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Shabbat Shalom!
Welcome to Bamidbar – In the Wilderness - this week’s Torah reading

Prophecies 92, 93, 136;
Numbers 1:1-4:20
Hosea 1:10–2:20
Matthew 4:1-17

Numbers 1:1-4:20

1 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 Lift the heads of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their heads;
3 from a son of twenty years and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
4 And there shall be a man of every tribe with you, every one head of his father's house.
5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: Of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
6 of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
7 of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
8 of Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar;
9 of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
10 of the sons of Joseph; of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
11 of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
12 of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
13 of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;
14 of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;
15 of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.
16 These were those called from the congregation, rulers of the tribes of their fathers. They were heads of the thousands of Israel.
17 And Moses and Aaron took these men who were marked out by name.
18 And they assembled all the congregation on the first of the second month. And they declared their births according to their families, by their fathers' house, according to the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, by their heads.
19 As YAHUVEH commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20 And the sons of Reuben, Israel's first-born, their generations by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, by their heads, every male from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
21 those numbered of them for the tribe of Reuben were forty six thousand and five hundred.
22 Of the sons of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, his numbered ones in the number of names, by their heads, every male from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
23 those numbered of them for the tribe of Simeon were fifty nine thousand and three hundred.
24 Of the sons of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
25 those numbered of them for the tribe of Gad were forty five thousand and six hundred and fifty.
26 Of the sons of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
27 those numbered of them for the tribe of Judah were seventy four thousand and six hundred.
28 Of the sons of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
29 those numbered of them for the tribe of Issachar were fifty four thousand and four hundred.
30 Of the sons of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
31 those numbered of them for the tribe of Zebulun were fifty seven thousand and four hundred.
32 Of the sons of Joseph, of the sons of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
33 those numbered of them for the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand and five hundred.
34 Of the sons of Manasseh, their generations, by their families by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
35 those numbered of them for the tribe of Manasseh were thirty two thousand and two hundred.
36 Of the sons of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
37 those numbered of them for the tribe of Benjamin were thirty five thousand and four hundred.
38 Of the sons of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
39 those numbered of them for the tribe of Dan were sixty two thousand and seven hundred.
40 Of the sons of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
41 those numbered of them for the tribe of Asher were forty one thousand and five hundred.
42 Of the sons of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' house, in the number of names, from a son of twenty years and upward, everyone able to go out to war:
43 those numbered of them for the tribe of Naphtali were fifty three thousand and four hundred.
44 These were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the rulers of Israel being twelve men; they were each one of his fathers' house.
45 And all those numbered of the sons of Israel by their fathers' house, from a son of twenty years and upward, all able to go out to war in Israel;
46 even all those that were numbered were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
47 But the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.
48 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses, saying,
49 However, you shall not number the tribe of Levi, nor shall you count their heads among the sons of Israel.
50 But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furniture, and over all which is to it. They shall bear the tabernacle, and all its furniture. And they shall serve it, and shall encamp around the tabernacle.
51 And when the tabernacle goes forward, the Levites shall take it down. And when the tabernacle is to be encamped, the Levites shall set it up. And the stranger that draws near shall die.
52 And the sons of Israel shall encamp their tents, each man with his own camp, and each man with his own standard, according to their armies.
53 But the Levites shall encamp around the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. And the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.
54 And the sons of Israel did according to all that YAHUVEH commanded Moses, so they did.

Chapter 2

1 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
2 The sons of Israel shall encamp by their fathers' house, every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns. They shall encamp around the tabernacle of the congregation, afar off.
3 And those who encamp on the east side, toward the sun rising, are of the standard of Judah's camp, according to their armies, the ruler of the sons of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
4 And his army and those numbered of them were seventy four thousand and six hundred.
5 And those encamping next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar; the ruler of the sons of Issachar being Nethaneel the son of Zuar;
6 and his army, and those numbered of them were fifty four thousand and four hundred.
7 And the tribe of Zebulun; the ruler of the sons of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon.
8 And his army, and those numbered of them were fifty seven thousand and four hundred.
9 All numbered of the camp of Judah were a hundred and eighty six thousand and four hundred, by their armies. They shall set forth first.
10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies; the ruler of the sons of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur.
11 And his army, and those numbered of it were forty six thousand and five hundred.
12 And those that encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon; the ruler of the sons of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
13 And his army, and those numbered of them were fifty nine thousand and three hundred.
14 And the tribe of Gad: the ruler of the sons of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel.
15 And his army, and those numbered of them were forty five thousand, six hundred and fifty.
16 All numbered of the camp of Reuben were a hundred and fifty one thousand four hundred and fifty according to their armies. And they shall pull out second.
17 And the camp of the Levites, with the tabernacle of the congregation shall pull out in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so they shall pull out, each man in his place, by their standards.
18 On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim, according to their armies; the ruler of the sons of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud.
19 And his army, and those numbered of them were forty thousand and five hundred.
20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the ruler of the sons of Manasseh, being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
21 And his army, and those numbered of them were thirty two thousand and two hundred.
22 And the tribe of Benjamin; the ruler of the sons of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni.
23 And his army, and those numbered of them were thirty five thousand and four hundred.
24 All numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred and eight thousand and one hundred, according to their armies. And they shall pull out third.
25 On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan, according to their armies; the ruler of the sons of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
26 And his army, and those numbered of them were sixty two thousand and seven hundred.
27 And those that encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher; the ruler of the sons of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ocran.
28 And his army, and those numbered of them were forty one thousand and five hundred.
29 And the tribe of Naphtali; the ruler of the sons of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan.
30 And his army, and those numbered of them were fifty three thousand and four hundred.
31 All numbered of the camp of Dan were a hundred and fifty seven thousand and six hundred. They shall pull out last by their standards.
32 These are those numbered of the sons of Israel by their fathers' houses; all numbered of the camps according to their armies were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.
33 But the Levites were not numbered among the sons of Israel, as YAHUVEH commanded Moses.
34 And the sons of Israel did according to all that YAHUVEH had commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they pulled out, each one according to his family, and according to the house of his father.

Chapter 3

1 And these are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day YAHUVEH spoke with Moses in Mount Sinai.
2 And these are the names of Aaron's sons: Nadab, the first-born; and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests whose hands he consecrated to act as priests.
4 And Nadab and Abihu died before YAHUVEH in the wilderness of Sinai, for bringing strange fire before YAHUVEH. And they had no sons. And Eleazar and Ithamar acted as priests in the presence of their father Aaron.
5 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and you shall cause it to stand before Aaron the priest. And they shall serve him,
7 and keep his charge, and the charge of all the congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8 And they shall keep all the vessels of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his son. Giving they shall be given to him out of the sons of Israel.
10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood. And the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
11 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses, saying,
12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel in the place of every first-born opening a womb from the sons of Israel; and the Levites have become Mine.
13 For every first-born is Mine, from the day I struck every first-born in the land of Egypt, I have set apart to Myself every first-born in Israel, from men to animal. They are Mine1. I am YAHUVEH.
14 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
15 Number the sons of Levi by their families, by their fathers' house. You shall number every male from a son of a month and upward.
16 And Moses numbered them according to the command of YAHUVEH, as he had been commanded.
17 And these are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.
19 And the sons of Kohath, by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of the Levites by their fathers' houses.
21 Of Gershon is the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites. These were the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a son of a month and upward, even those numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
24 The ruler of the fathers' house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25 And the duty of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation was the tabernacle, and the tent, and its coverings, and the veil at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;
26 and the hangings of the court, and the veil at the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, and its cords, to all its service.
27 And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izeharites, the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites. These were the families of the Kohathites.
28 In number, all the males, from a son of a month and upward were eight thousand and six hundred, keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to encamp on the side of the tabernacle southward;
30 The ruler of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites being Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge was the ark, the table, the Menorah, the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, the veil and all its service.
32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was ruler over the rulers of the Levites, and had the oversight of those that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These were the families of Merari.
34 And those numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a son of a month and upward were six thousand and two hundred.
35 The ruler of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to encamp on the side of the tabernacle northward.
36 The appointed duty of the sons of Merari being the boards of the tabernacle and its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its vessels and all its service;
37 and the pillars of the court all around, their sockets, their pins and their cords.
38 And those that were to encamp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tabernacle of the congregation, toward the sun rising, were Moses, Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the sons of Israel. And the stranger who goes near shall die.
39 All numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the mouth of YAHUVEH, by their families, all the males from a son of a month and upward were twenty two thousand.
40 And YAHUVEH said to Moses, Number every first-born male of the sons of Israel from a son of a month and upward, and take the number of their names.
41 And you shall take the Levites for Me, I am YAHUVEH, instead of every first-born among the sons of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of every firstling among the livestock of the sons of Israel.
42 And Moses numbered as YAHUVEH commanded him, all the first-born among the sons of Israel.
43 And all the first-born males according to the number of names, from a son of a month and upward, of those numbered of them were twenty two thousand, two hundred and seventy three.
44 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses, saying,
45 Take the Levites instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am YAHUVEH.
46 And from those redeemed of the two hundred and seventy three who are more than the Levites, of the firstborn of the sons of Israel,
47 you shall even take five shekels apiece, by the head; you shall take by the shekel of the sanctuary; twenty gerahs to the shekel.
48 And you shall give the silver to Aaron, and to his sons, of the redeemed over and above among them.
49 And Moses shall take the redemption silver from those that are over and above those that were redeemed by the Levites,
50 from the first-born of the sons of Israel he shall take the silver, a thousand, three hundred and sixty five by the sanctuary shekel.
51 And Moses shall give the silver of those redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the command of YAHUVEH, as YAHUVEH has commanded Moses.

Chapter 4

1 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2 Lift the heads of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers' houses,
3 from a son of thirty years and upward, even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tent of meeting.
4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of the congregation, the Holy of Holies.
5 Aaron and his sons shall come in, when the camp pulls out, and shall take down the veil of the hanging, and shall cover the ark of the testimony with it.
6 And he shall put a covering of Tachash skins on it, and shall spread a garment entirely of blue on top, and shall put in its staves.
7 And they shall spread a blue cloth on the table of the showbread and shall put its dishes and the spoons, the bowls, the cups of the drink offering and the continual bread on it.
8 And they shall spread a cloth of scarlet over them, and shall cover it with a covering of Tachash skin, and shall put in its staves.
9 And he shall take a blue cloth and shall cover the menorah of the lamp, and its lights, its tongs, its firepans and all its oil vessels with which they minister to it.
10 And they shall put it and all its vessels into a covering of Tachash1 skin, and shall put it on the bar.
11 And they shall spread a blue cloth on the golden altar, and shall cover it with a covering of Tachash skin, and shall put in its staves.
12 And they shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and shall put them into a blue cloth, and shall cover them with a covering of Tachash skin, and shall put them on the bar.
13 And they shall remove the ashes of the altar, and shall spread over it a purple cloth;
14 and shall put on it all its vessels with which they minister around it, the firepans, the hooks, the shovels and the bowls, all the vessels of the altar. And they shall spread a covering of Tachash skin on it, and shall put in its staves.
15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the sanctuary vessels as the camp pulls up stakes, then afterward the sons of Kohath shall come to bear. And they shall not touch the holy thing, that they may not die. These are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting.
16 And the oversight of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil of the lamp, and the sweet incense, and the continual food offering, and the anointing oil. He shall oversee all the tabernacle, and all that is in it, in the sanctuary, and its furniture.
17 And YAHUVEH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
18 Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites.
19 But do this to them, and they shall live and not die as they draw near the Holy of Holies. Aaron and his sons shall go in, and shall appoint them each man to his service, and to his burden.
20 And they shall not go in to see when the holy thing is covered, that they may not die.