Numbers-Chapter-17
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Remember the following truth from our
beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Numbers Chapter 17 (JPS-1917) serves as the definitive resolution to the period of civil and spiritual unrest following the rebellion against the established order. The chapter begins with the immediate aftermath of the plague and moves into a unique, Divinely mandated test designed to silence all further murmurings. By using the natural symbol of a staff, the Creator demonstrates that true authority is not seized through ambition but is granted through Divine choice, resulting in life and fruitfulness rather than destruction and death.
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Let us read Numbers Chapter 17, verses 1 to 28: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you
will find my commentary for this study.
1 And
יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 ‘Speak
unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take
up the fire-pans out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they
are become holy; 3 even the fire-pans of these
men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made beaten
plates for a covering of the altar for they are become holy, because they were
offered before יְהוָה - the LORD that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel’. 4 And Eleazar the priest took
the brazen fire-pans, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat
them out for a covering of the altar, 5 to be a
memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no common man, that is
not of the seed of Aaron, draw near to burn incense before יְהוָה - the LORD; that he fare not as Korah, and
as his company; as יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto him by the hand of Moses. 6 But
on the morrow all the congregation of the children of
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Commentary of Numbers
Chapter 17:
Verses
1-15:
(The Cessation of the Plague). The chapter opens with the command to remove the
censers from the remains of the rebellion. These bronze vessels, having been
dedicated to the service of the Almighty, are hammered into plates to cover the
Altar as a perpetual warning. Despite the immediate judgment, the congregation
continues to murmur against Moses and Aaron. The subsequent plague is only
stayed when Aaron, at Moses' direction, runs into the midst of the assembly
with incense to make atonement. This dramatic sequence proves that the
Priesthood is the essential shield between the people and the consuming fire of
Divine justice.
Verses
16-20: (The Command of the Twelve Rods). To provide a final, indisputable sign, the Creator
instructs that one rod be taken from the prince of each of the twelve tribes,
with each man’s name written upon his rod. Aaron’s name is written upon the rod
of Levi. These staves, symbols of tribal authority and leadership, are placed
in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony. The promise is clear: the rod of
the man whom the LORD chooses will blossom, providing a physical end to the
complaints of the children of
Verses 21-24: (The Miracle of Aaron’s Rod). When Moses enters the Tent the following day,
the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi has not only sprouted but has brought
forth buds, bloomed blossoms, and yielded ripe almonds. This triple miracle
represents the full cycle of life occurring instantaneously. While the other
eleven rods remain dry and lifeless, Aaron’s rod proves that his authority is
living and productive. Moses brings the rods out for all the people to see, and
each prince takes back his own lifeless staff, faced with the undeniable
evidence of Divine selection.
Verses
25-26: (The Token Against the Rebels). The blossomed rod is commanded to be put back
before the Testimony to be kept as a “token against the children of rebellion”.
This serves as a preventative measure to save the people from their own
impulses; by keeping the sign of the Priesthood’s legitimacy ever-present, the
cause for future murmurings is removed, thereby protecting the people from
further Divine wrath.
Verses
27-28: (The People’s Realization of Awe). The chapter concludes with the people’s cry of
overwhelming fear. Realizing the intense holiness of the Tabernacle and the
danger of approaching it improperly, they ask if they are all destined to
perish. This shift from rebellion to profound awe is the intended result of the
chapter’s events. It establishes the “fear of the LORD” as the beginning of
wisdom and the necessary mindset for a nation dwelling in the shadow of the
Divine Presence.
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My Closing Message:
Numbers
17 teaches us that Divine order is established to preserve life, not to
restrict it. The miracle of the budding rod shows that the leadership chosen by
the Creator is meant to be fruitful and to bring protection to the entire
community. It reminds us that when we respect the boundaries of holiness and
the roles assigned by the Almighty, the potential for destruction is replaced
by the potential for growth. The almond-bearing rod remains a timeless symbol
of the life-giving power of a true and faithful connection to the Source of all
authority.
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