Bamidbar: when does protexia get applied?

Parshas Bamidbar

In 1:49 Hashem tell Moshe not to count to tribe of Levi. Rashi explains that Hashem knew that all those counted here would eventually receive a punishment of death in the desert. So why not Levi? because Levi is special. Levi did not sin by the Golden Calf. Levi stepped up to the plate and batted on God's side.

Why is that a reason - did we not learn by the children of Aharon the concept of "בקרובי אקדש" - that Hashem's name gets honored more when people see those who are close to Him being punished?

I am not saying Levi deserved death, but why do they get this special protection just because they were more purely dedicated to God, when we see others do not get that "protexia"?

Anyone?

Bamidbar: Love is a double edged sword

Parshas Bamidbar

Love. A double edged sword.

In B'cchukosai we read from the Torah the portion of the threats and curses of punishments that will befall us if we do not follow Hashem and the Torah properly. So this week, in Bamidbar, we start out right away with Hashem telling Moshe to count the Israelites, with Rashi explaining it is because Hashem loves us so much that He counts us. Counting us is an expression of love.

But this love is dangerous. Moshe is then told to not count the Levite tribe. Rashi explains the reason to be because Hashem knows that all those counted will later be condemned to die in the desert and not enter the Land of Israel.

So do not count the Leviim because even though counting is an expression of love, it also is a marker for who will later be condemned to death.

So which is it? an expression of love or a sign of condemnation?

anybody have any ideas?

Bamidbar: functioning properly and efficiently

Parshat Bamidbar

In this weeks parsha, we see a detailed description of the formation of the Jewish Nation in their tribal groups for the travelling through the desert.

I think we can learn a lesson from the detail. Bnei Yisrael could have travelled in a large mass of people, with everyone walking with their friends and family and whoever they wanted. Nothing really would have been wrong with that. So why didn't they travel like that? Why were the instructions of where everyone should be so specific?

I think we can learn a lesson from thsi that everyone has his place in the community. Everybody has what he is supposed to do and where he is supposed to be. Haphazard is no good. We need order and direction in order to function properly and efficiently.

Bamidbar: Moshe's children

Parshat Bamidbar


during the lineage of the family of Levi, it says "These are the generations (children) of Aharon and Moshe..." and it goes on to list the children of Aharon, and not the children of Moshe.
Rashi tells us that we learn from the fact that it calls the children of Aharon as being also the children of Moshe that one who teaches someone else Torah, it is as if that person is his child. So the children of Aharon were also the children of Moshe, because Moshe taught them Torah.

That is very nice, but what about the actual children of Moshe? Why do they not get mentioned at all? It is listing the children of all the Levite families, so why not list Moshe's children as well?

We did not have an answer for this. I saw one answer about how Moshe's children had stayed behind with Yisro in Midian. I do nto remember why, but I did not like that answer, as they are still Moshe's children and should have been mentioned...