attention; he was not careful, and ended up killing someone, though he meant no harm. These rules only apply if the killing is accidental. We must distinguish between a killing and a murder. Though the intent was not malicious (rarely is an automobile collision intentional), one is still held responsible and there is a price to pay for one's carelessness: he could not live at his own home for a designated amount of time (v. 28), unless he wished to risk allowing the avenger to carry out his right at any time without warning. (v. 19)
16. "‘But if he hits him with an iron tool, he is a murderer; the murderer must die by execution.
Murderer: the term connotes intentional slaughter. The old adage, “He doesn’t know his own strength” comes into play here, as a stronger man might injure a weaker with very little effort, whereas anything that can be realistically construed as a weapon takes away one’s disadvantage. If he could pick up a tool he had enough time to think of what he was doing, and is thus responsible for his action. If proven guilty, one is no longer under the protection of this law.
17. "‘And if he hit him with a stone [thrown by] hand by which one can die, and he does die, he [too] is a murderer; the murderer must die by execution.
18. "‘Also, if he hits him with a hand-tool [made] of wood by which one can die, and he does die, he [too] is a murderer; the murderer must die by execution.
By which one can die: certain kinds of wood are not strong enough to be considered weapon material, but if what he hits him with could be used as a weapon, or if he was holding anything for the purpose of hitting the person, he is to be judged as guilty. “A moment of passion” is not an admissible plea in Israel. We are all responsible to not allow this type of rage to control our actions. Even if he makes it to the city of refuge, if he is judged to be a murderer, he will be handed back over to the blood-redeemer:
19. "‘The avenger of blood shall be the one to execute the murderer; whenever he intercepts him, he must kill him.
While the government is to ensure justice in the matter, in Israel it is not the government that carries out this type of sentence, but the one with the same bloodline as the one wronged. The very next time he encounters him, his job is to kill him. This is the proper season, and he cannot allow emotion to rule. Since YHWH ruled that human blood must be avenged, forgiving a murderer is not permitted, for he is likely to repeat the same error if allowed to continue, and that is an irresponsible risk.
20. "‘Also, if he pushes him [down] in hatred or throws [something] at him by ambush, and he dies,
Ambush: Hirsch, "intended aim". Of course this refers to internal affairs in Israel; it does not apply in war situations.
21. "‘or if in enmity he has struck him with his hand, and he dies, the one who hit him must die by execution; he is a murderer; the avenger of blood may kill him whenever he intercepts him.
The Aramaic paraphrase adds the phrase "after he is convicted".
22. "‘But if, having no hatred, he pushes him suddenly, or has thrown any article at him without premeditation,
23. "‘or with any stone by which he might die, without seeing him, but fells him, and he dies, though he has no malicious intent, nor was he intending him any harm,
Without seeing him: he might have aimed at what he thought was an animal attacking his sheep at night, when in fact it was a neighbor approaching. Or he simply threw something and someone got in the way before he could warn them; he did not throw it at the person as such. Still, the fact that it was an accident does not remove the need for trial. Someone must take responsibility to pay for the spilt blood.
24. "‘then the congregation shall render a verdict between the killer and the avenger of blood by these legal procedures.
These: The only thing they are permitted to take into consideration as evidence is whether the killing was accidental or intentional. Remember also that the slayer only gets a trial at all if he makes it to the city of asylum. If the blood avenger catches him first, he dies. Thus YHWH allows the truth of his guilt to come out by whether he is caught or not, for he might have been able to set up a murder to appear accidental when it really was not, and men might therefore wrongly exonerate him based on the apparent facts.
25. "‘This way the community will keep the manslayer safe from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation must give him safe conduct back to his city of asylum to which he had run away. Then he may live in it until the death of the high priest, the one who was anointed with the holy oil.
In summary, if he intentionally hits someone with any iron, stone, or wooden instrument that is capable of killing, he is counted a murderer, but if he was killed by accident, was not seen approaching, or there was no premeditation or malicious intent, he is guilty of homicide but not liable to capital punishment by the court. Still, his life would change dramatically, and he could never be certain of how soon he could go free. Rabbi Yaakov Bieler notes that by tying the length of his stay to the time of the death of the high priest allows YHWH to “tailor the punishment, or at least the process of atonement, to the specific nature of the crime. In contrast to the clear-cut evil that is inherent within a case of deliberate murder leading to the obvious punishment of execution by a …court, a case of manslaughter can involve degrees of nuance in terms of culpability, irresponsibility, indifference, and inconclusiveness that would make establishing a standard punishment or course of atonement impossible… It is possible that two cases that appear similar in every way in terms of how the victim met his/her end at the hands of the inadvertent murderer, will result in different lengths of exile due to the moral and spiritual level of the individual at whose hands someone died.” Safe conduct back: The trial would be conducted where the event took place, which is usually near his home, in a trial by peers. The Cities of Refuge became vacant for a while (except for the permanent Levite residents) after the high priest's death, just as at least one “holding tank of the spirits awaiting the Kingdom” was emptied out at the time of Yeshua’s death. (Mat. 27:52; compare 1 Kefa/Peter 3:19)
26. "‘But if for any reason the manslayer leaves the precinct of the asylum city to which he has escaped,
27. "‘and the avenger of blood catches up with him outside the precinct of the city, and the avenger of blood strikes down the manslayer, no blood [guilt is incurred] for him,
This is the equivalent to one being held in a very comfortable prison, but who is told he will be shot on sight, no questions asked, the moment he tries to escape, and no one will be held liable for killing him, for he has a right to avenge blood, no matter what the intent. If one goes outside to revisit the area where the wild animals are (and where he acted “wildly”), he is “fair game”. He no longer has immunity. Yirmeyahu had told Yehudah to submit to their exile and survive (Yirmeyahu 27:17). Those who tried to escape the penalty YHWH was imposing on His people would not survive. Being in a Levitical city also affords the slayer more occasions than most would have to sit under those constituted as the teachers of the Torah, and to therefore learn how to become more careful about even the finest details of his actions.
28. "‘because he [should have] remained in the asylum city until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the manslayer may return to the land of his inheritance.
It is the provision of the high priest’s own kinsmen off of which the manslayer is living until this time. The high priest is the one who bears the blood of atonement for the entire community of Israel at Yom Kippur. Part of his prayer on that day is that YHWH will remove the blood-guilt of the Land. Ironically, his own death brings that about in this way.
29. "‘Now these shall be your prescribed manner of legal proceedings throughout your generations in every place you settle.
30. "‘[For] anyone who strikes down [the soul of] a[nother] person, the murderer may be executed at the word of witnesses, but no one may be killed upon the testimony of a single witness.
The heaviest sentence cannot be laid on him without at least two witnesses. YHWH leaves room for mercy and justice by whether he allows more than one person to be a witness or not. An eyewitness might have something against the killer personally and lie about him, or there might be an actual murderer for whom YHWH has other plans and so He leaves him without sufficient testimony to incriminate him. (If one confessed to being guilty, and no one else was witness, he would apparently not be executed.)
31. "‘But you may not receive a ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of a capital crime; he must die by execution;
Ransom: or bribe. While there are other sins one might be allowed to make monetary compensation for, one can never plea bargain for a murder. This standard must not be complicated. If someone who is guilty is let off the hook, the Land will not be redeemed. Only justice can keep the Land from being defiled; no amount of money can do so, even if it seems to satisfy the one who lost a relative. Avenging the individual is not the only consideration. Forgiveness is not a virtue when YHWH has commanded retribution.
32. "‘nor may you receive a bribe for [someone] to [avoid] taking flight to his asylum-city, so that he can dwell on the land before the death of the high priest,
33. "‘so you will not defile the Land which you are in, because blood profanes the Land, and the Land cannot be covered over for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it,
Defile/profane: make common rather than holy (set apart); i.e., it would make Israel just like the rest of the world, as it is today until atonement (this covering) is made again. The kinsman redeemer (avenger of blood) is not required to forgive. Forgiveness is never something to be given out thoughtlessly; the perpetrator of a crime must seek the victim’s forgiveness and do his utmost to make restitution before it is to be granted. But how can one ever seek the forgiveness of one he has killed? This is a guilt of a completely different kind. The only possible restitution is the blood of the killer, which brings him to the same level as the one he wronged. The right to avenge is held in check as long as the slayer stays in this designated place. But there is still guilt for the death, which continues to pollute the Land until either he—or the only legitimate substitute, the high priest--dies.
34. "‘and you may not make common the Land in which you are [preparing to] settle, which I am in the midst of, because I, YHWH, dwell among the descendants of Israel.'"
Why was Qayin not subject to this law when his brother’s blood cried out from the ground? He knew he deserved it. It could be that it was because there was no second witness and Qayin himself did not confess, or because since one’s own father cannot be the avenger of blood (probably because of the possibility of a conflict of interest) and his only brother was now dead, there was no blood-avenger available. David also seems to have interpreted the law to imply that a kinsman could not avenge a brother for killing his own brother if it would leave his parents childless. (2 Shmu’el 14:5-11) Had we never seen a similar act of mercy from YHWH, we would not know what is required of us. But Qayin may have been left alive simply to show us all what not to be like.
CHAPTER 36
1. And the ancestral heads of the clans of the descendants of Gil'ad, the son of Makhir, the son of M’nasheh, of the clans of the sons of Yosef, approached and spoke before Moshe and before the princes--the heads of the fathers of the descendants of Israel,
Heads of the fathers: i.e., of the fathers' households.
2. And said, "YHWH commanded my master to designate the land for the descendants of Israel to be inherited by lot, and my master was ordered by YHWH to bequeath the inheritance of our brother Tz'lafkhad to his daughters.
Moshe is described as “my master”. How the modern world has lost this sense of respect, when even governors and presidents are spoken of on a first-name basis. They also did not whisper or complain against Moshe, as the pattern had been. They came through the right channels. Whoever recognized the problem had to take it to his local constituted leaders, who saw that this was an issue with wider implications for the whole nation, so it had to be taken to progressively-higher levels of authority. Finally they realized that only the “supreme court”—Moshe and his council--could rule on this. Trusted leaders, chosen for their wisdom, accomplishments, and commitment to YHWH and Israel, must be the ones to bring an issue to the top, so order can be maintained in Israel. If a lower court ruled exactly as Moshe said, the ruling would only be valid on the local level.
3. "But [if] they should become the wives to one of the sons of the [other] tribes of Israel, then their inherited property will be withdrawn from the inherited property of our ancestors and be added onto the inheritance of the tribe to which they will belong; thus it will be diminished from the lot assigned as our property!
Withdrawn: diminished, "clipped back", taken away. To which they will belong: i.e., into which they marry. Sons who were born to them would inherit the land from their fathers, to whom the ownership of these women’s land would be transferred upon their marriage. (The modern matrilineal definition of heritage was a later adaptation due to too many Jewish women being raped during pogroms, etc., in which parentage was in question.) The “and” in verse 1 links this to what immediately preceded it: the end of the last chapter, for since local judges rule on whether a killing was intentional, if part of a tribe’s land was transferred to another tribe, yet was within the boundaries of the tribe from which the women came, there could be confusion about whose jurisdiction the killing would fall under. It is important to YHWH to preserve a heritage in Israel even for those who died without an heir. (Deut. 25:6)
4. "Even when the yovel of the descendants of Israel comes, their share will be added onto the property of the tribe to which they belong, so their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of our ancestors' tribe!”
This was not a selfish complaint such as Moshe was used to hearing (e.g., 16:14), but one that reflected the fact that they had put much thought into the possible consequences of an earlier ruling. (27:1-11) They wanted clarification to ensure that it did not remain ambiguous so that no one might twist the properly ordered pattern of justice for their own gain. These leaders might not have minded losing some if the land could be restored one day, but since it was not purchased, the laws of the yovel would not apply here. (Lev. 25) These men had nothing personally to gain or lose; they would probably be dead or very old by the time the first yovel in the Land came fifty years later. Rather, they are seeking order. Normally, everyone in a locale was from the same tribe. If men from another tribe lived among M’nasheh, they might have a problem with being judged under Menashite standards of interpretation of the Torah, and they probably would not have been permitted to sit on the local courts. Israel was not meant to become so mixed up. Each tribe was meant to stay on the land allotted to it. If they ran out of land, they could not impinge upon other Israelite tribes, but could conquer land outside of Israel, as Dan did. (Y’hoshua 19:47) To enter the New Yerushalayim, one will need to enter through a gate designated for one of the tribes of Israel. (Rev. 21) Both Yaaqov (Gen. 49) and Moshe (Deut. 33) blessed Israel with differing gifts according to the tribes. Each was given a specific task and a specific standard. So our inheritance is tribal.
5. So upon the word of YHWH, Moshe directed the descendants of Israel, saying, "The tribe of the descendants of Yosef are right [in what they are] saying.
Right: fair, well-founded. What a privilege to hear YHWH Himself tell you that you are right! Interestingly enough, the land that was in question here was on the east side of the Yarden, outside the Land proper, but YHWH still thought it important to preserve this inheritance, for these were still His people, and this was land this family in particular had won in battle.
6. "This is the thing which YHWH has commanded for the daughters of Tz'lafchad: ‘Let them become wives to [whomever is] appropriate in their eyes, [but] let them become wives only to the family of the tribe of their father,
What would become of all of the ground gained in chapter 27 if the women married into another tribe? They would lose it, and their property would default to someone else from their own tribe, so that no tribe’s land would be lost to another. So their request was granted, but at the cost of limiting their personal options in a way that was not even required of the priests. This is the most straightforward solution there could be; if we want more detailed rulings on the generalities of the Torah, we have to live within the specifics of how our authorities determine it must be walked out. Whomever is appropriate: Here they might still have had more freedom than most women, because they had no father or brother to negotiate an arranged marriage, as most would have done, though women could refuse such arrangements (Gen. 24:58). But they were only free to set their sights as far as the boundaries of their own tribe. It seems that maintaining our heritage is more important than our desire for a particular person.
7. "so the inherited property of the descendants of Israel will not be turned over from tribe to tribe, because each of the descendants of Israel will stick to the inheritance of the tribe of his ancestors.
There is very pictorial language here. The word for "inherited property" or heritage (nakhalah) is literally "that which flows". It usually refers to a stream that becomes a rushing torrent in the rainy season. It therefore refers to something that flows to one’s descendants in the right season. Water is often a picture of YHWH’s word, and indeed, as we saw in the previous chapters, the heritage that we must inhabit before we can proceed any further and inhabit the Land of our heritage is the Torah. Nakhalah can also mean a mine shaft, the way to access a treasure. The term for "turned over" here could mean "turn about" or "loop around", like a river that changes its course and leaves stagnant oxbow lakes in its wake. A parallel idea is the command for a childless widow to remarry within the same family so that her husband’s name is not blotted out. (Deut. 25:5ff) The nearest of kin is also the one with the primary responsibility to redeem a lost inheritance that a family member had lost, as in the story of Ruth. Our heritage leads us to our inheritance. (Ex. 34:9) As we dig “mine shafts” in the Torah, we will find things far greater than gold or platinum—the true treasure. We can inherit what our ancestors had for only a short time—YHWH’s very presence. (Ex. 15:17) We have already received much of our heritage back even while in exile, but not its fullness, so we must guard what we already have, but also not be satisfied with what we have. We must do all that we can to see the rest come to pass. By staying in line with His seasons, we will create channels that are ready for the rain when it makes the rivers flow again.
8. "And every daughter from the tribes of the descendants of Israel who inherits property must become a wife to one from the family of her father's tribe, so that each of the descendants of Israel may inherit the property of his ancestors.
This case was established as a precedent for all comparable cases in all Israel, since otherwise we would have ended up with pockets and enclaves of other tribes inside the larger tribe’s territory, much as we have with the cities turned over to the jurisdiction of the Arabs living within Israel. As we see in Scripture, there was later rivalry between tribes, and there probably would have ended up being roads built around these areas to avoid them as there are today. This shows how important it is to YHWH to keep genealogical lines unblurred. It is justice for the tribal level, not just the individual or just the whole nation. Daughter who inherits property: This applies only to one who has no brothers. Women are cared for by their fathers, then their husbands and whatever tribe into which they marry. Any woman who has a brother may marry into another tribe. Our heritage even defines whom we may be intimate with.
9. "Thus the inherited property of the descendants of Israel will not be turned over from one tribe to another, because each of the descendants of Israel shall cling to his own inheritance."
Since this came all the way up to Moshe for a ruling, this became Torah for all of Israel, and no one is permitted to change that.
10. So the daughters of Tz'lafchad did just as YHWH had commanded Moshe:
They did not say, “We’ll pray about this.” YHWH’s will was already clear.
11. Makhlah, Tirtzah, Khoglah, Milkah, and Noah, Tz'lafchad's daughters, became wives to the sons of their father's brothers.
Like the five books of Torah, they could not be mixed in with other people’s ways and still be beneficial to their own people.
12. They married into the families of the sons of M’nasheh, the son of Yosef, and their inheritance remained upon the tribe of the family of their father.
Many people become wealthy on helping others locate their heritage, but all they might get from it is a book about their genealogy. What difference does it make now if your ancestors came over on the Mayflower? Our earlier Hebrew heritage is the one worth digging for. And if DNA is hard to trace, if you have heard the shepherd’s voice, you are one of his lost sheep.
13. These are the orders and legal procedures that YHWH caused to be commanded by the hand of Moshe to the descendants of Israel on the transitional land of Moav, by the Yarden of Y’rikho.
By protecting our heritage, we protect our inheritance. YHWH has begun to restore it to us, letting us know that Avraham, Yitzhaq, and Yaaqov are indeed our ancestors. We have the name Israelite—itself an inheritance deeper than anything our more recent forebears could leave to us. And YHWH has promised an inheritance to Israel (Ps. 136:21-22), so receiving it depends on accepting that identity and that perspective. Like Esau (Gen. 25:30), we had sold our inheritance because of our fleshly cravings. The Church pawned away its heritage, opting instead for the diversionary offer of a new inheritance--going to heaven --rather than receiving the Messiah’s intent—the return to our original inheritance. The yovel year is a season for everyone to return to his inheritance. There is no guarantee that if someone remained outside the Land that year, a relative could buy it back for him. Let us not risk letting the season pass. Inheriting the Land may seem like a dream to us, but it can come true if we embrace our heritage. If we will be who we need to be, our heritage will become our inheritance. The only way to be ready is to get in step with His pattern of cycles now so that we are already in season and ready to recognize it when it arrives. Until we guard the inheritance He has given us (e.g., Lev. 19:30), we cannot receive the rest.
Khazaq! Khazaq! V'nitkhazeq!
("Be strong, hold on tightly, and we will all get a better grip!")
TORAH PORTION
Mas'ey
(Numbers 33:1-36:13)
INTRODUCTION: Many of the nitty-gritty specifics in this Torah portion might seem tedious if you are looking for big, flashy drama. But it’s the particulars that life is made up of. So as you read these details, consider the following principles which may help you bring them closer to home and see just how relevant they all are not just today, but to you in particular:
All the steps we take are important, because we would never get to our final goal if we did not pass through every one of them. (33:1-49) Some are pleasant, and we would like to camp there longer, but we are meant to keep moving. If we learn the lessons from their mistakes, we may be able to skip some of the stops we were not meant to need, because the Land is closer than we imagine if we do not succumb to fear. (D'varim/Deut. 1:2-3)
The boundaries are crucial if we are to know what truly belongs to us and what does not. (33:50-34:15) One of the later commands in Torah is to never move a neighbor’s boundary. (Deut. 19:14) This is a basic rule of respect from which many other good habits can be derived.
Certain choices—especially in regard to who gets what—are to be made by people who have enough wisdom and experience to be objective about who gets what, rather than by those who will directly benefit from them. (34:16-29)
Some people get an exemption from some of the “sweat of the brow” if they devote their entire lives to representing YHWH to people and people to YHWH. (35:1-5) YHWH decides who they will be. Usually they will be the Levites, but Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 66:21 suggests that some others may also be included in this number for reasons of His choosing, just as some Levites who aspire to serve in the sanctuary instead of in outlying cities are permitted to do so. (Deut. 18:6ff) But here the more basic command—to establish those outlying cities—is the focus. This way not only is Yaaqov’s dying wish that the Levites be scattered among Israel (Gen. 49:7) fulfilled, but it is given a very positive purpose—that of allowing all Israelites access to Torah teachers in their midst, not just when assembling at the central sanctuary, so that questions of procedure and priority can be addressed in “real time”.
And some of these cities have an even more special purpose. For justice to be accurately determined, one must be safe from “hot blood”, but anyone’s blood does deserve to be avenged, so YHWH came up with a solution that acknowledged both truths and allowed Him room to let the right outcome transpire in each case, even when all the facts are not known and might never be—and also provides an environment where one who was not hateful but was careless can learn patience, selflessness, and all the Torah principles he needs to ensure that he will not repeat the same mistake. (35:6-34)
As the people began to carry out the orders Moshe had already given, it became obvious that further detail was needed in some cases, so some additional amendments—not to change, but to clarify—were needed. The precedents give us guidance in deciding which new factors in a case count, and which do not. (Chapter 36)
And in Hebrew, there is so much more there than meets the eye in any translation. So the meanings of many place-names and personal names are included here so that something especially relevant to you might jump out even if you don’t read Hebrew well yet. But it should whet your appetite to learn it well so that you will see even more…
Ascent of Aqrabbim from above
Ramon Crater
Treasures
Among the Details
This section includes a lot of logistics—the itinerary of campsites during our ancestors’ wilderness wanderings (chapter 33), the borders of each tribe’s territory and who was to decide where to divide them (chapter 34), the layout of Levite cities and land (chapter 35), and part 2 of the story of Tz’lofkhad’s daughters and how to apply the principle they initiated to other varieties of inheritance issues.
But besides the precedents these set for rulings that we can use even today, there are many other lessons stuck in the middle of these stories that are worth highlighting. Here are a few:
(1)
The Passover in Egypt was not just an attack on Pharaoh or the slavedrivers, but on the elohim –the things behind the scene that enslaved the Egyptians themselves (33:4), influencing them to act in such inhumane ways toward their fellow humans. He said He had to give them up in order to salvage Israel. (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 43:3) So they must have been a nation that was valuable to Him; after all, He let them become more advanced than anyone of their age and allowed them the blessing of being hospitable to His people. And we even see YHWH calling Egypt his own people, in alliance with Israel (Yeshayahu 19:18-25). So once those spirits that ruled them are out of the way, the people are beloved to Him.
The Passover in Egypt was not just an attack on Pharaoh or the slavedrivers, but on the elohim –the things behind the scene that enslaved the Egyptians themselves (33:4), influencing them to act in such inhumane ways toward their fellow humans. He said He had to give them up in order to salvage Israel. (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 43:3) So they must have been a nation that was valuable to Him; after all, He let them become more advanced than anyone of their age and allowed them the blessing of being hospitable to His people. And we even see YHWH calling Egypt his own people, in alliance with Israel (Yeshayahu 19:18-25). So once those spirits that ruled them are out of the way, the people are beloved to Him.(2)But the opposite can also be true. If we, people whom He said He has chosen, do not follow YHWH’s instructions in regard to the eradication of evils, we ourselves will be in the line of fire when He brings the inevitable judgment on the things we have allowed to remain with us. (33:55-56) He wants to preserve us, but cannot if we join ourselves to things that must be removed from the world that He created to be good. One disobedience (even though it may seem to be the kinder option at the time) is just as bad in His eyes as the one that seems worse to anyone else.
But the opposite can also be true. If we, people whom He said He has chosen, do not follow YHWH’s instructions in regard to the eradication of evils, we ourselves will be in the line of fire when He brings the inevitable judgment on the things we have allowed to remain with us. (33:55-56) He wants to preserve us, but cannot if we join ourselves to things that must be removed from the world that He created to be good. One disobedience (even though it may seem to be the kinder option at the time) is just as bad in His eyes as the one that seems worse to anyone else.(3)One of the men put in charge of dividing out the Land was Kalev. (34:19) By this time he was over 80 years old, but, for one thing, he knew the lay of the Land better than any of these others, because he was one of the only two who had been there before. But secondly, and more importantly, he was being rewarded for his faithfulness in standing up to the spies who gave a bad report, even though he did not “win the election”. It turned out he still had the strength he had naturally had at the time his eagerness for the Land had drawn him to look past its dangers and see its potential, and this had kept him youthful for those forty intervening years. Y’hoshua, his ally against the ten spies, was also involved, but, though possibly just as old, was promoted to “commander-in-chief”. Attaching ourselves to the right spirit—that “different spirit” (14:24)—can enliven us in ways that supersede our natural decline!
One of the men put in charge of dividing out the Land was Kalev. (34:19) By this time he was over 80 years old, but, for one thing, he knew the lay of the Land better than any of these others, because he was one of the only two who had been there before. But secondly, and more importantly, he was being rewarded for his faithfulness in standing up to the spies who gave a bad report, even though he did not “win the election”. It turned out he still had the strength he had naturally had at the time his eagerness for the Land had drawn him to look past its dangers and see its potential, and this had kept him youthful for those forty intervening years. Y’hoshua, his ally against the ten spies, was also involved, but, though possibly just as old, was promoted to “commander-in-chief”. Attaching ourselves to the right spirit—that “different spirit” (14:24)—can enliven us in ways that supersede our natural decline!(4)You can’t buy your way out of the city of refuge. (35:32) It had been a law since the beginning of the era after the Flood that the only thing that can pay for one man’s shed blood is another’s. (Gen. 9:5-6) Even the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood except by the one who shed it. (35:33) That in itself deserves some deep pondering. But YHWH made one exception for those who did not shed blood intentionally. Yet outside the pale of the places of survival, they could be killed with impunity, for vengeance, done by the rules, is not murder, though YHWH clearly wanted that cycle broken wherever possible. But to try to go back to normal life before the death of the high priest would only put them back into constantly enslavement to fear, for the threat would always be hanging over them. And it would ruin the picture of the release occasioned by another “great high priest’s” death. If we want to escape the curses imposed on humanity for a reason, we have to utilize the solution YHWH has provided, not come up with one of our own.
You can’t buy your way out of the city of refuge. (35:32) It had been a law since the beginning of the era after the Flood that the only thing that can pay for one man’s shed blood is another’s. (Gen. 9:5-6) Even the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood except by the one who shed it. (35:33) That in itself deserves some deep pondering. But YHWH made one exception for those who did not shed blood intentionally. Yet outside the pale of the places of survival, they could be killed with impunity, for vengeance, done by the rules, is not murder, though YHWH clearly wanted that cycle broken wherever possible. But to try to go back to normal life before the death of the high priest would only put them back into constantly enslavement to fear, for the threat would always be hanging over them. And it would ruin the picture of the release occasioned by another “great high priest’s” death. If we want to escape the curses imposed on humanity for a reason, we have to utilize the solution YHWH has provided, not come up with one of our own.(5)When the daughters of Tz’lofkhad were granted their wish, the leaders of their tribe realized there could be another scenario (that apparently no one had thought of at first, when the division among the tribes seemed simply a matter of drawing lots. This amendment got right into Torah “before the cement dried”. But this began the history that continued in less-authoritative but still valuable rulings embodied in the Mishnah, Talmud, and Gemara. While we could argue that later amendments do not have the universal applicability of this ruling or any in the actual Torah, still we have the precedent here for the impetus to inquire into how to apply it when we encounter new circumstances which are not directly addressed, for its underlying principles, while best and most fully fleshed out in the Promised Land peopled by all the tribes with YHWH dwelling perceivably in our midst, can still be embodied in one form or another anywhere and everywhere. If you can look at the “New Testament” (Renewed Covenant) in that light—as an appendix that gives us a way to live out Torah in exile as long as we have to rather than as something that cancels, supersedes, or replaces it—we are on our way to harmonizing the “whole counsel of Elohim”.
When the daughters of Tz’lofkhad were granted their wish, the leaders of their tribe realized there could be another scenario (that apparently no one had thought of at first, when the division among the tribes seemed simply a matter of drawing lots. This amendment got right into Torah “before the cement dried”. But this began the history that continued in less-authoritative but still valuable rulings embodied in the Mishnah, Talmud, and Gemara. While we could argue that later amendments do not have the universal applicability of this ruling or any in the actual Torah, still we have the precedent here for the impetus to inquire into how to apply it when we encounter new circumstances which are not directly addressed, for its underlying principles, while best and most fully fleshed out in the Promised Land peopled by all the tribes with YHWH dwelling perceivably in our midst, can still be embodied in one form or another anywhere and everywhere. If you can look at the “New Testament” (Renewed Covenant) in that light—as an appendix that gives us a way to live out Torah in exile as long as we have to rather than as something that cancels, supersedes, or replaces it—we are on our way to harmonizing the “whole counsel of Elohim”.Ponder:
Would conversion to Judaism, if we are already part of Israel and have been ransomed by the Messiah, be an example of a change of tribal inheritance?
Study questions:
1. Can you look back at different stages of YHWH’s dealings with you as He brings you toward the time when all of Israel will again have the same history? (Num. 33:1-49) What lessons did you learn at each that you carried with you when He moved you into another area of training?
2. Rather than saying to destroy them all, here YHWH only says to destroy the things they wrongly worship so that we will not be influenced by them, and gives Israel the option of just chasing them out of the Land. That is the focus here. What kinds of things have you allowed to remain in your life that YHWH has told you to be done with? (33:50-52) How has that caused trouble for you? (33:55)
3. 33:56 is a frightening verse. How does it compare to Deut. 19:16-20? Does this speak to you in any special way?
4. How does YHWH preclude Israelites arguing over who will get the “best” land when the inheritance is divided? (33:54) Can you trust that YHWH will choose the best “lot” for you and avoid comparing it with what He has chosen to give to others? How does having definite “boundaries” (see 34:1-13) help with this?
5. Have you distinguished yourself enough by your choices in life that YHWH might single you out by name for such a momentous task as helping to establish the restoration of the Land to all the tribes? (34:16-29)
6. What later concept (mentioned in Acts 1:12) was based on the 2,000-cubit extent of land outside but belonging to each city?
7. What provision did YHWH make for those guilty of involuntary manslaughter? (35:11, 22-25) If he does not abide within these guidelines, is there a penalty if someone takes vengeance? (35:26-28)
8. How is much injustice prevented by not admitting the evidence of only one witness in accusing someone of a crime? (35:30) How is justice upheld by not allowing any murderer to pay for his crime monetarily? (35:31-34)
9. The case of the daughters of Tz’lofkhad part 2: How does YHWH’s ruling in 36:7-9 apply to the question of whether people who are recognizing that they are descendants of the “lost tribes” of Israel should convert to Judaism? What would become of the other tribes’ inheritance and responsibilities if this were to become standard procedure?
Ovoth
Companion Passage:
The Sidewalk
for Kids
Do you feel like you can’t do as many things as you would like to because you aren’t grown up yet?
Maybe you have more restrictions because you are young, but those are really to keep you out of danger, and to let you learn in a safe place how to do the things that will take a whole lot of skill when you really have to do them—like driving a car. You get to start on a driveway or parking lot instead of getting onto a freeway first and then learning how to turn on the ignition!
Many times in the Torah, we find an instruction beginning, “When you arrive in the Land that YHWH is promising you…” One of these begins at Numbers 35:10. There are a lot of things in the Torah that we won’t be able to do until the whole nation of Israel is back together in our Land. Some commands depend on there being a temple—or at least a tabernacle—again.
But we don’t have to wait until we get there to start learning how to do the things that are required there. In fact, we will be in big trouble if we all of a sudden are responsible to do things we have never even tried doing before. When you get to see the Messiah for the first time and he talks to you in Hebrew, don’t you want to be able to say more to him than, “Um…shalom”? If we don’t learn some important things while we are still in exile, we will probably end up staying in exile.
YHWH’s festivals are even called “rehearsals” in Hebrew. We may not be able to do everything completely yet, but we have to start at least learning a lot about them now, so we will already know what to do when we get onto that “freeway” (because the Torah is designed to make us free!).
Yeshua said, “The person who is faithful in what is small will be faithful in what is big…And if you have not been faithful in regard to what is someone else’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16:10-12) Your parents wouldn’t give your big brother a Cadillac if he drove their Volkswagen into a tree, would they? He has to show that he is a good driver before they trust him with something really valuable—and YHWH works exactly the same way.
Waiting to get to Israel’s real home—just like waiting to grow up—might seem to be taking a really long time. But this is the place to practice what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
The particular thing about the Land that was being described in chapter 35 was the cities of refuge where somebody who accidentally killed someone he did not hate could safely stay until there was no longer any threat of his being killed. When the high priest died, this debt was cancelled and no one was allowed to avenge him any longer.
But if that high priest was young, how long might they have to wait? Maybe as long as it takes a child to grow up, or even longer. What would he do for all of that time when he couldn’t go anywhere else? Well, he was living with the Levites, and they were the teachers of the Torah. These people who accidentally killed someone might have been there because they just weren’t thinking—they were careless about something they did. They were only thinking about what they wanted to do, not about who else might have been nearby, like if you thought it was a lot of fun to spin round and round in circles holding a baseball bat out in your hand because it feels “cool”, but you didn’t notice somebody else walking nearby, and gave them a black eye or a concussion. Your parents wouldn’t let you even hold a bat for a while, would they?
The Torah is what teaches us how to “love your neighbor as yourself”. The people who didn’t think about how what they did might affect somebody else get to go “back to class” to learn again before they can graduate. And our waiting time is to learn to think about all the possible consequences of something we might do, before we are in a position to make really serious mistakes. So learn well; the faster we do, the sooner we may be able to “graduate”.
The Renewal of MAS'EY
When our ancestors came to the Land that had, according to the book of Jubilees (10:29-33), been deeded to Shem but usurped by the Hamitic Canaanites, YHWH told them to “drive out all the inhabitants of the Land from your presence, destroy all their carved figures, blot out all their molten images, and cause all their cultic platforms to be annihilated… then settle in it, because I have given you the land to possess… Distribute the Land by lot to be an inheritance for your clans… But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the Land from before your face, … whichever of them you allow to remain will become briars in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will cramp you on the Land in which you are living.” (Num. 33:52-55)
“Taking the Land” can refer to bringing all aspects of our selves under YHWH’s control, through Yeshua. (1 Cor. 15:25-27; Heb. 2:8ff, based on Psalm 8:6) Kefa reminds us that if we purge ourselves of the lower elements of our nature and strive for the higher, we can be useful to the Master. (2 Tim. 2:21)
“Appoint cities to be asylum-cities to which the manslayer--one who kills a person inadvertently--may escape [for refuge]. appoint cities to be asylum-cities to which the manslayer--one who kills a person inadvertently--may escape [for refuge]. …Appoint cities to be asylum-cities to which the manslayer--one who kills a person inadvertently--may escape [for refuge]…” and not be killed before he is tried.
YHWH’s promises with an oath are “a firmly-established comfort for us who flee to Him for refuge, and firms up the assurance of the glad news for us, by which we thus have assurance and a firm grip like an anchor…” (Heb. 6:18-19) This is followed immediately with the description of Yeshua as our high priest (6:20), so that is clearly an allusion to this Torah portion, which continues: “You may not…accept a bribe for [someone] to [avoid] taking flight to his asylum-city, so he can dwell on the Land before the death of the high priest, so you will not defile the Land which you are in, because blood profanes the Land, and the Land cannot be covered over for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.” (Num. 35:31-34) The death of our high priest (Hebrews 8:1; 9:11; 10:21) has also made it possible to return to our inheritance. To be able to gain it any other way would cheapen his role.
He told us “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (Yochanan 10:29) But we have to stay in the right place for this to occur: “If for any reason the manslayer leaves the precinct of the asylum city to which he has escaped, and the avenger of blood catches up with him outside the precinct of the city, and the avenger of blood strikes down the manslayer, no blood [guilt is incurred] for him.” (Num. 35:11-12, 26-27) HaSatan has a right to any of us if we are not in the “ark of safety” that YHWH has prepared for us.
We, then, are to in turn provide safety to others. As Lot went to great extremes to protect those who came under his roof (Gen. 19:8), providing asylum to one accused of murder is the ultimate form of risky hospitality. But YHWH may test us in this regard: “Do not neglect to entertain strangers, for in doing so, some have hosted angels without realizing it.” (Heb. 13:2)
Women with no brothers have to marry within their own tribe “…so the inherited property of the descendants of Israel will not be turned over from tribe to tribe, because each of the descendants of Israel will stick to the inheritance of the tribe of his ancestors.” (Num. 36:7) This may be the chief text that directly discourages those who renew their covenant with YHWH from converting to Judaism. Any “ism” is a red flag that something may have been carried too far. When one tribe’s way of interpreting the Torah becomes the only standard for all of Israel, something is wrong.
Now Yehudah has preserved the Torah better than the rest of us, and are again privileged to go up to the Land again as forerunners (Gen. 46:28; Judges 20:18; Zkh. 12:7), so their opinions need to be taken seriously. (Romans 3, 11) But remember, the rabbinic ideas of today are inherited directly from the P’rushim (Pharisees) that Yeshua so often chided for their ways of walking it out, as they “placed too heavy a burden” on many. (Mat. 23:4) The Apostles bent over backwards to avoid doing like Rehav’am and putting too heavy a burden on the other tribes, who were now returning to the Kingdom as total novices to the covenant. (Acts 15:10, 28; compare 1 Kings 12:10) They thus prove the worthier model for how the ruling tribe is to relate to the others.
Spiritual Geography
I’ve always been fascinated by maps and travel, and this Torah portion may be the most geographical of all. That may not interest you as well as it does me, but Israel’s geography is unique in that every location is holy and full of meaning, and there are other levels on which we can apply these accounts of the stages of the journey, borders of the territory, and how to conquer it.
Whether or not you enjoy the literal reading, every detail has value. We all have within us territory that must be conquered—or re-educated that it is under new management. Like “Rip Van Winkel”, who fell asleep in a colony and awoke, free, in a new nation, all aspects of our psychology must be informed that we have no more obligation to “King George”, but are citizens of a once-and-future nation that’s being reestablished before our very eyes, with the obligation to honor the One who won us our liberty by being good neighbors to the others He’s liberated.
But to do that, we have to rid ourselves of the old “inhabitants”, which were corrupt and which, if allowed to remain “alive”, will corrupt those around us. Each of us, though redeemed, has such vestiges in us of the poison our forebears took into themselves and passed on to us. (Num. 33:52-55)
And even when the demons are gone, the things they leave behind must also be eradicated, or even our service to the Kingdom will be toxic to those around us. I have experienced this and, sadly, have affected my very own children through habits that I did not think it important enough to rid myself of. Even the ones that are not deadly are still “thorns and irritations” to all they touch.
So don’t just brush them aside, thinking it won’t matter. Clear the whole land of the trees with two branches that don’t match (good and evil), and re-seed it with the Tree of Life. The Torah, Proverbs, Gospels, and Epistles are some of the best guides on how.
Dual Roles of the Go’el
Much is made of how the ruling that the daughters of Tz’lafkhad could inherit land is a precocious “feminism” ahead of its time. But an often-missed aspect of the one restriction placed on it, that they marry only within their own tribe is “so no inherited property of the children of Israel will be moved from tribe to tribe; for every one of … Israel shall stick with the inheritance of his ancestors’ tribe.” (36:7) YHWH places great importance on this.
But sometimes the inheritance gets lost—forfeited due to debt. It was often snatched up by foreigners living among Israel (Lev. 25:47)—a situation that was meant to have been precluded by the command to drive the Canaanite inhabitants out, for YHWH had evicted them. But He said, “if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, those whom you let remain of them will be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land wherein you dwell.” (Num. 33:55)
To remedy the loss of one’s freedom and/or land there is, in Israelite society, a role, called the kinsman-redeemer, usually filled by one’s father’s brother or his son, to get the inherited land back. (Lev. 25:48ff)
One way this applies to us is that a majority of Israel lost our inheritance over 2,700 years ago. The haftarah says why: “Has any nation changed its elohim [even] though they were not elohim? Yet My people have exchanged their [honorable] reputation without gaining anything!” (Jer. 2:11) This took place because of the influence of those pagans who were allowed to keep living in our Land.
But many who are now realizing we are descendants of Israel think that to rejoin Israel they have to convert to Judaism. But Judaism is based on “Judah”, which is not the entirety of Israel, but only one of her tribes. The “ism” part signifies a particular set of beliefs common to that tribe, which consists of interpreting and adding to the Torah in particular ways. That set of beliefs usually excludes our kinsman-redeemer, one from the tribe of Judah which still lived in the Land of its inheritance at that time, and was the only one in a position to buy us back into covenant with YHWH. What a way to thank him! But Numbers 36:7 (above) is already a strong argument against the House of Yosef becoming members of Judah, which has thus been gaining the inheritance that belongs to other tribes—undoing what our redeemer accomplished!
As we see in this Torah portion, the kinsman-redeemer (the one who ransoms a relative from slavery or buys back his land that was lost) is also the avenger of blood. The same word (go’el) is used for both roles. Where murder has been proven, he has the right, even the responsibility (35:19), to put the murderer to death. The cities of refuge (35:11ff) that give asylum to one whose manslaughter is involuntary (provided they stay there until the high priest dies) have a parallel in the Messiah’s scattered congregations, where we are protected until the exile for which we were not directly responsible ends.
But from all tribes there have in every era been some “who [have] been slaughtered because of the Word of Elohim and … the testimony they had upheld, and they were crying out urgently with a loud voice, ’How long, O YHWH, Holy and Faithful [One], will You not render a verdict and avenge our blood from among those who have set up their residence on the earth?’” (Rev. 6:9-10) They were wrongfully put to death, i.e., murdered, by someone now illegally occupying their inheritance. This clearly shows why these two roles fall to the same person: the go’el who bought is expected to vindicate them (another meaning of “avenge”).
Prophecy tells us that YHWH will send our go’el back at “the proper time for the dead to be judged and to recompense … the ones who [remained] set-apart,… who revere [His] name.” (Rev. 11:18) But our go’el himself says the one behind every murder is “the devil, who has been a murderer from the beginning.” (Yochn. 8:44)
So what triumphant justice there will be when we see “the souls of those who had been [murdered] because of the testimony of Yeshua and the word of Elohim, and those who did not worship the Beast or his image or accept the brand on their forehead or their hand, [come back] to life and reign with the Messiah for 1,000 years” (Rev. 20:4) and after that “the devil that deceived them” bound for this time, then finally “thrown in the lake of fire…!” (20:10)
But if you again give up the inheritance he bought back for you by turning it over to a tribe that does not have a right to your portion, turning your back on the go’el’s costly sacrifice, how will you have a part in this compensation, among those whose inheritance is restored in the “time of the restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21), when we will be able to enjoy it more than we ever could in this “present evil age”. “The rest… [will] not come back to life until the 1,000 years are completed.” (Rev. 20:5) They miss the redemption! Don’t be among them!
