SEDRAH SELECTIONS PARSHAS B'HAALOS'CHO 5773 BS"D

Ch. 8, v. 2: "El mul pnei hamnorah yo'iru" - To the face of the candelabrum shall they illuminate - The prime position for the six outer flames to be positioned is towards the central flame. Obviously this is not likely to happen with all six and surely not on a daily basis, as with the burning of the oil and the wick itself, the flames turn any which way. Hashem guaranteed Aharon that when he himself would light the menorah that the flames would always stay turned towards the middle flame. This is why Aharon himself always lit the menorah. (Chasam Sofer)

Rashbam explains that "el mul pnei hamnorah" means that the flames should illuminate that which was across from the menorah, the "shulchon."

Chizkuni says that it means that the Kohein who is lighting the menorah should stand right near the menorah and not light it with a long implement from a distance.

Ch. 11, v. 22: "Hatzone uvokor yishocheit lohem umotzo lohem" - If sheep and cattle will be slaughtered for them will it be sufficient - Moshe misunderstood ahsem's intention. Since he was just given seventy elders he thought that they would slaughter animals for the nation, hence his wonder, "How can it suffice?" Hashem then told him that this wasn't His intention. Rather, He Himself would supply the meat through "slov." (Chizkuni)

It is well known that the Ramban negates an insight of Rabbeinu Chananeil in parshas Korach, where he says that Moshe misunderstood Hashem's message.

Ch. 11, v. 29: "Umi yitein kol am Hashem n'viim" - And would it only be that all Hashem's nation be prophets - The practical wisdom of the Holy Admor of Satmar is so clearly encapsulated in his explanation of these words. "And who will be able to give if all the people are prophets and do not produce an income?" (mentioned in an earlier edition)

Ch. 12, v. 1: "Al odos ho'ishoh" - Regarding the woman - Haksav V'hakaboloh translates "odos" as distancing, as per the verse "Va'yadu evven bi," throwing to a distance. This was their criticism of Moshe for separating himself from his wife.

Ch. 12, v. 3: "V'ho'ish Moshe onov m'ode mikol ho'odom asher al pnei ho'adomoh" - And the man Moshe was more humble than any man on the face of the earth - Moshe's modesty lay in that he ascended to the heavens, a feat no other person had experienced, and still considered himself like any other person who spent his whole life on the face of the earth. (ChasaN Sofer)

Ch. 12, v. 3: "V'ho'ish Moshe onov m'ode mikole ho'odom asher al pnei ho'adomoh" - And the man Moshe was more humble than any man on the face of the earth - There was one prophet who was Moshe's equal in some aspect, Bilom. Our verse tells us that Moshe was different from and exceeded Bilom in humility. "Odom" is only used when we are discussing a Jewish person. Tosfos says that "ho'odom" can also include a non-Jew. Moshe was greater "mikole HO'odom," even Bilom. (n.l.)

Ch. 12, v. 4: "Tzu shlosh't'chem" - Go out the three of you - What need was there for Moshe to also be there given that Hashem was reprimanding only Aharon and Miriam? This was to show them their great mistake. They equated themselves with Moshe as prophets. Hashem therefore told all three of them to go out together to teach Aharon and Miriam that it was only in the merit of Moshe's being with them that they received this prophecy directly from Hashem. (Kanfei N'shorim)

Ch. 12, v. 10: "V'hi'nei Miriam m'tzoraas kasheleg va'yifen Aharon el Miriam v'hinei m'tzoro'as" - And behold Miriam was skin afflicted as snow and Aharon turned to Miriam and behold she was skin afflicted - Why earlier in the verse is the affliction described as "like snow" and when describing when Aharon saw her it does not mention "like snow?"

The verse says that this took place when the cloud left. Tosfos on the gemara M'nochos says that the cloud left either at day break of when night was about to begin. There is a ruling that the Kohein should not observe a "nega" at the beginning or the end of the day. The light conditions at these times is such that he will not be able to differentiate between different depths and sharpness of white. Thus, since the cloud just left Aharon was not able to see the depth of the white, only that it was the colour of a white "tzoraas." (GR"A)

Alternatively, the Torah tells us the exact description of the whiteness of the affliction and Aharon looked and said that this was "tzoraas." (Rabbi Shimshon ben R'foel Hirsch)

Ch. 12, v. 11: "Al noh sosheis oleinu chatos" - Please don't place upon us a sin - Aharon readily admitted that he and Miriam acted foolishly and sinned. Once he saw that his sister was afflicted with "tzoraas" (and he too according to one opinion in the gemara) he just requested that the punishment not be something visible on their bodies, "oleinu." (Rabbi Shimshon ben R'foel Hirsch)

Ch. 12, v. 13: "Va'yitzak Moshe el Hashem leimore Keil noh r'fo noh loh" - And Moshe cried out to Hashem thus saying Keil please heal her now - Moshe's prayer was but a few short words. This was because he feared that if he extended his prayer people would complain that his sister is in a terrible situation and he responds with a lengthy prayer. However, this brought about a dilemma. His short prayer could also bring in its wake a different type of criticism. "His sister is in a terrible situation and he is only praying one short sentence for her betterment. It seems that he really doesn't care for her so much." Therefore Moshe cried out, an indication of extreme pain. We can explain the verse as saying: Moshe cried out to allow for his only saying the very short prayer of "Keil noh r'fo noh loh." (Holy Alshich)

Ch. 12, v. 14: "V'ovihoh yoroke yorak b'fo'nehoh" - Had her father spat in her face - Moshe beseeched Hashem to minimize her punishment with the implementation of a "kal vochomer" (gemara B.K. 25). This is the corresponding hermeneutic rule of understanding the Torah, which corresponds with the attribute of "Keil." This is why Moshe invoked the Holy Name "Keil" in his praying for Miriam. (Daas K'doshim)

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See also Oroh V'Simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh on the Weekly Parsha, Chasidic Insights and Chamisha Mi Yodei'a