(For riddles see pg. 15)
1) The Ba’al HaTurim writes that the vertical line between the words הבכר (the firstborn) and נדב (3:2) is intended to inform us that the term הבכר is not modifying Nadav, as his status as a firstborn is irrelevant since he died without children. Rather הבכר, is describing Aharon, whose name is mentioned in the pasuk immediately before the word הבכר, as he was considered a bechor relative to his younger brother Moshe.
Similarly, the Medrash says that the right to serve in the Mishkan was taken away from firstborn Yisroelim since some of whom participated in the sin of the golden calf, and it was given to Aharon, who was also a bechor. The Reshash (Bamidbar Rabbah 6:2) questions how Aharon could be a bechor when the Medrash elsewhere says that Miriam was older than Aharon?
Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman suggests that this Medrash disagrees and maintains that Aharon was in fact older than Miriam, which also seems to be the opinion of the Rashbam and Ramban (Shemos 15:20).
Alternatively, the Margaliyos HaYam (Sanhedrin 7a) posits that even if Aharon was not the firstborn in his family, the oldest male child may have been considered a bechor for the purposes of serving in the Beis HaMikodsh, and it is in this sense that the Medrash and Ba’al HaTurim refer to him as a bechor. (R’ Ozer Alport)
2) Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman writes that in theory, the neighbour who is constantly quarrelling poses the greater danger, as a person is much more likely to be drawn after him and get involved in his fights than to be influenced by the Shabbos desecrator. However, he adds that each situation is unique and has many complex variables that could change the determination of which neighbour poses a greater danger, and therefore each situation requires advice tailored to that unique set of circumstances. (R’ Ozer Alport)
3) The Ba’al HaTurim (1:42) notes that in list of shevotim in the first perek [chapter] of Bamidbar, each shevet’s list begins with the word “livnei” except for the shevet of Naftali whose listing begins with the word “bnai”. The Ba’al HaTurim explains that the shevet of Naftoli was the only shevet with a greater number of females than males. (Torah IQ)
4) The source of water that sustained Bnei Yisroel in the desert was the Be’er Miriam – the well of Miriam. Chazal explain that it was not a normal well with a rope, pulley and bucket, but rather was more like a flowing river that travelled with Klal Yisroel. The Medrash (Bamidbar Rabbah19:26) comments on the pasuk in Chukas: “be’er chafaruha sarim” – “the well that the princes dug” (Bamidbar 21:18) that when Bnei Yisroel camped, the “nasi” – “prince” of each shevet, would place his staff at the edge of the encampment and the well/river of Miriam would know where to stop flowing and would know the boundaries of the encampment. The Medrash continues and provides proof from pasukim in Tehillim and elsewhere, that when someone from one shevet would want to visit a friend in another shevet, he or she would do so by boat, and therefore boats were needed in the desert. (Torah IQ)
5) This week’s parsha starts off with the pasuk: וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני באהל מועד – “Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting”. Rabbeinu Ephraim (one of the ba’alay Tosfos) writes: באהל מועד מרומז מנין המסכתות שיש עליהן גמרא – “In the words ‘Ohel Mo’ed’ we have a hint to the number of masechtos which we have Gemara on”. אהל is gematria 36, and there are 36 masechtos in Shas.
However, there is a slight difficulty with the above, as if one actually takes a minute to count, he will realize that there is 37, even with excluding Shekolim which although added to the Talmud Bavli, is actually Yerushalmi?
The Rambam in his introduction to his Pirush HaMishnayos writes that there are 35 masechtos, which is seemingly very difficult as we just said there are 37?
What we must answer is, the Rambam is going according to Rav Yosef who holds in Avodah Zorah (7a): “The entire Nezikin is one masechta”. Which Rashi explains to mean: “Bava Kama, Bava Metzia and Bava Basra are all one”. According to this we can understand how the Rambam comes to the number of 35.
Once we say this, we can understand why Rabbeinu Ephraim says there are 36. Although the Rambam doesn’t include Shekolim (which is Yerushalmi), Rabbeinu Ephraim does, however, he also counts Bava Kama, Bava Metzia and Bava Basra as one, therefore, he gets to a total of 36. (Otzer Pelo’as HaTorah)
