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Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Pinchas
In Parashat Bamidbar, Menashe numbers 32,200. Yet in Parashat Pinchas, they jump all the way to 52,700. The Ba’al HaTurim notes that this is the fulfillment of what the Sons of Yosef claimed to Yehoshua when complaining about insufficient land: "I am a great people, as Hashem has blessed me to koh (this point)" (Yehoshua 17:14). The letters of koh having a numerical value of 20 and 5, which can join to make up the exact difference between Menashe’s two counts – 20,500. The Tur’s source is Rashi on the pasuk in Yehoshua.
This Rashi is anchored in the midrash (Lekach Tov) on Yaakov Avinu’s beracha, "Ben porat Yosef... alei ayin" (Bereishis 49:22). The midrash expounds that this means that they will multiply (poreh) like a flowing stream. Yehoshua told them to hide in the forests to avoid an ayin hara, but they responded that the seed of Yosef is immune to ayin hara ("alei ayin").
We can look further at Rashi (Yehoshua 17:1) regarding Machir ben Menashe being a "man of war" who received the Gilad. With these brief words, Rashi addresses a glaring historical question: why did half of Menashe receive a portion east of the Jordan if they never requested it, and why weren’t they subject to the conditions imposed on the tribes of Gad and Reuven?
Rashi answers that Machir, a formidable warrior and grandson of Yosef, had already conquered portions of the Gilad early on. Rashi is following the historical timeline of Rabbi Yosei ben Chalafta (Seder Olam Rabba, 9), which states that Machir (as well as Yair) was born during Yaakov’s lifetime and survived past Moshe’s death.
This approach is mirrored by a student of Rasag, who writes that Machir’s maternal grandfather was the original patriarch of Gilad, and Yair subsequently seized it. Because they held this land since the days of Yosef’s rule over Egypt, Moshe (see Devarim 3:15) and Yehoshua (see Yehoshua 17:1) granted them their ancestral historical holdings. The accounts in the Chumash regarding Machir, Yair, and Novach actually depict past history.
However, with all due reverence, this approach leaves a lingering question. If the surprising population growth was made possible by the beracha of Yosef, why do we not find the same growth in the Tribe of Ephrayim? Next week we will humbly suggest an answer to handle all the questions.
We see again Chazal’s principle: "The words of Torah are ‘poor’ in one place, but are ‘rich’ in another" (Otzar Midrashim 32). It is like a merchant ship bringing food from afar (see Mishlei 31:14). One must comprehensively review all the sources to receive a complete picture.
Let us take this as a profound lesson for our daily lives: never rely on the information around us as a one-dimensional reality. Instead, a multi-dimensional perspective provides a higher resolution and more truthful picture.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
