June 24, 2023 | 7 Reviy’iy (Tammuz)

Parshat: Bemidbar (Numbers) 16:1 - 18:32

Now Qorach, the son of Yitshar, the son of Qohath, the son of Leviy, and Dathan and Aviyram, the sons of Eliy’av, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Re’uven, took men: 2 And they rose up before Mosheh, with certain of the children of Yashar’el, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the assembly, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves together against Mosheh and against Aharon, and said unto them: Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the assembly are holy, every one of them, and Yahuah is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Yahuah? 4 And when Mosheh heard it, he fell upon his face: 5 And he spoke unto Qorach and unto all his company, saying: Even tomorrow Yahuah will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he has chosen will he cause to come near unto him. 6 This do; Take you censers, Qorach, and all his company; 7 And put fire therein and put incense in them before Yahuah tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Yahuah chooses, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Leviy. 8 And Mosheh said unto Qorach: Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Leviy: 9 Does it seem but a small thing unto you, that the Elohai of Yashar’el has separated you from the assembly of Ya­shar’el, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of Yahuah, and to stand before the assembly to minister unto them? 10 And he has brought you near to him, and all your brethren the sons of Leviy with you: and seek ye the priesthood also? 11 For which cause both you and all your company are gathered together against Yahuah: and what is Aharon, that ye murmur against him?

12 And Mosheh sent to call Dathan and Aviyram, the sons of Eliy’av: which said: We will not come up: 13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except you make yourself altogether a prince over us? 14 Moreover you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up. 15 And Mosheh was very wroth, and said unto El-Yahuah, Respect not you their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them. 16 And Mosheh said unto Qorach: Be you and all your company before Yahuah, you, and they, and Aharon, tomorrow: 17 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before Yahuah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; you also, and Aharon, each of you his censer. 18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the Tabernacle of the assembly with Mosheh and Aharon. 19 And Qorach gathered all the assembly against them unto the door of the Tabernacle of the assembly: and the glory of Yahuah appeared unto all the assembly. 20 And Yahuah spoke unto El-Mosheh and unto El-Aharon, saying: 21 Separate yourselves from among this assembly, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O El, the Elohai of the ruachoth of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be wroth with all the assembly?

23 And Yahuah spoke unto Mo­sheh, saying: 24 Speak unto the assembly, saying: Get you up from about the tabernacle of Qorach, Dathan, and Aviyram. 25 And Mosheh rose up and went unto Dathan and Aviyram; and the elders of Yashar’el followed him. 26 And he spoke unto the assembly, saying: Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. 27 So they got up from the tabernacle of Qorach, Dathan, and Aviyram, on every side: and Dathan and Aviyram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their women, and their sons, and their little children. 28 And Mosheh said: Hereby ye shall know that Yahuah has sent me to do את all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Yahuah has not sent me. 30 But if Yahuah make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked Yahuah.

31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking את all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and את all the men that appertained unto Qorach, and את all their goods. 33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the assembly. 34 And all Yashar’el that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said: Lest the earth swallow us up also. 35 And there came out a fire from Yahuah, and consumed את the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

36 And Yahuah spoke unto El-Mo­sheh, saying: 37 Speak unto El`azar the son of Aharon the priest, that he takes up the censers out of the burning, and scatter you the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. 38 את The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahuah, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Yashar’el. 39 And El`azar the priest took את the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: 40 To be a memorial unto the children of Yashar’el, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aharon, come near to offer incense before Yahuah; that he be not as Qorach, and as his company: as Yahuah said to him by the hand of Mosheh.

41 But on the morrow all the assembly of the children of Yashar’el murmured against Mosheh and against Aharon, saying: Ye have killed the people of Yahuah. 42 And it came to pass, when the assembly was gathered against Mosheh and against Ahar­on, that they looked toward the Tabernacle of the assembly: and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahuah appeared. 43 And Mosheh and Aharon came before the Tabernacle of the assembly.

44 And Yahuah spoke unto Mo­sheh, saying: 45 Get you up from among this assembly, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46 And Mosheh said unto El-Aharon: Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the assembly, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yahuah; the plague is begun. 47 And Aharon took as Mosheh commanded and ran into the midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Qorach. 50 And Aharon returned unto Mosheh unto the door of the Tabernacle of the assembly: and the plague was stayed.

Chapter 17

1 And Yahuah spoke unto Mo­sheh, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Yashar’el, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write you every man's name upon his rod. 3 And you shall write Aharon's name upon the rod of Leviy: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. 4 And you shall lay them up in the Tabernacle of the assembly before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Yashar’el, whereby they murmur against you.

6 And Mosheh spoke unto the children of Yashar’el, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aharon was among their rods. 7 And Mosheh laid up the rods before Yahuah in the Tabernacle of witness. 8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Mosheh went into the Tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aharon for the house of Leviy was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And Mosheh brought out all the rods from before Yahuah unto all the children of Yashar’el: and they looked and took every man his rod.

10 And Yahuah said unto El-Mo­sheh: Bring Aharon's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a sign against the sons of rebellion; and you shall quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. 11 And Mosheh did so: as Yahuah commanded him, so did he. 12 And the children of Yashar’el spoke unto Mosheh, saying: Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. 13 Whosoever comes anything near unto the Tabernacle of Yahuah shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

Chapter 18

1 And Yahuah said unto El-Ahar­on: You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 And your brethren also of the tribe of Leviy, the tribe of your father, bring with you, that they may be joined unto you, and minister unto you: but you and your sons with you shall minister before the Tabernacle of witness. 3 And they shall guard your watch, and the watch of all the Tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. 4 And they shall be joined unto you and guard the watch of the Tabernacle of the assembly, for all the service of the Tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. 5 And ye shall guard את the watch of the sanctuary, and את the watch of the altar: that there be no wrath anymore upon the children of Yashar’el. 6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Leviyiym from among the children of Yashar’el: to you they are given as a gift for Yahuah, to do the service of the Tabernacle of the assembly. 7 Therefore you and your sons with you shall guard your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that comes nigh shall be put to death.

8 And Yahuah spoke unto El-Ahar­on: Behold, I also have given you the charge of my heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Yashar’el; unto you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, by an ordinance forever. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every gift of theirs, every oblation of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. 10 In the most holy place shall you eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto you. 11 And this is yours; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Yashar’el: I have given them unto you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a statute forever: everyone that is clean in your house shall eat of it. 12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first fruits of them which they shall offer unto Yahuah, them have I given you. 13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto Yahuah, shall be yours; everyone that is clean in your house shall eat of it. 14 Everything devoted in Yashar’el shall be yours. 15 Everything that opens the womb in all flesh, which they bring unto Yahuah, wheth­er it be of men or beasts, shall be yours: nevertheless את the firstborn of man shall you surely redeem, and את the firstling of unclean beasts shall you redeem. 16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shall you redeem, according to your estimation, for the money of five she­qels, after the sheqel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy: you shall sprinkle their blood upon the altar and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Yahuah. 18 And the flesh of them shall be yours, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are yours. 19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Yashar’el offer unto Yahuah, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, by a statute forever: it is a covenant of salt forever before Yahuah unto you and to your seed with you.

20 And Yahuah spoke unto El-Ahar­on: You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any part among them: I am your part and your inheritance among the children of Yashar’el. 21 And, behold, I have given the children of Leviy all the tenth in Yashar’el for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tabernacle of the assembly. 22 Neither must the children of Yashar’el henceforth come nigh the Tabernacle of the assembly, lest they bear sin, and die. 23 But the Leviyiym shall do the service of the Tabernacle of the assembly, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that among the children of Yashar’el they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Yashar’el, which they offer as a heave offering unto Yahuah, I have given to the Leviyiym to inherit: therefore I have said unto them: Among the children of Yashar’el they shall have no inheritance.

25 And Yahuah spoke unto Mo­sheh, saying: 26 Thus speak unto the Leviyiym, and say unto them: When ye take of the children of Yashar’el the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of it for Yahuah, even a tenth part of the tithe. 27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fulness of the winepress. 28 Thus ye also shall offer a heave offering unto Yahuah of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Yashar’el; and ye shall give thereof Yahuah’s heave offering to Aharon the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of Yahuah, את of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. 30 Therefore you shall say unto them: When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Leviyiym as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress. 31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the Tabernacle of the assembly. 32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Yashar’el, lest ye die.

Haftorah: Shemu’el Ri’shon (1 Samuel) 11:14 - 12:22

Then said Shemu’el to the people: Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. 15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Sha’ul king before Yahuah in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahuah; and there Sha’ul and all the men of Yashar’el rejoiced greatly.

Chapter 12

1 And Shemu’el said unto all Ya­shar’el: Behold, I have heark­ened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you: and I am old and gray-headed; and behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. 3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before Yahuah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes therewith? And I will restore it you. 4 And they said: You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken ought of any man's hand. 5 And he said unto them: Yahuah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

6 And Shemu’el said unto the people: It is Yahuah that advanced Mosheh and Aharon, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Mitsrayim. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before Yahuah את of all the righteous acts of Yahuah, which he did to you and to your fathers. 8 When Ya`aqov was come into Mits­rayim, and your fathers cried unto El-Yahuah, then Yahuah sent Mosheh and Aharon, which brought forth your fathers out of Mitsrayim, and made them dwell in this place. 9 And when they forgot Yahuah Elohayhem, he sold them into the hand of Ciycera, captain of the host of Chatsor, and into the hand of the Pelishtiym, and into the hand of the king of Mo’av, and they fought against them. 10 And they cried unto El-Yahuah, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahuah, and have served Ba`aliym and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you. 11 And Yahuah sent Yerubba`al, and Bedan, and Yiph­tach, and Shem­u’el, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. 12 And when ye saw that Nachash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when Yahuah Elohaykem was your king. 13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, Yahuah has set a king over you. 14 If ye will fear Yahuah, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yahuah, then shall both ye and also the king that reigns over you continue following Yahuah Elohaykem: 15 But if ye will not obey the voice of Yahuah, but rebel against the commandment of Yahuah, then shall the hand of Yahuah be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which Yahuah will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto El-Yahuah, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Yahuah, in asking you a king. 18 So Shemu’el called unto El-Yahuah; and Yahuah sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared Yahuah and Shemu’el. 19 And all the people said unto El-Shemu’el: Pray for your servants unto El-Yahuah Elohayka, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

20 And Shemu’el said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done את all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following Yahuah but serve Yahuah with all your heart; 21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22 For Yahuah will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it has pleased Yahuah to make you his people.

Besorah: Luqas (Luke) 18:35 - 19:28

And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Yeriycho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Yahusha the Netseriy passes by. 38 And he cried, saying: Yahusha, Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Yahusha stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying: What will you that I shall do unto you? And he said: Adonai, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Yahusha said unto him: Receive your sight: your faith has saved you. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying Elohiym: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto Elohiym.

Chapter 19

1 And Yahusha entered and passed through Yeriycho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zakkai, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Yahusha who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Yahusha came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him: Zakkai, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at your house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying: That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zakkai stood, and said unto Adonai; Behold, Adonai, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Yahusha said unto him: This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Avraham. 10 For the Son of A’dam is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 11 And as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable, because he was nigh to Yerushalayim, and because they thought that the Kingdom of Elohiym should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them: Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the Kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying: Adonai, your pound has gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him: Well, good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying: Adonai, your pound has gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him: Be also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying: Adonai, behold, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up that you laid not down, and reap that you did not sow. 22 And he said unto him: Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gave not you my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with usury? 24 And he said unto them that stood by: Take from him the pound and give it to him that has ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him: Adonai, he has ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you: That unto everyone which has shall be given; and from him that has not, even that he has shall be taken away from him. 27 But those my enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Yerushalayim.