134 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Numbers, Behaalotecha (Numbers 8:1–12:16), Source Book Keys, AMEMEI NUMBERS | 11:28 restrain — NUM89 Despite emphasizing the need to participate... NUM89 Despite emphasizing the need to participate in the community and help the Jewish community when in trouble, Judaism also recognizes the difficulties and disadvantages of being involved in communal work. When Eldad and Meidad were prophesizing in the camp and Joshua, believing them to be false prophets, wanted them to stop and desist, he said to Moses Kla'aim [this verse], which means "restrain them." Rashi (commentary on this verse) offers two explanations of how to restrain them. One is the simple explanation--to put them in jail. But Rashi also quotes the explanation cited in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 17a) that Moses should give them some community responsibility, which would automatically make them stop prophesying. What does this mean? Why would they stop prophesizing if they had community responsibility? Other commentaries explain that since a prophet had to prophesy out of a sense of joy (see the chapter "Prophecy"), a community worker would never feel joy and thus would not prophesy. Therefore, it seems that even then was understood the great discomfort caused by involvement in Jewish communal work. The Jerusalem Talmud (Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 11a) makes a statement about a particular person, that he rose to greatness in the community and still lived a long life. The implication of this statement is that those who work on behalf of the Jewish community normally do not have long lives. For whatever reasons, it seems that communal work shortened peoples lives. Even today, it can clearly be seen that world leaders age very rapidly while in high office. Share Print Source KeyAMEMEIVerse11:28Keyword(s)restrainSource Page(s)227 Switch article NUMBERS | 11:28 confine — NUM88 Why so? For it is a breach of derech eretz ... Previous Article NUMBERS | 11:29 all — NUM90 Each Jewish blessing … reflects this idea o... Next Article