2024 additions to my notes on Parashat Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1)

2024 additions to my notes on Parashat Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1)

(民数记19:1-22:1已加上的2024注释。2024 Comments added. I used ChatGPT partly when doing Chinese to English translation .)

Numbers 20

20:1   Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 正 月 间 , 以 色 列 全 会 众 到 了 寻 的 旷 野 , 就 住 在 加 低 斯 。 米 利 暗 死 在 那 里 , 就 葬 在 那 里 。

2024 注释: 本章讲到米利暗死和亚伦的死,而前一章已经先讲了红母牛的灰可以除去死尸带来的不洁净。根据Sacks拉比,https://aish.com/292001731/解释, 这是一个广泛的现象,就是主的子民“受苦”以前,主已经先预备好了“拯救”,主在击打以前,就先预备好了治疗。另一个例子是在出埃及记32章以色利人犯罪拜金牛犊前,主就在出埃及记31章预先教导了如何建造与赎罪有关的圣所 (这个例子也可参见https://torah.org/torah-portion/perceptions-5758-terumah/

)。其他的例子也很多,比如撒母耳记描写,以色利王扫罗战死沙场之前,主已经预先膏立了大卫将来要作以色列王。以斯帖记描写哈曼迫害犹太人之前,后来拯救犹太人的以斯帖已经作了王后。创世纪人类始祖偷吃禁果犯罪受惩罚以前,主已经创造了女人,而且预表她的后裔将童女怀孕带来拯救。我有一次等巴士很着急,就想起诗篇121里的话,“我 要 向 山 举 目 。 我 的 帮 助 从 何 而 来 。我 的 帮 助 从 造 天 地 的 耶 和 华 而 来 。” ,心里就不那么着急了。这时巴士来了。但其实我等得最着急的时候,巴士已经出发了在路上了。主的拯救,在我们遇到困难前就已经预备好了,归根到底,是在造天地时就预备好了的:那巴士的轮子开在祂造的土地上,司机是祂造的人所生的,轮子与公路是祂所赐的智慧教导人造的… 让我们在困难中不要忘了,造天地的造物主,祂是我们的救主,祂已经预先安排好了拯救,愿祂的救恩早日显明!

2024 Commentary: This chapter discusses the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, whereas the previous chapter had already addressed how the ashes of the red heifer could cleanse the impurity caused by a dead body. According to Rabbi Sacks, as explained on [Aish.com](https://aish.com/292001731/), this illustrates a broader phenomenon where the Lord prepares “salvation” before His people “suffer.” Before striking, the Lord prepares the cure. Another example is found in Exodus 32, where before the Israelites sinned by worshiping the golden calf, the Lord had already instructed them in Exodus 31 on how to build the sanctuary related to atonement (this example is also discussed on [Torah.org](https://torah.org/torah-portion/perceptions-5758-terumah/)). There are many other examples, such as in 1 Samuel, where before King Saul died in battle, the Lord had already anointed David to be the future king of Israel. In the Book of Esther, before Haman’s plot to persecute the Jews, Esther had already become queen. In Genesis, before humanity was punished for eating the forbidden fruit, the Lord had created the woman, foreshadowing that her offspring would bring salvation through a virgin birth.

Once, while waiting anxiously for a bus, I remembered the words from Psalm 121, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heavens and earth.” This calmed my anxiety, and the bus arrived soon after. In fact, at the height of my anxiety, the bus was already on its way. The Lord’s salvation is prepared even before we encounter difficulties; ultimately, it was prepared when He created the heavens and the earth: the bus wheels run on the land He created, the driver is born of people He created, and the wheels and roads are made through the wisdom He granted. Let us not forget, in times of difficulty, that the Creator of heavens and earth is our Savior, who has already arranged our salvation in advance. May His salvation be revealed to us soon!

Numbers 21

21:1   And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. 住 南 地 的 迦 南 人 亚 拉 得 王 , 听 说 以 色 列 人 从 亚 他 林 路 来 , 就 和 以 色 列 人 争 战 , 掳 了 他 们 几 个 人 。

2024注释: “南地,以色列人起初想从南面进入应许之地,这是最近的路,因为他们所在西奈半岛的位置就在应许之地的南方。可是,很显然,他们与南地的敌人争战不顺利,甚至为此发誓要等将来再报仇(民21:1-2)。他们想借路以东地北上,也遭拒绝而不得不改变绕路(民20:21),以色列人甚至为此抱怨(民21:4)。但是,主让以色列人绕过以东和摩押地,绕了一大圈,从约旦河东进入了应许地,这其实是一个祝福,因为他们这样多占领了约旦河东西宏与噩二王的土地, 从两岸完全控制了约旦河的水源。而根据申2解释,以东和摩押地暂时是主特意留给别的民族的,所以以色列人即使是能从那里经过,也并不能顺便占有他们的土地。

参考资料:

https://biblegeography.holylight.org.tw/index/condensedbible_map_detail?m_id=022

https://cmcbiblereading.com/2015/04/30/民数记第21章逐节注解、祷读/

2024 Commentary: The ‘south’ (‘Negev’ ) refers to the southern region. The Israelites initially planned to enter the Promised Land from the south, as it was the closest route from their position in the Sinai Peninsula, which was just south of the Promised Land. However, they encountered difficulties fighting the enemies in the south and even vowed to take revenge in the future (Numbers 21:1-2). They attempted to pass through Edom to head north but were refused and had to take a detour (Numbers 20:21), leading to complaints from the Israelites (Numbers 21:4). Yet, the Lord guided the Israelites to circumvent Edom and Moab, leading them in a wide arc to enter the Promised Land from the east of the Jordan River. This turned out to be a blessing, as they managed to occupy the lands of the two kings, Sihon and Og, on both sides of the Jordan River, thereby gaining complete control of the river’s water sources. According to Deuteronomy 2, Edom and Moab were temporarily reserved by the Lord for other nations, so even if the Israelites could pass through, they were not allowed to seize these lands.

Reference:

https://scripturescript.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/numbers-journey-of-the-exodus/