I still remember JFK’s inaugural address (afterall, it was only 66 years ago). It was very moving when he declared, ‘Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans–born in this century…’ My generation, the Babyboomers, are definitely not ready to pass the ‘torch’, but that’s another issue. 

Our Torah reading, in a more subtle way, makes the same announcement: In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh (Bamidbar 20:1). That was the beginning of the last year in the Wilderness. The entire previous generation has passed (except Moshe, Miriam, Aharon, Calev and Yehoshua). During this period the torch is, indeed, passed.

Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch notes a major change in the mind set of the Jewish nation. Throughout the 39 years of the sojourn, whenever the nation stopped the verb which appears is VAYICHAN (‘they encamped’), but here in the Wilderness of Zin, the verb suddenly is VAYESHEV.  This term translates as ‘and they settled’. Finally, the Jews have a sense of belonging and stability. This is a major change in mind set. 

The verse ends with the information that Miriam passes away SHAM (‘there’). The Kedushat Levi explains that whenever the term SHAM appears connected to a death it implies that the person died by means of a kiss ‎from God.

If........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)