I study the Torah every year using the teaching tools of Scripture. (Why?)
Today is the 36th Sabbath of the annual Torah cycle. The Torah reading is Korah, Korah, Num 16:1-18:32.
The paragraph divisions are as follows:
Num 16:1-19 s Rebellion of Korah + Dathan + Abirim + 250 leaders
Num 16:20-22 s Intercession of Moses and Aaron
Num 16:23-35 s Ground swallows the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
Num 16:36-40 p Burned censors a covering for the incense altar as a warning
Num 16:41-43 s Rebellion of all the congregation of Israel
Num 16:44-50 p Aaron between the dead + living with his censor; plague stopped
Num 17:1-9 p Aaron’s rod budded
Num 17:10-11 p Aaron’s rod kept as a memorial before the ark of the covenant
Num 17:12-13 s Children of Israel: Whoever comes near the tabernacle perishes
Num 18:1-7 p Aaron and sons to attend to their priesthood
Num 18:8-20 s Aaron and sons’ portion
Num 18:21-24 p Levites portion: tithes
Num 18:25-32 p Levites to give a tithe of the tithe to Aaron and sons
The chiastic structures of today’s parashah (not all of them):
Num 16:1-50 s+s+s+p+s+p
1a) Num 16:1-39, Rebellion + judgment of the leaders:
— 1) Num 16:1-19 s, Rebellion of Korah + 250 leaders;
— 2) Num 16:20-21, YHVH commands Moses + Aaron to separate from the congregation;
— 3) Num 16:22 s, Moses + Aaron fell on their faces in intercession;
— 4) Num 16:23-35 s, Moses explains YHVH’s wrath + judgement upon Korah;
— 5) Num 16:36-39, Consecrated censors to be made into a covering for the incense altar;
central axis) Num 16:40 p, No outsider who is not of Aaron shall come near to offer incense;
2a) Num 16:41-50, Rebellion + judgment of the congregation:
— 1) Num 16:41-43 s, Rebellion of all the congregation of Israel;
— 2) Num 16:44-45a, YHVH commands Moses + Aaron to separate from the congregation;
— 3) Num 16:45b, Moses + Aaron fell on their faces (in intercession);
— 4) Num 16:46, Moses explains YHVH’s wrath + plague upon Israel;
— 5) Num 16:47-50 p, Aaron’s censor made atonement (covering) for Israel.
Num 17:1-11 p+p
1a) Num 17:1, The LORD commanded Moses;
1b) Num 17:2-5, Twelve rods of the heads of father’s houses;
— 1) Num 17:2-4, Twelve rods to be placed before the Testimony;
— 2) Num 17:5a, The rod of him chosen as priest will bud;
— 3) Num 17:5b, YHVH to rid Himself of the complaints of the children of Israel;
1c) Num 17:6, Each man gave his rod;
1d) Num 17:7, Moses placed the rods before the LORD;
central axis) Num 17:8, “Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds;”
2d) Num 17:9a, Moses brought out the rods from before the LORD;
2c) Num 17:9b p, Each man took his rod;
2b) Num 17:10, One rod of Aaron the head of Levi;
— 1) Num 17:10a, Aaron’s rod placed before the Testimony;
— 2) Num 17:10b, The rod that budded kept as a sign;
— 3) Num 17:10c, That complaints may be put away from YHVH;
2a) Num 17:11 p, Moses did just as the LORD commanded.
Num 17:12-18:7 s+p
1a) Num 17:12-13 s, Whoever comes near must die;
1b) Num 18:1, Aaron + sons to bear iniquity of sanctuary + priesthood;
1c) Num 18:2-4, Levites attend to needs of Aaron and sons + tabernacle;
central axis) Num 18:5, “And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there may be no more wrath of the children of Israel;”
2c) Num 18:6, Levites a gift to Aaron + sons to do the work of the tabernacle;
2b) Num 18:7a, Priesthood a gift to Aaron + sons to attend to priesthood + sanctuary;
2a) Num 18:7b p, The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
Num 18:8-20 s
1a) Num 18:8-10, I have given the holy gifts of the children of Israel to you as your portion forever;
1b) Num 18:11, The heave offering is yours;
1c) Num 18:12-13, The firstfruits are yours;
central axis) Num 18:14, Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours;
2c) Num 18:14-18, The firstborn shall be yours;
2b) Num 18:19, The heave offerings are yours;
2a) Num 18:20, You shall have no inheritance or portion in Israel, for I am your portion and your inheritance;
Num 18:21-24 p
1a) Num 18:21, The tithes of Israel are Levi’s inheritance;
1b) Num 18:22a, The children of Israel shall not come near (have no portion in) the tabernacle of meeting;
1c) Num 18:22b, Lest they bear sin and die;
central axis) Num 18:23a, But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting;
2c) Num 18:23b, They shall bear their iniquity;
2b) Num 18:23c, Among the children of Israel the Levites shall have no inheritance;
2a) Num 18:24, The tithes of the children of Israel I have given to the Levites as an inheritance.
Num 18:25-32 p
1a) Num 18:25-26, The Levites shall offer up a tenth of the tithe as a heave offering;
1b) Num 18:27, The heave offering shall be reckoned to the Levite as the grain and wine;
1c) Num 18:28a, They shall offer the heave offering to the Lord from the tithes they receive from the children of Israel;
central axis) Num 18:28b, You shall give the Lords’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest;
2c) Num 18:29, Of everything the Levites shall receive as gifts, they shall offer up every heave offering due to the Lord;
2b) Num 18:30, When they have lifted up the best, it shall be reckoned as the produce of the threshing floor and winepress;
2a) Num 18:31-32, The Levites shall bear no sin in eating the tithe, when they have lifted up the best of it.
I am not wise enough to see how the entire parashah forms its own chiastic structure, and I am not sure yet what the significance of these structures are. That is why I continue to study the Torah every year, there is always something new to learn! (Or something old to be reminded of.)
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