Parasha Behaalotekha (בהעלתך) — Bamidbar 8:1 – 12:16. Read on Shabbat, June 26, 2027.
Summary of Parasha Behaalotekha
G-d commands Aharon to kindle the lamps of the menorah so that they shed their light forward. The Leviim are purified and consecrated to the service of the Mishkan, which they perform from the age of twenty-five until fifty. Men who were impure and could not bring the Pesach offering approach Moshe; G-d then institutes a second Pesach, one month later. The cloud covering the Mishkan tells the people when to encamp and when to set out. G-d commands that two silver trumpets be made to summon the assembly and signal when to break camp. The people leave Sinai; Moshe invites his father-in-law Hovav to accompany them. When the ark sets out, Moshe declares: “Arise, G-d, and let Your enemies be scattered.” The people complain, and a fire strikes the edge of the camp. Then some of the people demand meat and grow weary of the manna. Moshe tells G-d that he cannot carry this whole people alone; G-d asks him to gather seventy elders, who receive a share of his spirit; Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp. G-d sends quail, but the people are struck down at Kivrot Hataavah. Miriam and Aharon speak against Moshe; G-d rebukes them, affirming the uniqueness of the prophecy of Moshe, the humblest of men. Miriam is stricken with tzaraat; Moshe prays for her, and the people wait for her seven days.
The Themes
- Kindling the menorah
- A second chance: Pesach Sheni
- The danger of evil speech
Rav Raphaël Benizri’s Lectures on Behaalotekha
There are no lectures by the Rav on this parasha yet. Find all available lectures on the Weekly Parasha page.
A Question for the Shabbat Table
G-d grants a “second Pesach” to those who had missed it: do we believe in second chances?
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Summary by the Pensées Juives editorial team. The Rav’s teachings are found in his lectures, linked above.