Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
In This Week’s Parashah: מָה בַּפָּרָשָׁה
Full Parashah Reading: Bemidbar 13:1-15:41
- Moshe sends 12 leaders to check out the Land of Canaan. We call them the מְרַגְּלִים (meraglim, spies).
- After 40 days, the meraglim return from their mission. Their report makes the land sound scary. They say there are giants there, and that Benei Yisrael would not be able to go into the land or live there. Calev, one of the spies, disagrees and says that Benei Yisrael would be able to conquer the land.
- The people scream, cry, and threaten to go back to Egypt.
- God wants to wipe out Benei Yisrael. Moshe prays for them. So, instead, God says that they’ll get their wish. They’ll wander in the wilderness for 40 years and will not be able to enter the land.
- Some people change their minds and try to enter Canaan anyway. They are attacked, and they lose because God is not with them.
- The Torah introduces additional mitzvot. The mitzvah of חַלָּה (hallah) involves separating a portion of dough, when baking, as a gift to God.
- Wearing צִיצִת (tzitzit) reminds us of all the other mitzvot.
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