Shabbat Shaloim - 16 Sivan

This evening’s Erev Shabbat Service conducted by Rabbi Dreyfus will begin at 8:00 PM Tomorrow morning’s Shabbat Service conducted by Rabbi Dreyfus will begin at 10:00 am The Parsha is B’haalot’cha, Numbers 8:1?12:16. The first two chapter tell of use of a 7 branched light stand and purification of the Levites, and the celebrastion of the anniversary ot the exodus from Egypt in the desert, then the movement of the campt from time to time, as led by G-d, and the making and use of two silver trumpets to inform the population of what to do next and when. But things are not well in the desert camp. Some — beginning with “the foreign element (WHAT foreign element?) — recall the meat they used to have in Egypt no longer available in the desert. (Manna is apparently nutritious, but pretty boring.) G-d warns the greedy, then sends more quail they could possibly east and more and strikes the greedy with a great plague, and many die. Finally, we have another revolt — this time of Miriam and Aaron against their brother Moses, on a pretext of his marriage to a “cushite” woman. Miriam is punished; G-d gives her leprosy. Aaron apparently is not punished at all. Moses begs G-d for mercy, who agrees that 7 days outside the camp should be sufficient to cure her. Thus ends another exciting day in the desert.