Divrei Mav

In the opening pasukim (passages) of Parshas Shelach Hashem tells Moshe (Moses) to send miraglim (spies) to Eretz Canaan (Israel) because they wanted to make sure the land was a good land for the B‘nai Yisroel. In truth, the B’nai Yisroel were intensely frightened of entering the land of Canaan because of the widespread rumors about the land’s inhabitants. They pleaded with Moshe and insisted upon sending spies to see if the land is okay and safe. Hashem was not “supporting” this because how could His chosen people not trust in Hashem who has guarded and guided His people from the very start? Hashem basically said, go and do want you want. So Moshe selected men from each shevet (tribe). When the miraglim went into the land they encountered people of enormous size (giants) living in the land. Not only were the people abnormally large but so was their food. So when the miraglim returned, ten out of the twelve spoke Lashon Harah about the Promised Land. The other two were tremendous tzad

In Parshas Beha’alosecha unfortunately the B’nai Yisroel complain many times in the desert, about the ma’an (heavenly food), and many other things. Because of their complaints Hashem saw fit that instead of making their journey through the desert three days He made it forty years. One might ask, why would Hashem punish them so severely? A possible answer could be that Hashem judges them according to their connection to Him. In other words, Hashem has higher expectations for them. As was with the B’nai Yisroel, they had just experienced the splitting of the sea, the revealing of none other then G-d Himself at Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai), and were given the Torah - Never in the history of the world had a people been so close to Hashem. So now we could understand a little better how they would be dealt with so sternly. Also in this Parsha Ahron is instructed by Hashem (G-d) to light the menorah (candelabra) in the Mishkan (tabernacle). There were many different nisim (miracles) that involved

Parshas Nasso discusses the case of a Sotah. A Sotah is a woman that was seemingly having suspicious forbidden relationships with other men (besides her husband). Her husband warns her about this matter and she was again seemingly having forbidden relationships with someone other than her husband - he then takes her to the Kohain (priest) and the Kohain brings a korban (offering) to Hashem on her behalf. The kohain also makes a Torah commanded drink or “potion”, so to speak. The Kohain erases Hashem’s name and put’s it into the “potion”. It is then given to the accused woman to drink. If she was innocent then she will be blessed with a child, but if she was guilty then her insides would in essence explode. Right after discussing the halachos of a Sotah, the Torah talks about a Nazir. Someone who is a nazir can’t cut their hair/shave, eat or come in contact with grapes, and *some cannot come in contact with a deceased. One becomes a nazir either by the word of Hashem or if