Show Notes
In this week's parsha, Masei, we learn about the significance of places. These include:
Every place that Bnei Yisrael camped, because each of these places commemorated something significant that happened there.
Arei Miklat, or cities of refuge. These were particular cities to which an accidental murderer could flee- and could live out the rest of their life until the Kohen Gadol died.
The 48 cities that belonged to the Levites. The Levites were like the rabbis of our day, and therefore were needed to guide, inspire and teach the community. Due to this, they were scattered throughout the land of Israel rather than all living within one portion of land.
The land of the tribe of Menashe. To preserve the integrity of their land, the daughters of Tzelafchad married men from the tribe of Menashe. Thus, those from Menashe would not lose property- which would have happened if the daughters had married outside of their tribe.
More from Parsha for Kids
In the last parsha of the Torah, V'Zot HaBracha, Moshe dies. But what matters is not that he died- rather, the way he died. Moshe approached God alone. There were no adoring crowds. No family surrounding him. It was just the man and his Maker. And this is something that will happen to us all. We will all, ultimately, approach God. The question to be answered is simply this: have we lived a life that we are proud to show to God?
This week's parsha, Haazinu, is actually a song! Moshe wanted to make sure that the core ideas of Judaism would be accessible to everyone, whether or not they were able to read. In this song, we focus on some important ideas. These include: