This week’s parashat is the 10th parashat in the book of Bamidbar also called Numbers, and is called Massei which means ‘Journeys’.
Bullet Point Summary
– The journeys of Yisra’el from Mitzrayim to Yarden are retold
– YHWH commands when they go in to possess the land they must destroy the people, images, and high places or YHWH will do it to them
– YHWH tells Moshe the borders of the land given to them
– YHWH tells Moshe who to put in charge from each tribe for the dividing of the inheritance
– The Levitical cities and cities for the manslayer are commanded to be set up
– Anyone who kills a man on accident shall flee to the cities of refuge until they are judged
– If the killing is proved to be an accident he shall stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest
– You shall not take money for the life of a murderer or to let the man out of the city of refuge lest you pollute the land
– Daughters receiving an inheritance shall marry in their father’s tribe so the inheritance doesn’t leave the tribe
– Haftarah – YHWH shows Yisra’el how their own actions have brought destruction to them
Parashat Text with Readers and Daily Portions (Reader 1 Starts on Saturday Evening)
Massei “Journeys”
Num 33:1 – 36:13 , Jeremiah 2:4 – 28; 3:4, 4:1-2
Reader 1 (Saturday Evening Portion)
– The journeys of Yisra’el from Mitzrayim to Yarden are retold
Num 33:1 These are the journeys of the children of Yisra’el, which went forth out of the land of
Mitzrayim with their armies under the hand of Moshe and Aharon.
Num 33:2 And Moshe wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment
of YHWH: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
Num 33:3 And they departed from Ra’meses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first
month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Yisra’el went out with an high hand
in the sight of all the Mitzrayim.
Num 33:4 For the Mitzrayim buried all their firstborn, which YHWH had smitten among them:
upon their elohim also YHWH executed judgments.
(Sunday Morning Portion)
Num 33:5 And the children of Yisra’el removed from Ra’meses, and pitched in Sukkot.
Num 33:6 And they departed from Sukkot, and pitched in Etam, which is in the edge of the
wilderness.
Num 33:7 And they removed from Etam, and turned again unto Pi’hachirot, which is before
Ba’al-Tzefon: and they pitched before Migdol.
Num 33:8 And they departed from before Pi’hahirot, and passed through the midst of the sea
into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etam, and pitched in
Marah.
Num 33:9 And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve
fountains of water, and seventy palm trees; and they pitched there.
Num 33:10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Sea of Suf.
Reader 2 (Sunday Evening Portion)
Num 33:11 And they removed from the Sea of Suf, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
Num 33:12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dofka.
Num 33:13 And they departed from Dofka, and encamped in Alush.
Num 33:14 And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Refidim, where was no water for
the people to drink.
Num 33:15 And they departed from Refidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
Num 33:16 And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kivrot-hatta’avah.
Num 33:17 And they departed from Kivrot-hatta’avah, and encamped at Chatzerot.
Num 33:18 And they departed from Chatzerot, and pitched in Ritmah.
Num 33:19 And they departed from Ritmah, and pitched at Rimmon-Paretz.
Num 33:20 And they departed from Rimmon-Paretz, and pitched in Livna.
Num 33:21 And they removed from Livna, and pitched at Rissah.
Num 33:22 And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehela’tah.
Num 33:23 And they went from Kehela’tah, and pitched in mount Shefer.
Num 33:24 And they removed from mount Shefer, and encamped in Charadah.
Num 33:25 And they removed from Charadah, and pitched in Makhelot.
Num 33:26 And they removed from Makhelot, and encamped at Tahat.
Num 33:27 And they departed from Tahat, and pitched at Terach.
Num 33:28 And they removed from Terach, and pitched in Mitcah.
Num 33:29 And they went from Mitcah, and pitched in Chashmonah.
Num 33:30 And they departed from Chashmonah, and encamped at Moserot.
Num 33:31 And they departed from Moserot, and pitched in Benay’Ya’akan.
Num 33:32 And they removed from Benay’Ya’akan, and encamped at Chor-Haggidgad.
Num 33:33 And they went from Chor-Haggidgad, and pitched in Yotvatah.
Num 33:34 And they removed from Yotvatah, and encamped at Avronah.
Num 33:35 And they departed from Avronah, and encamped at Etzyon-Gever.
Num 33:36 And they removed from Etzyon-Gever, and pitched in the wilderness of Tzin, which
is Kadesh.
Num 33:37 And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land
of Edom.
Num 33:38 And Aharon the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of YHWH,
and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Yisra’el were come out of the land of
Mitzrayim, in the first day of the fifth month.
Num 33:39 And Aharon was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in
mount Hor.
(Monday Morning Portion)
Num 33:40 And king Arad the Kena’an, which dwelt in the south in the land of Kena’an, heard
of the coming of the children of Yisra’el.
Num 33:41 And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Tzalmonah.
Num 33:42 And they departed from Tzalmonah, and pitched in Punon.
Num 33:43 And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Ovot.
Num 33:44 And they departed from Ovot, and pitched in Avarimen, in the border of Moav.
Num 33:45 And they departed from Iyim, and pitched in Divon-Gad.
Num 33:46 And they removed from Divon’Gad, and encamped in Almon at Divlata’yimah.
Num 33:47 And they removed from Almon at Divlata’yimah, and pitched in the mountains of
Avarimen, before Nevo.
Num 33:48 And they departed from the mountains of Avarimen, and pitched in the plains of
Moav by Yarden near Yericho.
Num 33:49 And they pitched by Yarden, from Beit’Yeshimot even unto Avel’Hashittim in the
plains of Moav.
Reader 3 (Monday Evening Portion)
– YHWH commands when they go in to possess the land they must destroy the people, images, and high places or YHWH will do it to them
Num 33:50 And YHWH spoke unto Moshe in the plains of Moav by Yarden near Yericho,
saying,
Num 33:51 Speak unto the children of Yisra’el, and say unto them, When you are passed over
Yarden into the land of Kena’an;
Num 33:52 Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy
all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high
places:
Num 33:53 And you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have
given you the land to possess it.
Num 33:54 And you shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to
the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less
inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falls; according to the
tribes of your fathers you shall inherit.
Num 33:55 But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it
shall come to pass, that those which you let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and
thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein you dwell.
Num 33:56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto
them.
(Tuesday Morning Portion)
– YHWH tells Moshe the borders of the land given to them
Num 34:1 And YHWH spoke unto Moshe, saying,
Num 34:2 Command the children of Yisra’el, and say unto them, When you come into the land
of Kena’an; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of
Kena’an with the coasts thereof:)
Num 34:3 Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Tzin along by the coast of
Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:
Num 34:4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabim, and pass on to
Tzin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadesh-Barnea, and shall go on
to Chatzar-Addar, and pass on to Atzmon:
Num 34:5 And the border shall fetch a compass from Atzmon unto the river of Egypt, and the
goings out of it shall be at the sea.
Num 34:6 And as for the western border, you shall even have the great sea for a border: this
shall be your west border.
Num 34:7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall point out for you
mount Hor:
Num 34:8 From mount Hor you shall point out your border unto the entrance of Chamat; and
the goings forth of the border shall be to Tzedad:
Num 34:9 And the border shall go on to Zifron, and the goings out of it shall be at
Chatzar-Enan: this shall be your north border.
Num 34:10 And you shall point out your east border from Chatzar-Enan to Shefam:
Num 34:11 And the coast shall go down from Shefam to Rivlah, on the east side of Ayin; and the
border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Kinneret eastward:
Num 34:12 And the border shall go down to Yarden, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt
sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.
Num 34:13 And Moshe commanded the children of Yisra’el, saying, This is the land which you
shall inherit by lot, which YHWH commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half
tribe:
Num 34:14 For the tribe of the children of Re’uven according to the house of their fathers, and
the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their
inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasheh have received their inheritance:
Num 34:15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Yarden
near Yericho eastward, toward the sunrising.
Reader 4 (Tuesday Evening Portion)
– YHWH tells Moshe who to put in charge from each tribe for the dividing of the inheritance
Num 34:16 And YHWH spoke unto Moshe, saying,
Num 34:17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: El’azar the
priest, and Yahushua the son of Nun.
Num 34:18 And you shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.
Num 34:19 And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Yahudah, Kalev the son of
Yefunneh.
Num 34:20 And of the tribe of the children of Shim’on, Shemu’el the son of Ammihud.
Num 34:21 Of the tribe of Benyamin, Elidad the son of Kislon.
Num 34:22 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Yogli.
(Wednesday Morning Portion)
Num 34:23 The prince of the children of Yosef, for the tribe of the children of Manasheh,
Channi’el the son of Efod.
Num 34:24 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Efrayim, Kemu’el the son of Shiftan.
Num 34:25 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zevulun, Eli’tzafan the son of Parnakh.
Num 34:26 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Yissakhar, Palti’el the son of Azzan.
Num 34:27 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Achi’chud the son of Shelomi.
Num 34:28 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naftali, Pedah’el the son of Ammihud.
Num 34:29 These are they whom YHWH commanded to divide the inheritance unto the
children of Yisra’el in the land of Kena’an.
Reader 5 (Wednesday Evening Portion)
Num 35:1 And YHWH spoke unto Moshe in the plains of Moav by Yarden near Yericho, saying,
Num 35:2 Command the children of Yisra’el, that they give unto the Levi’im of the inheritance
of their possession cities to dwell in; and you shall give also unto the Levi’im suburbs for the
cities round about them.
Num 35:3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their
cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.
Num 35:4 And the suburbs of the cities, which you shall give unto the Levi’im, shall reach from
the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
(Thursday Morning Portion)
– The Levitical cities and cities for the manslayer are commanded to be set up
Num 35:5 And you shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits,
and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and
on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to
them the suburbs of the cities.
Num 35:6 And among the cities which you shall give unto the Levi’im there shall be six cities
for refuge, which you shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee there: and to them
you shall add forty and two cities.
Num 35:7 So all the cities which you shall give to the Levi’im shall be forty and eight cities:
them shall you give with their suburbs.
Num 35:8 And the cities which you shall give shall be of the possession of the children of
Yisra’el: from them that have many you shall give many; but from them that have few you
shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levi’im according to his inheritance
which he inherits.
Reader 6 (Thursday Evening Portion)
– Anyone who kills a man on accident shall flee to the cities of refuge until they are judged
Num 35:9 And YHWH spoke unto Moshe, saying,
Num 35:10 Speak unto the children of Yisra’el, and say unto them, When you are come over
Yarden into the land of Kena’an;
Num 35:11 Then you shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may
flee there, which kills any person by accident.
Num 35:12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die
not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.
Num 35:13 And of these cities which you shall give six cities shall you have for refuge.
Num 35:14 You shall give three cities on this side Yarden, and three cities shall you give in the
land of Kena’an, which shall be cities of refuge.
– If the killing is proved to be an accident he shall stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest
Num 35:15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Yisra’el, and for the
stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that kills any person by accident
may flee there.
Num 35:16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the
murderer shall surely be put to death.
Num 35:17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a
murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Num 35:18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die,
he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
Num 35:19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meets him, he shall
slay him.
Num 35:20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
Num 35:21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be
put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he
meets him.
Num 35:22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing
without laying of wait,
Num 35:23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him,
that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:
Num 35:24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood
according to these judgments:
Num 35:25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of
blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, where he was fled:
and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy
oil.
Num 35:26 But if the slayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge,
where he was fled;
Num 35:27 And the revenger of blood find him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and
the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:
Num 35:28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high
priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his
possession.
Num 35:29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your
generations in all your dwellings.
– You shall not take money for the life of a murderer or to let the man out of the city of refuge lest you pollute the land
Num 35:30 Whosoever kills any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of
witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.
Num 35:31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of
death: but he shall be surely put to death.
Num 35:32 And you shall take no ransom for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he
should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.
Num 35:33 So you shall not pollute the land wherein you are: for blood it defiles the land: and
the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that
shed it.
Num 35:34 Defile not therefore the land which you shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I YHWH
dwell among the children of Yisra’el.
Reader 7 (6th Day Friday Morning Double Portion)
– Daughters receiving an inheritance shall marry in their father’s tribe so the inheritance doesn’t leave the tribe
Num 36:1 And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gil’ad, the son of Machir, the
son of Manasheh, of the families of the sons of Yosef, came near, and spoke before Moshe,
and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Yisra’el:
Num 36:2 And they said, YHWH commanded my adon to give the land for an inheritance by lot
to the children of Yisra’el: and my lord was commanded by YHWH to give the inheritance of
Tzelohchad our brother unto his daughters.
Num 36:3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of
Yisra’el, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall
be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from
the lot of our inheritance.
Num 36:4 And when the Yo’vale of the children of Yisra’el shall be, then shall their inheritance
be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their
inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
Num 36:5 And Moshe commanded the children of Yisra’el according to the word of YHWH,
saying, The tribe of the sons of Yosef has said well.
Num 36:6 This is the thing which YHWH does command concerning the daughters of
Tzelohchad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe
of their father shall they marry.
Num 36:7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Yisra’el remove from tribe to tribe: for
every one of the children of Yisra’el shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his
fathers.
Num 36:8 And every daughter, that possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of
Yisra’el, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of
Yisra’el may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.
Num 36:9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one
of the tribes of the children of Yisra’el shall keep himself to his own inheritance.
Num 36:10 Even as YHWH commanded Moshe, so did the daughters of Tzelochhad:
Num 36:11 For Machlah, Tirtzah, and Choglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of
Tzelohchad, were married unto their father’s brothers’ sons:
Num 36:12 And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasheh the son of Yosef,
and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.
Num 36:13 These are the commandments and the judgments, which YHWH commanded by
the hand of Moshe unto the children of Yisra’el in the plains of Moav by Yarden near
Yericho.
Haftarah (Shabbat Evening Portion)
– YHWH shows Yisra’el how their own actions have brought destruction to them
Jer 2:4 Hear you the word of YHWH, O house of Ya’akov, and all the families of the house of
Yisra’el:
Jer 2:5 Thus saith YHWH, What lawlessness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone
far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
Jer 2:6 Neither said they, Where is YHWH that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led
us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought,
and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man
dwelt?
Jer 2:7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness
thereof; but when you entered, you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.
Jer 2:8 The priests said not, Where is YHWH? and they that handle the law knew me not: the
pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Ba’al, and walked
after things that do not profit.
Jer 2:9 Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith YHWH, and with your children’s children will
I plead.
Jer 2:10 For pass over the isles of Kittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently,
and see if there be such a thing.
Jer 2:11 Has a nation changed their elohim, which are yet no elohim? but my people have
changed their glory for that which does not profit.
Jer 2:12 Be astonished, O you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be you very desolate,
saith YHWH.
Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living
waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Jer 2:14 Yisra’el a servant he is homeborn why is he spoiled?
Jer 2:15 The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities
are burned without inhabitant.
Jer 2:16 Also the children of Mof and Tachpanches have broken the crown of your head.
Jer 2:17 Have you not done this unto yourself, in that you have forsaken YHWH your Elohim,
when He led you by the way?
Jer 2:18 And now what have you to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sichor? or
what have you to do in the way of Ashur, to drink the waters of the river?
Jer 2:19 Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you: know
therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that you have forsaken YHWH your
Elohim, and that my fear is not in you, saith Adonai YHWH Tsebeoath.
Jer 2:20 For of old time I have broken your yoke, and burst your bands; and you said, I will not
transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree you wandered, playing the
harlot.
Jer 2:21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then are you turned into
the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Jer 2:22 For though you wash you with nitre, and take you much soap, yet your lawlessness is
marked before me, saith Adonai YHWH.
Jer 2:23 How can you say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Ba’alim? see your way in the
valley, know what you have done: you are a swift young she camel traversing her ways;
Jer 2:24 A wild donkey used to the wilderness, that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure; in her
occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her
month they shall find her.
Jer 2:25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst: but you said,
There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.
Jer 2:26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Yisra’el ashamed; they,
their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
Jer 2:27 Saying to a stock, You are my father; and to a stone, You have brought me forth: for
they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they
will say, Arise, and save us.
Jer 2:28 But where are your elohim that you have made you? let them arise, if they can save
you in the time of your trouble: for according to the number of your cities are your elohim,
O Yahudah.
Jer 3:4 Will you not from this time cry unto me, My father, you are the guide of my youth?
Review Torah Summaries (Shabbat Morning Portion)