Parashat Beha'alotecha

Saturday 25 June 2016                                                                                                Sivan  19  5776

Parashat Beha'alotecha
Numbers 8:1 -12:16; Zechariah 2:14-4:7; Revelation 11:1-19

Our parasha highlights several significant events in the spiritual life of Israel:
• Aharon is commanded in the lighting of the Menorah
• the Levites purify themselves for service in the Tabernacle (they trained from age 25-30 and served from age 30-50)
• The first Pesach is celebrated since leaving Egypt.
• The Almighty instructs the Jewish people to journey into the desert whenever the ever-present cloud lifts from above the Tabernacle and to camp where it rests.
• Moshe is instructed to make two silver trumpets to be sounded before battle or to proclaim a Yom Tov (a holiday).

The people journey to the wilderness of Paran during which time they rebelled twice against the Almighty's leadership. The second time they complain about the boring taste of the manna and the lack of meat in the desert. The Almighty sends a massive quantity of quail and those who rebelled died. Torah states: "And the people were complaining in a bad way in the ears of the Almighty" (Numbers 11:1).

Why were the people complaining? Rashi comments that when the people were complaining, they had no real cause to complain; they were just looking for an excuse to separate themselves from the Almighty. By finding what would sound like a complaint, they felt justified in keeping a distance from the Creator.

When someone realizes all that the Almighty does for him, he will not have a complaining attitude. There are times when a person has unfulfilled needs and times when he is suffering. That is a time for action and prayer, not for complaints!

Complaining is wrong. The underlying theme behind a complainer is not necessarily that he wants the situation to improve, but rather, that he wants to have the benefits of complaining -- to feel free from the obligations for all the good that the other person (or the Almighty) has done. Ultimately, a person who goes through life complaining does not appreciate the good in his life.
When one focuses only on what he is missing, he blinds himself to what he does have. No matter how much you do have, there will always be something to complain about if you look hard enough. This attitude is not merely a means by which a person causes himself a miserable existence. It is a direct contradiction to our obligation to be grateful to the Almighty.

This truth is further highlighted in the new covenant where Sha’ul specifically states that it was their tendency to complain that led to that first generation falling in the wilderness. In Corinthians 10, Paul mentioned five specific points that led to their downfall. Sha’ul taught that the first generation experienced immersion in water and the Spirit (1 Cor 10:1-4) but HaShem was displeased with them. And then, Rav Sha’ul lists 5 specific areas in which they dishonoured G-d. This is found in 1 Cor 10:6-11:
1. they lusted after evil things
2. they were idolaters
3. they committed sexual immorality
4. they tempted Messiah, and
5. they kvetched or complained

And then, we read in 1 Cor 10:11, that “now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come”. We need to take seriously Paul’s admonition contained in these few verses, lest we ourselves fall short! Anyone having this negative attitude must make a concerted effort to build up the habit of appreciating what he has and what happens to him. This is crucial for both spiritual reasons and for happiness in life. But, more importantly, it is crucial for our relationship with G-d!
1 Thess 5:18
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua for you”.

It is the Father’s will for your life that you cease from complaining about what you
don’t have and instead, you start giving thanks for what you DO have! It will most certainly become a life-transforming experience for you and your family!