First Aliyyah | עֲלִיָּה רִאשׁוֹנָה
Mosheh tried to convince his relative Chovav to keep traveling with the Israelites through the wilderness to get to the Land of Israel, but Chovav wanted to go home. To be fair, the Torah cuts off their conversation before we learn whether or not Chovav stuck around!
(כט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה לְ֠חֹבָ֠ב בֶּן־רְעוּאֵ֣ל הַמִּדְיָנִי֮ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁה֒ נֹסְעִ֣ים ׀ אֲנַ֗חְנוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֣ר יהו֔ה אֹת֖וֹ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם לְכָ֤ה אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ וְהֵטַ֣בְנוּ לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־יהו֥ה דִּבֶּר־ט֖וֹב עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ל) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו לֹ֣א אֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּ֧י אִם־אֶל־אַרְצִ֛י וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י אֵלֵֽךְ׃ (לא) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַל־נָ֖א תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י ׀ עַל־כֵּ֣ן יָדַ֗עְתָּ חֲנֹתֵ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְהָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְעֵינָֽיִם׃ (לב) וְהָיָ֖ה כִּי־תֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֑נוּ וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ הַטּ֣וֹב הַה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵיטִ֧יב יְהֹוָ֛ה
עִמָּ֖נוּ וְהֵטַ֥בְנוּ לָֽךְ׃
(29)
Mosheh said to Chovav, the son of Re'u'el the Midianite, father-in-law of Mosheh, "We are traveling to the place of which Adonai said to us, 'I'll give it to you.' We will be good to you. Yes, Adonai has spoken well of Yisra'el!"
(30) He said to him, “
I will not go. Indeed, I will go to my land and my birthplace." (31) He said, “
Please do not leave us. Indeed, you know where we have camped in the wilderness. You have been our eyes!
(32) If you go with us, it would be a good thing that God would make for us. We will be good to you!"
Second Aliyyah | עֲלִיָּה שְׁנִיָּה
In this parashah, there is a special section of two verses surrounded by two upside nun (נ) letters. Nobody knows why. The ark, which held the tablets on which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments, would travel ahead of the majority of the Israelites.
(לג) וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מֵהַ֣ר יהוה דֶּ֖רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וַאֲר֨וֹן בְּרִית־יהוה נֹסֵ֣עַ לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים לָת֥וּר לָהֶ֖ם מְנוּחָֽה׃ (לד) וַעֲנַ֧ן יהוה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יוֹמָ֑ם בְּנׇסְעָ֖ם מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ {ס} (לה) ׆ וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה ׀ יהוה וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃ (לו) וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה יהוה
רִֽבְב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ׆ {פ}
(33) They traveled from
the mountain of Adonai along a three-day path. The ark of the covenant of Adonai traveled
in front of them along a three-day path, guiding them to rest.
(34)
The cloud of Adonai had been above them daily as they traveled from their camp. (35) It was when the ark was traveling. Mosheh said, "Arise, Adonai! Your enemies will scatter. Your enemies will flee from before you.
(36) When it was resting, he would say, "Return, Adonai! There are tens of thousands of commanders in Israel!"
Third Aliyyah | עֲלִיָּה שְׁלִישִׁית
Although God is invisible, God said that Mosheh could have seen God. Although God said that Mosheh could see God in a not-mysterious way, the words that God used to describe how God could be seen are very tricky to understand.
(ו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם יהוה בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃ (ז) לֹא־כֵ֖ן עַבְדִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּכׇל־בֵּיתִ֖י נֶאֱמָ֥ן הֽוּא׃ (ח) פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יהוה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃
(6) God said, "
Please hear My words.
If Adonai
would appear in a vision to a prophet of yours, I would be known to speak to them in a dream.
(7) This is not so, My servant. In all of My house, he is trusted. (8)
I will speak to him, mouth to mouth, in a picture and not in riddles. He will see the image of Adonai. Why did you not honor speaking with My servant Mosheh?"