Shnayim Yomi - Behaalotcha - Chamishi - #5- Rabbi Dale Polakoff

[Music] The fifth aliyah. This aliyah describes the actual beginning of the travels of Ben Israel in the Midbar having remained at Hari for a little bit less than a full year arriving on Roshesh and departing on the 20th of Ear. The Tammed Shalomi in Masavan gives us two different versions as to how bene Israel traveled in the midbar. The first is that they traveled basically as a square the same way in which they encamped and the second is that they all sort of fell into line and traveled in one line in a unique kind of way. The tribes that traveled first under the banner of Yehuda were Yehuda, Yakar and Zulun. They were followed by the ley families of Gehon and Murari who were carrying the dismantled Mishkan. Following them were Ruvane, Shimon and God. And after them the Ley family of Kahas carrying the Caim, the holy items of the Mishkan. Then came Ephraim, Minasha, and Binyamin. And finally bringing up the rear were Dan, Naftali, and Asher. Rashi quoting the tomudami says that don was a very numerous shvet and having a lot of people when they brought up the rear could retrieve any lost items or actually any lost people as they continued to travel through the midbar. Seems that Yehuda was also very numerous but they went first because of their position of importance. The final part of this aliyah focuses on Moshe's plea with his father-in-law Yro to travel along with Ben Israel and to enter into Eritz Israel. Following Moshe's invitation to join them, Yro responds that he will not go, but rather will return to his land. Moshe implores Yro to travel along. And we are told by the Maporim that he did this in order so that the people of the world would not think that Yro's conversion to Judaism had been insincere. And when he heard he had no portion in the land, he decided to rejoin his old beliefs. The Torah doesn't tell us whether or not Ysro actually traveled along with Ben Israel on the journey. The Ramban writes that Yro and his family stayed with Ben Israel. But the sporo says that although Ysro's family stayed, Yro returned to his land. Finally, the Torah records the actual departure from Hareni, but instead refers to the mountain as Harashem. This is the only time that Harseni is referred to as Harashem. And the Ramban quotes the medish that Ben Israel ran away from Harashem. They ran away from Hashem as a school child does at the end of the day with the ringing of the bell. This sets the stage for the next section that will continue in the next aliyah. [Music]