Bemidbar, BeMidbar, B'midbar, Bamidbar, or Bamidbor (—Hebrew for "in the wilderness of" [Sinai], the fifth overall and first distinctive word in the parashah), is the 34th weekly Torah portion (, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the first in the Book of Numbers. The parashah tells of the census and the priests' duties. It constitutes Numbers 1:1–4:20. The parashah is made up of 7,393 Hebrew letters, 1,823 Hebrew words, 159 verses, and 263 lines in a Torah Scroll (, Sefer Torah). Jews generally read it in May or early June.“Parashat Bamidbar.” Hebcal. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
Readings In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , aliyot.E.g., Menachem Davis, ed., The Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bamidbar/Numbers (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2007), pp. 2–27.
+Relative Arms-Bearing Population of the Tribes Rank by Population Tribe Population Percentage 1 Judah 74,600 12.4 2 Dan 62,700 10.4 3 Simeon 59,300 9.8 4 Zebulun 57,400 9.5 5 Issachar 54,400 9.0 6 Naphtali 53,400 8.8 7 Reuben 46,500 7.7 8 Gad 45,650 7.6 9 Asher 41,500 6.9 10 Ephraim 40,500 6.7 11 Benjamin 35,400 5.9 12 Manasseh 32,200 5.3 TOTAL 603,550 100.0
First reading—Numbers 1:1–19 In the first reading, in the wilderness, in the second month of the second year following the Exodus from Egypt, God directed Moses to take a census of the Israelite men age 20 years and up, "all those in Israel who are able to bear arms.". The heads of each of the tribes or army divisions are named.
Second reading—Numbers 1:20–54 In the second reading, the census showed the following populations by tribe:. Reuben: 46,500 Simeon: 59,300 Gad: 45,650 Judah: 74,600 Issachar: 54,400 Zebulun: 57,400 Ephraim: 40,500 Manasseh: 32,200 Benjamin: 35,400 Dan: 62,700 Asher: 41,500 Naphtali: 53,400
totaling 603,550 in all. God told Moses not to enroll the Levites, but to put them in charge of carrying, assembling, tending to, and guarding the Tabernacle and its furnishings.. Any outsider who encroached on the Tabernacle was to be put to death..
+The Encampment of the Israelites North Asher DAN Naphtali Benjamin Merari Issachar West EPHRAIM Gershon THE TABERNACLE Priests JUDAH East Manasseh Kohath Zebulun Gad REUBEN Simeon South
Third reading—Numbers 2:1–34 In the third reading, God told Moses that the Israelites were to encamp by tribe as follows:. around the Tabernacle: Levi on the front, or east side: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun on the south: Reuben, Simeon, and Gad on the west: Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin on the north: Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.
Fourth reading—Numbers 3:1–13 In the fourth reading, God instructed Moses to place the Levites in attendance upon Aaron to serve him and the priests.. God took the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites, whom God consecrated when God killed the firstborn in Egypt..
Fifth reading—Numbers 3:14–39
In the fifth reading, God then told Moses to record by ancestral house and by clan the Levite men from the age of one month up, and he did so.. The Levites divided by their ancestral houses, based on the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari..
+Relative Population of the Levite Divisions Rank by Population Division Population Percentage 1 Kohathites 8,600 38.6 2 Gershonites 7,500 33.6 3 Merarites 6,200 27.8 Total 22,300 100.0
The Gershonites, numbered 7,500, camped behind the Tabernacle, to the west, and had charge of the Tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent, the hangings of the enclosure, the screen for the entrance of the enclosure that surrounded the Tabernacle, and the altar.. The Kohathites, numbered 8,600, camped along the south side of the Tabernacle, and had charge of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sacred utensils, and the screen.. The Merarites, numbered 6,200, camped along the north side of the Tabernacle, and had charge of the planks of the Tabernacle, its bars, posts, sockets, and furnishings, and the posts around the enclosure and their sockets, pegs, and cords.. Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons (who were also descended from Kohath, 20.) camped in front of the Tabernacle, on the east..
The total number of the Levites came to 22,000..
Sixth reading—Numbers 3:40–51 In the sixth reading, God instructed Moses to record every firstborn male of the Israelites aged one month old and upwards, and they came to 22,273.. God told Moses to take the 22,000 Levites for God in exchange for all the firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites' cattle in exchange for the Israelites' cattle.. To redeem the 273 Israelite firstborn over and above the number of the Levites, God instructed Moses to take five shekels a head and to give the money to the priests..
Seventh reading—Numbers 4:1–20 In the seventh reading, God then directed Moses and Aaron to take a separate census of the Kohathites between the ages of 30 and 50, who were to perform tasks for the Tent of Meeting.. The Kohathites had responsibility for the most sacred objects., . (Parashat Naso reports the number of working-age Kohathites counted.)
At the breaking of camp, Aaron and his sons were to take down the Ark, the table of display, the lampstand, and the service vessels, and cover them all with cloths and skins.. Only when Aaron and his sons had finished covering the sacred objects would the Kohathites come and lift them.. Aaron's son Eleazar had responsibility for the lighting oil, the aromatic incense, the regular meal offering, the anointing oil, and all the consecrated things in the Tabernacle.. God charged Moses and Aaron to take care not to let the Kohathites die because they went inside and witnessed the dismantling of the sanctuary..
Readings according to the triennial cycle Jews who read the Torah according to the triennial cycle of Torah reading read the parashah according to the following schedule:E.g., Richard Eisenberg, 2001, "A Complete Triennial Cycle for Reading the Torah," Proceedings of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement: 1986–1990, New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, pp. 383–418. Year 1Year 2Year 32026, 2029, 2032 ...2027, 2030, 2033 ...2028, 2031, 2034 ...Reading1:1–542:1–3:133:14–4:2011:1–42:1–93:14–2021:5–162:10–163:21–2631:17–192:17–243:27–3941:20–272:25–313:40–4351:28–352:32–343:44–5161:36–433:1–44:1–1071:44–543:5–134:11–20Maftir1:52–543:11–134:17–20
In inner-biblical interpretation The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these biblical sources:For more on inner-Biblical interpretation, see, e.g., Benjamin D. Sommer, "Inner-biblical Interpretation," in Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, editors, The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), pages 1835–41.
Numbers chapter 1 Numbers 1:1 begins, "On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt." According to Exodus 40:17, that would be one month after the date that Moses set up the Tabernacle. Numbers 7:1 then reports, "On the day that Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle," the chieftains of the tribes began bringing their offerings and would continue for 12 days. At the same time, the ordination events of Leviticus 8 took place. "On the eighth day," the inaugural offerings of Leviticus 9 took place, followed by the incident of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10. Numbers 9:5 then reports, "on the fourteenth day of the month," the Israelites offered the Passover sacrifice. And Numbers 9:11 then reports that the second Passover for those unable to participate in the first Passover would commence "in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month." Thus, the events beginning with Numbers 1:1 would have taken place shortly after the setting up of the Tabernacle, the chieftain's offerings, the ordination and inaugural ceremonies of the Tabernacle, the incident of Nadab and Abihu, and the first Passover, but shortly before the second Passover.See generally Julius H. Greenstone, Numbers: With Commentary: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1939), page 1. Gordon Wenham noted these dated events in the second year after the Exodus:Gordon J. Wenham, Numbers (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1981), 91. DateEvent (in main chronology)VerseEvent (in Numbers 7:1–9:15 digression)Verse1st month, 1st dayTabernacle erectedExodus 40:2Tabernacle erectedNumbers 7:1Laws from Tabernacle beganLeviticus 1:1Offerings for the Altar beganNumbers 7:3Ordination of priests beganLeviticus 8:11st month, 8th dayOrdination completedLeviticus 9:1Nadab and Abihu diedLeviticus 10:1–31st month, 12th dayOfferings for the Altar endedNumbers 7:78Appointment of the LevitesNumbers 8:51st month, 14th daySecond PassoverNumbers 9:22nd month, 1st dayCensus beganNumbers 1:12nd month, 14th dayDelayed PassoverNumbers 9:112nd month, 20th dayCloud movedNumbers 10:11
Three times in this parashah, the Torah lists the tribes, and each time the Torah lists the tribes in a different order:
+Order of the Tribes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Numbers 1:1–5 Reuben Simeon Judah Issachar Zebulun Ephraim Manasseh Benjamin Dan Asher Gad Naphtali Numbers 1:20–43 Reuben Simeon Gad Judah Issachar Zebulun Ephraim Manasseh Benjamin Dan Asher Naphtali Numbers 2:3–31 Judah Issachar Zebulun Reuben Simeon Gad Ephraim Manasseh Benjamin Dan Asher Naphtali
Numbers chapters 3–4
Numbers 3:5–4:20 refers to the duties of the Levites. Deuteronomy 33:10 reports that Levites taught the law.See also 2 Chronicles ; and ; ; and . Deuteronomy 17:9–10 reports that they served as judges.See also and ; ; and (officers). And Deuteronomy 10:8 reports that they blessed God's name. 1 Chronicles 23:3–5 reports that of 38,000 Levite men age 30 and up, 24,000 were in charge of the work of the Temple in Jerusalem, 6,000 were officers and magistrates, 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 praised God with instruments and song. 1 Chronicles 15:16 reports that King David installed Levites as singers with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, and 1 Chronicles 16:4 reports that David appointed Levites to minister before the Ark, to invoke, to praise, and to extol God. And 2 Chronicles 5:12 reports at the inauguration of Solomon's Temple, Levites sang dressed in fine linen, holding cymbals, harps, and lyres, to the east of the altar, and with them 120 priests blew trumpets. 2 Chronicles 20:19 reports that Levites of the sons of Kohath and of the sons of Korah extolled God in song. Eleven Psalms identify themselves as of the Korahites.; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and .
In classical rabbinic interpretation The parashah is discussed in these rabbinic sources from the era of the Mishnah and the Talmud:For more on classical rabbinic interpretation, see, e.g., Yaakov Elman, "Classical Rabbinic Interpretation," in Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, editors, Jewish Study Bible, 2nd edition, pages 1859–78.
Numbers chapter 1