Study

Numbers 1:1-4:20

Numbers 8:1-12:16

Moses describes the laws of oaths; the Israelites battle the Midianites; the tribes of Reuben and Gad request to dwell outside of the Land of Israel.

The daughters of Zelophchad teach us to see people not as objects in our lives but as subjects of their own lives.

Deuteronomy's laws of warfare include the requirement that a nation seek a peaceful settlement before engaging in war.

Establishing a new program of Jewish resistance.

The Levites' city dwellings remind us of the importance of green, agricultural spaces for encountering God's creation.

Moses describes the Covenant between God and the Israelites, urging the Israelites to uphold the Covenant and honor the Torah so that they may be rewarded with life in the land of Israel.

Moses enumerates many laws that relate to topics of family relationships, interpersonal ethics, forbidden mixtures, and sexuality.

Moses reviews for the Israelites their system of justice, the rules of kingship, their relationship to idolatrous nations, and the rules of doing battle.

The laws of the Cities of Refuge emphasize the sacredness and infinite value of every human life.

God gives Pinchas a covenant of peace; God explains the apportionment of the Land of Israel; the daughters of Tzelophechad petition to inherit their father's portion; Moses appoints Joshua his successor.