NUM90 Each Jewish blessing … reflects this idea of a personal relationship with God. The term Baruch Attah at the beginning of every blessing means blessed are you God, using the familiar "you" in a second person and not in the more distant third person. In the Torah, when the prophets Eldad and Medad were prophesying back in the camp without the knowledge of Moses, Joshua wanted to lock them up. Moses responded by commenting, "Would that all of Israel be prophets like these" [this verse]. Why did Joshua wish to lock them up and what was Moses' response? According to one explanation, Joshua thought that all contact with God had to go through Moses, much as does the Christian approach. There had to be a go-between for God to relate to the people. All contact with God in the past had been through Moses and, therefore, Joshua believed that any prophecy that was not sanctioned by Moses had to be false prophecy. Moses responded by saying that the prophecy situation was such that until now no one was worthy, but if all the people could communicate as prophets directly with God, that would be the highest level of all. Hence, we see from this episode that Judaism does indeed encourage a direct communication with God. In fact, in most traditional synagogues, the verse that is prominently displayed in the front of the chapel during prayer is "God is always before me" [Psalms 16:8], indicating that every person sees God before him or her.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM91 Focus on the good someone is doing or has done. The Torah teaches that when the Israelites received the spirit of God and started to prophecy, Joshua, Moses' assistant and successor, became alarmed, and asked Moses to restrain him. But Moses refused, saying, "Are you wrought up on my account? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets" (Numbers 11:26 – 29). Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810) taught that an envious person should force himself to focus on the good traits of those whom he envies. Don't look at the person whom you envy with an 'evil eye,'" Rabbi Nachman cautioned, and don't downplay or try to explain away any good that person has done. Rather, look upon that person with a "generous eye"; if you force yourself to appreciate her good actions, you may come to believe that her good fortune was deserved, which will help you to stop envying her.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM92 Help others to fulfill their potential. Since loving our neighbor involves wishing for others what we wish for ourselves (see pages 12–13), we need to do what we can to help others achieve their goals. Sometimes we hold back out of fear that our peers' achievements will come at our own expense. We all know, or have heard, of instances in which managers have refrained from promoting subordinates because they feared the subordinates might outperform them. Compare this behavior with an incident in the Torah. During the Israelites' sojourn in the desert, an unnamed man comes to tell Moses that two man, Eldad and Medad, are prophesizing. Although there is no implication that they are speaking falsely in God's name, or are saying untrue or irresponsible things, nonetheless, Joshua, Moses' top aide, says to Moses: "My lord Moses, restrain them." Apparently, he is concerned that the two men might become Moses' competitors. Unlike Joshua, Moses is not bothered, and he responds: "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and the Lord put his spirit upon them!"(Numbers 11:26–29). Moses' trust in God and his generous love of neighbor freed him from the ego concerns that cause many of us to act unlovingly to others, and to refused to encourage their accomplishments.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM93 [God] is angered by human craving for meat (basar); (reluctantly?) allows humans to eat all living things within a sacrificial system that includes an absolute prohibition on consuming blood as a permanent symbol of the sanctity of life. (By Aaron S. Gross, "Jewish Animal Ethics")

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM94 See [[NUM74]] Numbers 11:4 craving SINAI2 187

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM97 See [[EXOD42]] Exodus 2:12 struck BOROJMV 139-40

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM95 … appropriate sanctions should be imposed on people who knowingly allege false charges to harm the accused or gain sympathy for themselves. So, for example, falsely accused people should avail themselves of any and all remedies prescribed in civil law. In addition, though, they have a right to expect the Jewish community to demonstrate its disgust at such behavior and its unwillingness to tolerate it. Depending on the situation, that might include dismissal from a job in the Jewish community (on grounds of moral turpitude); expulsion from the camp, school, or synagogue in which the incident took place; and, minimally, a demand for a public apology. In the process of dealing with such an instance within a community, the relevant laws prohibiting defamation (motzi shem ra), lying (sheker), and even the related law about plotting witnesses (edim zomemim) (For defamation, see Numbers 12:1-6 and Deuteronomy 22:13-19. For lying, see Leviticus 19:11. For plotting witnesses, see Deuteronomy 19:15-21.) should be taught, along with their rabbinical developments, so that this instance may become the occasion to teach people the kinds of speech the Jewish tradition expects Jews to avoid. All sanctions imposed on the accuser, of course, apply only to cases were no abuse had occurred and the accuser knew that; they would not be appropriate in cases where there is reasonable question as to whether the defendant's actions constitute abuse or not. In such cases, the accuser, in lodging the complaint, acted out of an honest, even if mistaken, understanding of the situation and is in blameless for doing so. The defendant can then dispute that understanding in a judicial tribunal if she or he thinks that the accuser misconstrued the situation, and the judges can decide.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM96 If, among your colleagues, there is one who is more advanced than you in the service of God, whose deeds are better than yours, and who endeavors to draw closer to God more than you do, the evil inclination will try to incite you against that person and will say to you: “Any manifestation of diligence in God's service on the part of someone beside you underscores your own deficiency. Were it not for that individual, you would appear, to both man and God, more righteous than any of your contemporaries. Incite against him, envy and hate him. Search for his defects and anything contemptible in him. Lie in wait to discover his failings, and keep track of his mistakes. Call attention to them as best you can, and discredit him on their account. If you can spread slander about him, to diminish his reputation among the people, do so.” Answer it by saying, “How shall I despise one whom God loves, disparage one whom the Creator praises? If I am too lazy to fulfill God's service as he does, should I also hate he who fulfills it? That is no way to repay the Creator, make He be exalted, for what I owe Him! Rather, it is my duty, for love of Him, to love those who love Him; And, out of honor for Him, to honor those who honor Him, as it is written: ‘He honors those who revere God’ (Tehillim 15:4). You know what happened to Miriam in the narrative beginning, ‘Miriam and Aharon spoke against Moshe...’ (Bemidbar 12:1), and what happened to Korach and his party when they were envious of Moshe and Aharon, and drew near to God.”

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM98 See [[NUM113]] Numbers 12:3 humble DUTIES 575-7

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

NUM99 We should learn the extent of the prohibition against loshon hora from Miriam's speaking against Moshe. Miriam heard from Moshe's wife, Tzipora (see Rashi for the reason why she was referred to as a Cushite), that Moshe had separated himself from her. Miriam felt that Moshe's behavior was improper and related this to her brother Aharon. The Chofetz Chayim (Shmiras Haloshon 2:18) writes that from these verses [12:1-3] we learn a number of principles concerning loshon hora: 1) The prohibition against speaking loshon hora applies even when the person spoken against is very humble and does not mind if others speak against him. For this reason, immediately after Moshe was spoken against the Torah states that he was humble. 2) Even if you have done many favors for another person, it does not give you the right to speak against him. Miriam helped save Moshe's life but was still punished for her loshon hora. 3) The prohibition against loshon hora applies even if you do not publicize the loshon hora but will only relate it to one person, and that person is a relative who will not repeat it to anyone else. Miriam told the loshon hora only to her brother Aharon who would not publicize it. 4) If you say about a truly great man that his behavior would only be proper if he were on a higher level, but on his present level his behavior is improper, it is considered loshon hora. Miriam felt that Moshe was wrong for separating himself from his wife. She erred, since Moshe's level of prophecy was such that at any moment God could communicate with him and his abstention was proper.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT