When you Choose Shabbat, you choose to learn that every Shabbat is different and special. Yesterday we completed the Book of Leviticus, number three of the five book of the Torah, consisting of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Today we begin the fourth book of the Torah, the Book of Numbers.
Rabbi Michael D Klein of Temple Torat Emet offers an overview of The Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר):
The fourth book of the Torah covers a span of 40 years, after the exodus from Egyptian slavery and the giving of the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai to the preparations for entering the promised Land of Israel. The journey begins well with the tribes being organized into military units, each with their representative flags with the portable ark in the middle of the camp and the priestly benediction to bless the people on what was originally planned to be a journey of only a few months. Unfortunately, the people lose faith, and the journey devolves into rebelliousness, wars, and chaos culminating in the rebellion of Korach and his followers who are punished by being swallowed alive into the earth. G-d proclaims that the generation who left Egypt will then die out until a new generation, who is more worthy, become the inheritors of the Land.
In the final chapters, we are given a detailed description of the many stopping points along the way and the events which occurred at each juncture. At the conclusion, we witness the passing of the previous generation due to war, plague, or natural causes including the passing of Miriam, Aaron and finally Moses whose passing is described in detail at the conclusion of Deuteronomy.
Rabbi Michael D. Klein attended Yeshiva College of South Florida and served as Torah Reader, Hebrew teacher, Chazzan and spiritual leader of various synagogues throughout South Florida. In January 2015 he became Ritual Director, Bnai/Bnot Mitzvah instructor and 7th grade Hebrew instructor for Temple Torat Emet of Boynton Beach. In October 2019 he was accepted into an accelerated track and received his shicha from Yeshiva Adath Wolkowisk and has been the Rabbinic leadership of Temple Torat Emet since August 2020. In September of 2022 he was appointed Rabbinic and Spiritual Advisor of the Florida Region of FJMC.
Choose Shabbat; choose to celebrate, to light candles, sing songs and learn a little Torah.
This moment of Jewish Learning is brought to you by the Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC). We are part of a confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Learn more about how your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://fjmc.org/for-clubs/affiliating-with-the-fjmc/.
The Florida Region of FJMC serves the needs of affiliated Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Get to know more about the FJMC Florida Region and our growing network of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods at www.floridaregionfjmc.org and please visit and LIKE our Florida Region FJMC Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
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