The Torah records the names and ages of the ten generations from Adam until Noach, and then tells us the names and ages of the ten generations from Noach until Avraham. The Torah then speaks in detail of the lives of Avraham, Yitzchok, Yaacov and the twelve tribes. It tells of their travails and that the family finally settled in Egypt with Yosef as Viceroy. The Torah tells us the names of the seventy members of Yaacov’s family that initially settled in Egypt. For the following 210 years all the Jews were contained in Egypt and during this time the Pharoh enslaved them. Moshe Aaron and Miriam were born to Amram, who was a grandson of Levi.
Moshe, as we know, was the leader and led the Jewish nation out of Egypt. Fifty days after the Exodus, the Jews, some 2 million strong, stood at Mount Sinai to witness and hear G-d proclaim the Ten Commandments. Moshe spent 40 days and nights in Heaven with G-d, Who taught him the entirety of Torah both the Written Law and the Oral Law. Moshe is called Moshe Rabainu – Moshe our teacher – because he transmitted Torah to the Jewish nation.
One of Moshe’s other titles is ‘the great scribe’ since he scribed thirteen complete Torah scrolls at the end of his life. He presented one to each tribe and placed one in, or on the side of, the Holy Ark in the Holy of Holies.
Our Parsha contains a census of the Jews taken before they entered the land. A verse in this passage highlights Serach bas Asher. She was a daughter of the Tribal head Asher, and a dear granddaughter of Yaacov, who blessed her with longevity. Her presence among the Jews with her personal memories and experiences throughout the Jews enslavement in Egypt and sojourn in the desert, as an eye witness to our forefather Yaacov and the 12 tribes was greatly appreciated.
There is a law that one is to recite and review the weekly Torah Portion twice, plus to recite the official Aramaic Onkolus translation of the Torah. This way one becomes proficient in Torah. If one studies Rashi and other commentaries one gains further understanding of the Divine wisdom of Torah. Our loyalty to Torah and its study is the main ingredient in our survival throughout our long journey. We realize it and our enemies recognize it as well.
Recently, the Talmud which we are currently studying in the Daf Yomi Cycle, Baba Basra 14, speaks about the authors of our holy books. The Talmud states that Moshe authored – through the direct command of G-d – the entire five books of the Torah and the Book of Job.
The Talmud discusses who scribed the final eight verses of the Torah which describes Moshe’s death. One opinion is that Yehoshua wrote it, and the other opinion is that Moshe wrote it himself, however it was not with ink, rather with his tears. It was later filled in with ink.
Joshua authored the Book of Joshua, and Pinchus, after whom our Parsha is named, completed it, writing the verses describing the passing of Joshua.
Samuel the Prophet wrote the Books of Samuel, Judges and Ruth.
King David wrote the 150 chapters of the Book of Psalms and included within them the compositions of ten elders; Adam, Malki Tzedek, Avraham, Moshe, Haimon, Yedosun, Asaf and three sons of Korach. We are familiar with one of the Psalms of Korach’s sons, as we recite it seven times before the sounding of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana.
Jeremiah wrote his Book, the Book of Kings, and Lamentations.
Chizkia wrote the Book of Isaiah. He wrote Proverbs, Song of Songs and Koheles based on King Solomon’s wisdom.
The Men of the Great Assembly of Great Sages (Chagai, Zecharia, Malachai, Zerubavel and Mordechai.) wrote the Books of Yechezkeil, Trei Asar, Daniel and the Book of Esther.
Ezra wrote his Book and the Book of Divrai Hayamim.
Prophecy and the Books of the Prophets came to an end just around the beginning of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
We are currently in the three-weeks, the sad time of the year when we reflect on the loss of our Two Temples. Both were destroyed by our foes, the Babylonians and then by the Romans.
With all our travails over the millennia we have The Kosel – the Western Wall – which is a remnant of the Second Temple structure that G-d vowed that it would never be destroyed. The verse tells us that G-d is always present looking and watching over us hiddenly from behind the wall.
The Western Wall’s presence is a visual and tangible proof of our unbroken history. It further exhibits our hope in the fulfillment of the Prophecy that we will all return to Israel with the arrival of the Moshiach. Our Third Temple will be rebuilt, and peace will prevail throughout the world!
