From our Torah this week (i.e., Beha’alotekha) we read: “At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out” (Num. 9:23). This teaches us that God’s Name is to be heeded every step of the way. Whenever we journey someplace, near or far, say, “With God’s help (בעזרת השם) I am going to this place, and I will stay for so long, if it pleases God (אם ירצה השם).” As James the Righteous reminds us, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. For what is your life? You are a mere mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes (James 4:14-15).
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Psalm 144:4). We share exile with the LORD in this age, as strangers and sojourners with Him; indeed, our lives are hidden with Him, waiting to be revealed (Col. 3:1-4). “The present form (τὸ σχῆμα) of this world is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31), and the heart of faith looks for a city whose designer and builder is God Himself (Heb. 11:10). “So we do not lose heart… For the things that are seen are turning to dust, but the things that are unseen endure forever” (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
Hebrew Lesson:
