Parshat Bahalotcha
Introduction;
We will dissect and analyze the Pesukim and learn a valuable lesson that the Torah teaches us: how to make our lives happier and how important it is to think positively.
וַיְהִ֤י הָעָם֙ כְּמִתְאֹ֣נְנִ֔ים רַ֖ע בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ וַיִּ֣חַר אַפּ֔וֹ וַתִּבְעַר־בָּם֙ אֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַתֹּ֖אכַל בִּקְצֵ֥ה הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
The people took to complaining bitterly before יהוה. יהוה heard and was incensed: a fire of יהוה broke out against them, ravaging the outskirts of the camp.
וַיִּצְעַ֥ק הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה וַתִּשְׁקַ֖ע הָאֵֽשׁ׃
The people cried out to Moses. Moses prayed to יהוה, and the fire died down.
וַיִּבְכּ֗וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מִ֥י יַאֲכִלֵ֖נוּ בָּשָֽׂר׃
The riffraff in their midst felt a gluttonous craving; and then the Israelites wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
זָכַ֙רְנוּ֙ אֶת־הַדָּגָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נֹאכַ֥ל בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם חִנָּ֑ם אֵ֣ת הַקִּשֻּׁאִ֗ים וְאֵת֙ הָֽאֲבַטִּחִ֔ים וְאֶת־הֶחָצִ֥יר וְאֶת־הַבְּצָלִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַשּׁוּמִֽים׃
We remember the fish that we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
Questions: Part 1 Pair work /Chavrutas
1) Why does the Pasuk say the Jews were "like" complainers? Shouldn't it just say they were complainers? What does the Passuk mean when it says the Jews were "LIKE" complainers?
2) What is so "Evil" about complaining? Why did this make Hashem so angry at the Jewish people? What is so detrimental about complaining that can destroy a society?
3) How was it a fair punishment for Hashem to send down a fire from heaven just because the Jews complained?
Questions- Part 2 Pair work /Chavrutas
4) Write down what is an obvious question that you can ask on the Jewish people regarding their complaints to Hashem, and what type of Emunah/trust in Hashem are they displaying?
5) If you could imagine how much were the Jews suffering when the Egyptians were enslaving us? Explain an example or two.
6) What are the Jews thinking? They're complaining they don't have meat and melons that they used to eat in Egypt!? In Egypt, they would torture the Jews and throw our babies into the Nile River! Why are the Jews complaining about foods we never got in Egypt?