Bamidbar Videos

When we realize the importance of our individual roles, we are empowered to tackle and transform our personal wildnerness.

A taste of Shazak Parsha, where the weekly Torah portion comes alive! Geared for kids... Great for adults!

Itche and Jono ride through the desert on goats. Why? Watch the video and find out . . .

The obvious coefficient of Jewish identity is peoplehood. And yet the Jewish people cannot be defined without reference to the family.

Most of us like to express our individuality. And yet, when given autonomy, many of us feel a need to belong. How can we reconcile both these needs?

Topics include: How the census of the Jewish people teaches us about the power of speech, the commandment for the Levites to guard the Holy Temple, why Torah was given in a barren desert.

How to tackle times of emotional or spiritual desolation.

In this portion, Moses takes a census of the Jewish people without directly counting any of them. Why do we not count each other directly and what are the practical applications for this mitzvah today?

You may already know that the giving of the Torah -- which we celebrate on the holiday of Shavuot -- took place at Sinai. But what is Sinai? The Torah speaks of a wilderness called Sinai as well as a mountain by the same name. What is the difference between the desert and the mountain? And how does that shape our understanding of what happened there years ago?

In the census of the Jewish people, Moses counted all men eligible for military conscription, that is all who were twenty years of age and older. Why then did a separate census of the Tribe of Levi include even babies from 30 days and up?

Learn the profound connections between the weekly parsha and its related Haftorah.

Unlike the beginnings of other religions, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai was experience by an entire people.

The name of the fourth book of thhe Torah is Bamidbar, which means ‘desert’. Why such a peculiar name?

The counting of the Levites teaches us a powerful lesson in parenting.

After the general census of the Jewish people, Moses takes a separate census of the tribe of Levi, including the family of Aaron the high priest. In the verse (Numbers 3:39) “All the countings of the Levites that Moses and Aaron counted,” the word “ve-Aharon” (and Aaron) has five dots above it. One explanation of these dots is that they tell us that Aaron himself was not counted in the census of the rest of his tribe. What makes Aaron unique?

Study some of the highlights of the weekly Torah portion with insights from various commentaries.

In the desert, G-d tells the Jewish people to camp around the Mishkan sanctuary – not too close, but not too far. This carries an important lesson about how a Jew should live his or her life.

Rashi identifies two key roles that the tribe of Levi played in the Sanctuary. The Rebbe extracts an empowering life-lesson for us from this teaching. Learning Likutei Sichos vol. 13, Bamidbar (sicha 2)

By examining Rashi’s interpretation of the Kohen’s responsibility to safeguard his Kehunah (priesthood), we discover how spiritual health requires appropriate boundaries.

In interpreting the verse in the Song of Songs, "If only you would be to me a brother", our Sages differ as to whether our request of G-d is to treat us as Yosef treated his brothers who had sold him or as Yosef treated his innocent younger brother Binyamin. This class will reconcile the two views and in so doing will address the contrasting virtues of the righteous (tzadik) and the penitent (baal teshuvah) and where they ultimately converge. (Based on the maamar "Kedoshim Tiheyu" Sefer Mamorim Toras Menachem vol. 3 p. 249)

G-d commands Moses and Aaron to conduct a census of the Jewish people. But if G-d is all-knowing – including the exact population of the Jewish people – what then is the point in counting them?

The Torah was given to the Jewish people in the Sinai desert. Why did G‑d choose such a desolate place to reveal this most precious gift?

When G-d commanded Moses to count the Jews, the “greatest” among them counted as one, and the “simplest” among them counted as one. Every Jew is an equal son or daughter of G-d Himself, and is beloved to Him much more than an only child is loved by a father and mother.