Food for Our Souls: Parashat HaShavua in Our Lives Vol. 1, Episode 32:Chukat, Numbers 19:1-22:1.

(1) The Children of Israel, the whole community, came to the Wilderness of Tzin, in the first new moon, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and she was buried there.

(2) Now there was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moshe and against Aharon; (3) The people quarreled with Moshe, and they said, saying: Would that we had perished when our siblings perished before YHVH. (4) Now why did you bring the assembly of YHVH into this wilderness, to die there, we are our cattle? (5) And why did you take us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place, not a place of seed or fig tree or vine or pomegranate, and no water to drink?

(6) Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and these are they: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the staff [of Moses], [7] the shamir, [8] the letters, [9] the writing, [10] and the tablets. And some say: also the demons, the grave of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: and also tongs, made with tongs.

(6) Moshe and Aharon came away from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and flung themselves upon their faces. The glory of YHVH was seen by them, (7) and YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying: (8) Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aharon, your brother, and you shall speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water, and you shall bring forth water for them from the rock and give drink to the community and to its cattle.

(9) And Moshe took the staff from before YHVH, as God had commanded. (10) Moshe and Aharon assembled the assembly facing the rock, and he said to them: Pay attention, please, you rebels! Shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? (11) And Moshe raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff and abundant water came out, and the community, with its cattle, drank.

(12) Now YHVH said to Moshe and to Aharon: Because you did not have trust in me to treat me as holy before the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore: you two shall not bring this assembly into the land that I am giving them! (13) These are the Waters of Merivah/Quarreling, where the Children of Israel quarreled with YHVH, and he was sanctified through them.

(23) Now YHVH said to Moshe and to Aharon at Hill's Hill/Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying: (24) Let Aharon be gathered to his kin: for he is not to come into the land that I have given to the Children of Israel because you both have rebelled against My word at the Waters of Merivah. (25) Take Aharon and his son Eleazar and bring them up on Hill's Hill. (26) Strip Aharon of his garments and clothe in them Eleazar his son. Aharon will be gathered and will die there.

(27) So Moshe did as YHVH commanded him. They went up Hill's Hill before the eyes of the entire community; (28) Moshe stripped Aharon of his garments and clothed in them Eleazar his son. So Aharon died there on top of the hill. When Moses and Eleazar came down from the hill, (29) the entire community saw that Aharon had expired. They wept for Aharon thirty days, the whole House of Israel.

(4) They marched from Hill's Hill by the Reed Sea Road, to go-around the land of Edom, and the people became short-tempered on the way. (5) and the people spoke against God and against Moshe: Why did you bring us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread/food and no water, and our throats loathe the despicable food! (6) So YHVH sent upon the people vipers, burning makes; they bit the people, and there died many people of Israel. (7) The people came to Moshe and said: We have missed the mark! For we have spoken against YHVH and against you. Intercede to God, so that God may remove from us the vipers! So Moshe interceded on behalf of the people. (8) And YHVH said to Moshe: Make yourself a burning snake and put it on a banner pole; it shall be: whoever has been bitten and then sees it, will live.

(16) And from there to Be'er/the Well, that is the well of which YHVH said to Moshe: Gather the people, and I will give them water. (17) Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well—sing in chorus to it (18)

The well that was dug out by princes!

That was excavated by people's nobles!

with scepter!

with their rods!

Now from the wilderness - to Mattana;