The Final Upgrade

Parashat Beha’alot’cha, Numbers 8:1–12:16

Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14–4:7

Rachel Wolf, Beth Messiah Congregation, Cincinnati

The historical record of Torah that has come down to us through untold ages is priceless! The Israelites slogged through—and Moses recorded—their messy walked-out demonstration of the eternal plan of God so that we can understand it. Nothing God commanded Moses was frivolous. All of it, if studied properly, can impart to us deeper knowledge of God.

This week’s Torah portion, Beha’a lot’cha means “when you raise” (the lamps for the tabernacle), and it emphasizes several crucial truths for our lives.

First, we see the ultimate purpose of all the fuss about the Mishkan (tabernacle).

In Numbers 7:1 “Moses had finished” the construction of the Sanctuary, the Mishkan. This was an enormous and lengthy task, using blueprints received directly from the Mountain of God. Then, in the last verse of last week’s portion, 7:89, we read:

When it was finished, Moses entered the Tent of Meeting and “heard the Voice speaking to him . . .”

This is the same Voice that spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden. The Voice that thundered from Sinai. It is the Voice that spoke to the Prophets of Israel. And the same Voice that spoke, “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). The Tabernacle, the Mishkan, is God’s self-described dwelling place that remains, even among the uncleanness of the people of Israel (Lev 16:16). Immanu-el, God with us. God’s ongoing plan, the plan he is continually upgrading, is that he will dwell amidst his people. Countless times God says to Israel: “So you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

When Moses enters the Tent of Meeting/ Tent of Dwelling to speak with God, Moses hears the voice of the Lord from between the cherubim on the Kaporet, the gold lid placed on the Ark of the Covenant (Num 7:89). As we will see in chapter 11 below, God (with Moses) desires that, not only Moses, but all may hear his voice.

Second, we see that God has embedded deep meaning in Israel’s orderly rituals.

God himself elaborately delineates to Moses all of the jobs of the priests and Levites, and plans out where all of the tribes will camp around the Mishkan (Num 1:47-2:34). Israel is still encamped (since Exodus 19) in the Wilderness of Sinai. It is now the second month of the second year since they’ve come from Egypt (Num 1:1). Now God reminds Moses to keep the Passover celebration with all of Israel, for the first time as a memorial of the Exodus, one year before! (9:1-14).

In 10:14 the Israelites start out for the first time from Sinai, “at the command of the Lord; by the hand of Moses.” This departure from the camp is not modeled on the free-for-all buffet! It is, perhaps, modeled on a very strict catered affair in which tables are called one by one, and each one has a set place in line. But instead of the caterer’s microphone, God instructed Moses to make two silver trumpets that the priests would blow to signal the people.

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Try this at Home!

Maybe you’d enjoy making a diagram or diorama (complete with flags for each tribe) as I did, illustrating how the Israelites set out in God’s order. As you draw it out, it’s easy to see that one clear objective is to guard and protect the Mishkan and its holy objects. See Numbers 10:11-28.

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Third, we see that leading a bunch of rowdy people (called the congregation of Israel) is a burdensome job that cannot be done by one man.

Indeed, after the latest complaint of the people of Israel, Moses entreats God (11:15): “If you treat me like this, kill me right now!” Before that, Moses twice entreats Hovav, his father-in-law’s son, to stay with them to help (10:29). It appears that Hovav was well versed in wilderness camping. Moses, the city boy from the palaces of Egypt, needed him like the Lone Ranger needed Tonto!

God hears Moses’s plea, and instructs him to have the seventy elders gather at the Tent of Meeting. There, God comes down in the cloud, takes of the Spirit that was upon Moses, and places it on the seventy elders (11:25). Thus they are prepared to support and aid Moses.

Lastly, Chapter 12 makes it clear that, whoever you are, it is never a good thing to speak against a leader that God has anointed.

Aaron and Miriam speak against Moses and get called immediately to the Tent of Meeting. There Miriam becomes leprous, though God graciously heals her in a week.

Haftarah

The rabbis’ choice of Zechariah 2:14–4:7 for the prophetic reading emphasizes the first point above, namely, that God’s ultimate plan of plans is to scatter Israel’s enemies, and dwell eternally in the midst of Zion. Here we see that the Land is not only Israel’s inheritance, but, more primarily, God’s inheritance with Israel. The haftarah in Zechariah is a poetic and beautiful passage that rejoices in God’s eschatological choosing of Jerusalem.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zech 2:10-13 NKJV [2:14-17 in Jewish translations])

Zechariah has a vision of God’s final upgrade, the fulfillment of God’s desire and plan to dwell in the midst of his people. We in Messianic circles hear this a lot. But take a moment to meditate on the astounding reality of this. This is the time of final redemption that we, along with Hashem, look forward to. Israel no longer will need to be afraid when God makes all things new and we dwell daily in his holy presence.