Page 47 - Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew

COINCIDENCES IN THE BIBLE AND IN BIBLICAL HEBREW
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the kahal —an obvious allusion to the effect of Moses’ sin on the condition of
the people of Israel, which the narrator wishes to convey.
This sort of analysis may be extended to the paragraph preceding this story
(relate to Num. 20: 1–6).

1.3.6 Why Was the Earth Punished? (Gen. 3:17)
The divine command should be followed to the letter. No aberration is permitted.
There are at least four episodes in the Bible where both obeying God’s command
or slightly deviating from it are addressed—with grave consequences for the latter.
Reading some of the biblical descriptions in these episodes is a lesson in speech

precision—in refined understatements and in how assertions of fact can be con-

cealed, yet slightly exposed, for anyone to find out with little effort.
We start with a case of positive, strict observance of the word of God. No show
of creativity on the part of the commanded is attempted. The divine command is
strictly pursued, and so is it emphasized, repeatedly, by the biblical narrator.
When God orders Moses to construct the Tabernacle (God’s sanctuary while
the children of Israel were still wandering in the Sinai desert), he turns to Bezaleel ,
the artist, “in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to
work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, did according to all that
the Lord had commanded” (Exod. 36:1). The building of the Tabernacle , with
all its different parts, is then described in great detail, and this goes on for five

complete chapters (to the end of the book of Exodus). Yet, throughout the over-
whelmingly detailed description of the construction work, one verse is endlessly
repeated, in one version or another: “And they did … as the Lord commanded
Moses.” For example, chapter 39, with forty-three verses, repeats this no fewer
than ten times—namely, about every fourth verse!
Two opposite cases demonstrate deviations from God’s command, and what
this may entail.
Moses and Aaron are ordered by God to talk to the rock, in front of the people
of Israel, after the latter complain that drinking water is scarce. Yet Moses, instead,
smites the rock with his baton. Water then comes forth from the rock. But the
punishment for not obeying God’s command is prompt: “And the Lord spoke to
Moses and Aaron, because you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of
the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring the congregation in to the land
which I have given them” (Num. 20:12). The command was to speak; instead,
there was a physical act. And the punishment was prompt.
Another episode of violation of God’s command, with grave consequences for
the transgressors, is related regarding the sons of the high priest Aaron (Moses’
brother). The sons, Nadav and Avihu , serve with their father at sacrificing the