PARSHA SUMMARY - courtesy of Rabbi S. Weiss

Our Sedra begins by discussing the daily (even Shabbat!) lighting of the Menora in the Mishkan. The Levi'im are consecrated by Moshe in their new position. The law of Pesach Sheni is given: Those who were tamei (impure) on Pesach could, a month later, bring the Pesach offering w/Matza & Maror.

Moshe attempts to persuade his father-in-law Yitro to accompany the nation to Israel. Yitro is hesitant, telling Moshe he must return "to his land & his birthplace." Yitro's final decision remains an open question.

Soon after leaving Har Sinai, spurred on by the "mixed multitude" who followed the Jews out of Egypt, the people begin to complain about the lack of meat, & about the Mahn. Moshe is frustrated, but Hashem tells him to appoint 70 elders to help lead the nation. Then Hashem sends flocks of quail which the people catch & eat; those who had previously complained about the food eat so much quail that they die from over-eating.

The Parsha ends with Miriam lamenting to Aharon how Moshe is too busy leading the people to have a normal family life. This is judged to be lashon hara, & Miriam is punished with tzara'at & required to stay outside the camp for seven days.

DVAR TORAH: GET A KICK OUT OF KEDUSHA
RABBI S. WEISS

The upcoming World Cup of Soccer and Parshat B'ha’alotcha: Is there a connection between the two? Of course there is! This Sedra is known as the Mitlon'nim ("complainers") and we Jews, at times, can be world champions in the art of complaining (e.g. "Such poor food, & such small portions, too!"). We can be experts at finding fault.

But what did we have to complain about while traveling in the desert?
Our food fell from Heaven, the pillars of cloud and fire protected us, Moshe Rabbeinu himself taught us Torah, our clothes miraculously grew with us; life seemed ideal and idyllic.

So why did we kvetch so much? Why did we turn up our noses at the Mahn which fell from Heaven and say, "We remember the fish we freely ate in Egypt..." What are we, seafood lovers all of a sudden? And is Egypt famous for its fish??

The commentary Kli Yakar tries to make sense of it all. He says the real issue in our Sedra is the challenge of balancing Passion and Principle. On the one hand, we definitely need passion in our lives, as it provides drive, energy and enthusiasm, all qualities vital to the human condition.

On the other hand, our passions - if left unchecked and unchallenged - can be the single greatest source of our sins. The incident of the quails - when we ate to excess with obsessive, wild abandon - and the Sedra's closing episode - where Miriam and Ahron, unable to control their impulse, speak out against Moshe - demonstrate passion's dual-edged sword that must be carefully controlled.

At the root of the peoples' inner restlessness, say our Sages, was the structure of family purity and the restrictions on marriage that now applied to Bnei Yisrael. No longer could we cohabit with just anyone, in or out of marriage. ln a veiled code, this may be the meaning of the verse, "We remember the daga (fish);" as in "V'yidgu l'rov” - you shall multiply greatly," (fish are a metaphor for procreation). The discipline of the Mitzvot regarding sexual behavior meant that “free” – unrestricted, unbridled – relationships are inappropriate for a holy people like Am Yisrael.

The Mahn, no matter how it may have tasted, always looked the same, and so we soon got bored with it and craved real, succulent, juicy meat. Life in the desert – especially since we did not work there – could become terribly tedious, and so we turned to gossiping about others, speaking lashon hara and minding other people's business. “Idle hands are the devil’s tools.”

The challenge of life is to approach each day with zeal, enthusiasm and passion. But that vital energy must be channeled and expressed in a holy, dignified way that perfects our Neshama and emulates our Creator. Getting a “kick” out of Kedusha (holiness) is the real “goal” to shoot for.