Thread by @GREENESJ333

Roger Froikin @rlefraim wrote, "Behaalotecha
Numbers 8:1–12:16

One of the reasons I like this Parsha is because it teaches some interesting lessons in human behavior. 1)

Just the description involved in the ritual of the Mishkan (Sanctuary) and Aaron is commanded to raise light in the lamps of the menorah, and the tribe of Levi is initiated into the service in the Sanctuary, does not interest me all that much. It just states a fact. 2)

Moshe Rabbeinu does not just give orders. He tries to respond to the requests, the petitions, of the people. He tries to deal, as best as he can, with their complaints. 3)

A “Second Passover” is instituted in response to the petition “Why should we be deprived?” by a group of Jews who were unable to bring the Passover offering in its appointed time because they were ritually impure. 4)

Moshe explains the procedures for Israel’s next journeys & encampments in the desert, & the people learn how to travel in an orderly fashion from Mount Sinai, where they camped for almost a year. But, things are not easy. 5)

Traveling with so many people, there are bound to be complaints. The people are dissatisfied with their “bread from heaven” (the manna), and demand that Moses supply them with meat. 6)

Moses appoints 70 elders, in effect like a formal Government administration, to assist him in the burden of governing the people. And still there is complaining. Even his sister, Miriam is critical of her brother, and she becomes sick. 7)

Our Sages speculated what all this means. Today, we can look around and try to understand this in terms of our own experience worldwide today. 8)

People complain. Good Government tries to deal with those complaints. For Moses, that was particularly difficult because he was starting the Government of former slaves from scratch as they say. 9)

Look how hard it has been for most peoples worldwide after colonialism & imperialism to establish effective governments & keep free societies. Most have failed. Even Europe today does not have many Governments in the same form for more than 75 years. 10)

The State of Israel actually is one of the oldest continual Governments under one system on the Planet outside of North America. I bet that surprises you. 11)

But this Parsha also deals with complaining about Government. It illustrates how it is so so easy to complain & how so many complaints do not consider all the facts, all the problems, that the leadership, in this case, Moshe & the 70 Elders, may have to deal with. 12)

And that there is responsible complaining, by those who will also offer thought out solutions, and irresponsible complaining, that offers nothing beyond the complaint.
13)

So even Miriam, Moshe’s sister, faced punishment for an ill-considered complaint. & Moshe did not attack her. He prayed for her, he talked with her. He reasoned with her.

There is the lesson." 14)

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