Shabbat Beha'alotecha

There are so many topics to touch upon in this week’s Parasha that one almost becomes overwhelmed by the choices. (See “Summary of this week’s Parasha below”.) There is however a common theme in many of the subjects.
The difference between man and animal is that on the sixth day of creation, Hashem breathed into the human being a breath of life, a Neshama superior to all creatures which would allow man to speak and to have the power to create (or destroy) with the power of speech. Just as Hashem “said” “let it be this or that…and it was”, Hashem gives man that same powerful tool.

In this week’s Parasha, we can experience the full gamut of the scale of man’s usage of air that emanates from his mouth. Firstly, regarding the Pesach offering, the Torah excludes from celebrating with the multitude, those who are spiritually unfit, such as having come into contact with a dead body. This group of people protest to Hashem, using their verbal powers to “convince God otherwise”. (How this worked is a separate matter.) And so, the first Mitzvah extension is permitted (similar to filing for an extension for filing one’s taxes) allowing them to offer the Pesach sacrifice one month later.

To the other extreme of the oral scale, some of the people complain about what is and what isn’t going into their mouths. A fire consumes the edge of the camp, killing them. Moshe alternatively uses the verbal power of prayer to try to bring a resolution to the punishment, which he successfully accomplishes.
Why was the punishment fire? Fire cannot exist without air, oxygen, which is the main ingredient for any verbal opportunity. It also spreads at a quick rate, causing devastation in its path. So too is the power of the word.

The Torah continues with some of people having the audacity to persist on complaining, again misusing the gift of speech. Moshe despairs and expresses himself as well. More air comes forth, this time bringing meat to the complainers. They satiate their oral fixations and then die for their cravings.

Finally, Miriam also talks about Moshe’s wife Tzipora and is punished with the affliction of Tzara’at. This week’s Parasha is replete with ways one can use the very breath which keeps us alive and which contains in it the initial spark of humanity.