Torah Portion: Beha’alotcha(When You Set Up)B’midbar/Numbers 8:1-12:16
Haftorah Reading: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Today we are studying a portion of scripture that has so much to say to us in our daily walk with the Father. I have several topics to cover, all of which I believe will speak to us. The first has to do with Moses. In this portion we read of the people’s complaints of having only manna to eat. They reminisced about the variety of food they had in Egypt. G-d told Moses He would supply the Israelites with enough meat for a month. In Numbers 11:22 Moshe shared with G-d his doubts that that was possible. G-d’s responded to Moses by asking if the L-rd’s power was limited? In Hebrew, Numbers 11:23 is expressed well, “Has the hand of the L-rd become shortened?” In effect He is reminding Moses how He delivered the people from Egypt, split the sea for them to cross on to dry land, brought them water from a rock and brought mana down each day.
Shemini(Eighth)Vayikra/Leviticus 9:1-11:47
Haftorah Reading: II Samuel 6:1-7:17
Tonight I want us to look at our portion and search for new revelation and connections to our faith. Let’s look at Leviticus 10:17 and see how it relates to us. To do this we will later look at Isaiah 25:8 and I Corinthians 15:52, 54.
To begin, let us examine Leviticus 10:17 from our Torah portion. This verse covers the rebuke of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar by Moshe. The verse reads, “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of holiness, for it is the holy of the holies, and He gave her to you to take away the sin of the congregation.” Remember this rebuke came immediately after Nadav and Avihu had perished after bringing strange fire before the L-rd. Their death was caused by them being overcome with zeal. This action caused the fire of G-d to come forth and kill both boys. This in its self teaches us an important lesson. Zeal for G-d is a good thing unless it causes us to lose sight of the holiness of G-d and as a result lose respect for His word. Even in our zeal there are boundaries not to be crossed.
