Welcome to Torah portion Behaalotcha
Behaalotcha means When you set up
Scripture passage: Numbers 8:1-12:16
Read Aloud from My First Torah
After the Israelites had been out of Egypt a whole year, YHVH reminded them that it was time to celebrate the Passover again.
They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Some people could not keep the Passover because they had touched a dead body and were unclean.
They did not know what to do.
YHVH explained that they could keep Passover in the second month if they had been unclean or on a long trip.
Each time the Tabernacle was set up, YHVH’s cloud came down and dwelt among the people.
During the day it looked like a cloud and at night, it looked like fire.
When the cloud lifted up, the people left camp, and when it settled down, the people set up camp.
YHVH instructed the people to make two silver trumpets.
They used the trumpets to give signals in camp.
When both trumpets were blown, everyone came to the entrance of the Tabernacle.
When one trumpet was blown, the chiefs and heads of tribes came to the Tabernacle.
When the trumpets sounded an alarm, the tribes on the east side set out marching, followed by the other tribes in order.
An alarm was also used as a call to war.
The trumpets were blown on feast days and on the first day of the month.
In the second year, in the second month, Israel set out from Mount Sinai.
Everyone marched out in order, following the cloud.
But soon the people began to complain.
They were tired of living in the wilderness and only having manna to eat.
They wanted to eat meat and cucumbers and melons and onions.
Moses was tired of hearing the people complain.
He felt like he was caring for a bunch of children that didn’t know how to be thankful.
YHVH called Moses and the elders to the Tabernacle and told them He would feed the people.
Many of the elders spoke YHVH’s words to the people.
YHVH sent quails from the sea that dropped outside the camp.
The people went out and gathered them.
But they were greedy and selfish.
So YHVH sent a plague, or sickness, through the camp.
YHVH wanted the people to be content with what they were given, and not always seek more.
Even Miriam and Aaron began to complain about the woman that Moses married.
They thought he shouldn’t be the only one in charge.
They even thought Moses was proud.
But YHVH knew that Moses was a very humble man.
He usually spoke to people in visions, but He spoke to Moses like a friend.
So YHVH gave Miriam leprosy, to show her not to question Moses.
She had to stay outside the camp for one week.
Then YHVH healed her and she came back into camp.
My First Torah is available as a full color paperback.
Suggested Activities
Copywork passage: Numbers 9:15-17
Tracing copywork book for all the Torah portions
Coloring pages: Aish Challah crumbs
Read aloud stories: Aish
Worksheets for different ages: One Torah for all
Older child studies: Torah explorers Restoration of Torah
Torah together – small group Bible study for each portion, also suitable for families with older children
Lessons in Yeshua’s Torah – a book packed with activities for each Torah portion (affiliate link)
Morah, Morah, teach me Torah – a book written to help you teach preschool children (affiliate link)
Context for kids
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