Curriculum

The book of Bamidbar (Numbers) both begins and ends with G‑d counting the Jewish people. Examining the reason for this repetitive counting reveals the paradoxical nature of the Jewish people: On one hand each of us is a unique world, yet on the other hand our power is the sum of the nation as a whole.

The Priestly Blessing, with its kohanim wrapped in prayer shawls, chanting an ancient tune, has a certain mystique. But what does it mean? Why do we need to be blessed? Isn’t prayer enough? These answers and more are the focus of this lesson.

G‑d defends Moses from his siblings’ criticism, as Moses communicates directly with Him. In the rebuke, there seems to be a line out of place—describing Moshe’s extraordinary humility. How does that fit in and why is it so unique?

The sin of the spies kept the Jewish nation wandering in the desert for forty years. What did they do wrong? Weren’t they sent to see the land and formulate an opinion? Was the idea of spies a good one or a bad one? Analyzing the attitude of the spies and their form of assessment we uncover the proper way to approach tough situations.

The rebellion of Korach and his cronies against Moshe opens up the larger question of whether all disputes are negative. Can there be a dispute with a positive outcome? The Rabbis in the Talmud seem to argue quite often. Are there different rules when it comes to a Torah dispute?

Bilaam was a prophet, hired to curse the Jewish people. His plan doesn't work and he rounds up blessing the very people he sought to eradicate. Contrasting his character traits with those of our great leaders Abraham and Moses, reveals the secret of his failure and the mystery of their success that we seek to emulate.

In anticipation of his death, Moses asks G‑d to elect a fitting leader to replace him. He is instructed to publicly ordain Yehoshua son of Nun as his successor. In these finely nuanced verses, Scripture teaches us profound lessons about transferring leadership and empowering others.

Before entering the Land of Israel G‑d instructed Moses to lead a battle against the nation of Midian. Who were these people? What was the importance of this battle? We examine the sinister quality embodied by Midian, this character trait that is so hard to overcome. The result is an ongoing spiritual battle requiring an all-out effort to overcome these forces of darkness.