NUMBERS CHAPTER 1 ~ 6

NUMBERS

THE refusal of the people to hear any more direct revelation of God that is described in Exodus 20:18 naturally leads to the establishment of prophethood on a new level. God does not leave humankind without revelation, even though they refuse to hear His voice directly. In the Book of Leviticus, God speaks to the people through Moses as a prophet. But Moses' role goes beyond that of merely transmitting the message of God to the people. He acts as a divinely appointed leader. The principle of divinely appointed leadership naturally arises from that of prophet.

The Book of Numbers is a series of stories examining the conditions of divinely appointed leadership. Unlike David, whose charisma inspired absolute loyalty, Moses' personality naturally inspired suspicion. Therefore he was constantly forced against the wall by questions of his authority. All of the narratives in the Book of Numbers follow this theme of divinely appointed guidance in one way or another: the appointment of each tribe in its place, its leaders and their roles, the priesthood in relation to the Levites, the stories of power struggles, and the stories of the need for intervention beyond the law in such matters as female inheritance. The book comes to a peak in Moses' prayer that there should be a divinely appointed leader after him.

It is fitting, considering the major theme of the book as divinely appointed guidance, that two of the three enigmatic references in the Torah to the figure of Ali are found in the Book of Numbers. These occur in Numbers 21:17 and 24:6.

It is also in connexion with the principle of divinely appointed leadership that the idea of divine incarnation arises. Most of Christianity for more than a millennium and a half has been under the pall of considering a man to be God Almighty. The same excess has plagued Shi’ism, where Ali in some sects has long been considered an incarnation of God as well. The Book of Numbers pre-empts this misconception by stating clearly in 23:19, "El God is not a man, that He should lie, nor son of man…”

THE Book of Genesis makes out that You
Are One alone, and Exodus is true
Expounding on Your justice in its wake.
Leviticus is made for prophets' sake.
But Numbers follows prophets with a call
That You, Beloved, set divine guide for all
To follow, and not to despise, reject,
As many did in the pages select.
Make me true also, my Beloved, to him
Who stands invisible but is not dim
In giving guidance to the faithful few
Who love Your word and know Your word is true.
As Moses prayed You might send out a man
To lead the sheep, I follow as I can.

WEEK 34 NUMBERS 1

1 And now YHWH spoke to Moses in
The Wilderness of Sinai, in
The tent of meeting, the first day
Of second month, and in the way
Of second year after that they
Had come out of Egypt's land, saying
2 "Take a census of all the praying
Congregation of Israel's folk,
By their families, and also by
Their fathers' houses, also by
The number of their names, each male
Apart, 3 "From twenty years avail
And above that, all who can go
To war in Israel not slow.
You and Aaron shall number them
By their armies in stratagem.

The motives people have for counting men
Are various and varied, starting out
With Moses counting every citizen
Unblushingly for military clout.
They graduated then from outright stealing
To counting up the populace for tax.
Than fighting, manners and some shady dealing
Were easier and furnished fewer tracks.
With curiosity, pure science, we
Went on with no more motive than statistics
And feigning shock when finds were readily
Applied to atom bombs and their ballistics.
Full circle comes, the object can't be missed.
Man counts to count the fingers of his fist.

4 "And with you there shall be a man
From every tribe, (Reuben to Dan)
Each one head of his father's house.
5 "These are names of men (but not spouse)
Who shall stand with you: from Reuben,
Elizur son of Shedeur, then
6 "From Simeon, Shelumiel
The son of Zurishaddai well,
7 "From Judah, Nahshon who's the son
Of Amminadab, just begun,
8 "From Issachar, Nethanel son
Of Zuar, 9 "and from Zebulon,
Eliab the son of Helon,
10 "And from the sons of Joseph: from
Ephraim, Elishama come
Of Ammihud, from Manasseh,
Gamaliel one who holds sway
As son of Pedahzur, 11 "and from
Benjamin, Abidan the son
Of Gideoni, 12 "from Dan one
Ahiezer who is the son
Of Ammishaddai, 13 "from Asher,
Pagiel son of Ocran's care,
14 "From Gad, Eliasaph the son
Of Deuel, 15 "from Naphtali one
Ahira the son of Enan."
16 These were chosen and man for man
From assembly, leaders of their
Fathers' tribes, heads of every chair
Of divisions in Israel's care.

The children of four wives come in the gates:
The first the sons of Leah in their states
Of divine law, Leah a wild cow bred
Was lovelier than what some folk have said.
Law is distasteful and obedience
Considered low apocalyptic sense
And hardly worth the mystic's higher sight.
The second come the sons of Rachel loved
And such are popular and sweetly gloved.
But love is brief, at least in Rachel's street,
Beautiful but shrewish, yet loved as meet.
The comfort of old age for Israel was
In Leah who with age made love of laws.
Beloved, full circle is the thing that's right.

The four sons of the slave wives at the end
Come in no order of mother or friend,
Nor in the order of their birth or ways:
The order is the wonder of their days.
Dan son of Bilhah is the first each way,
Judgement born of the simple, foolish drey.
But then the last is taken, Blessedness,
Though son of Zilpah's drop, small to confess.
The third, though later to be born is Gad,
The hope of Zilpah's troop in what she had.
The last is Bilhah's wrestling to be free,
As Naphtali remains beloved of me,
I know the end is not a peaceful crown,
But battle and a march against the town.

17 Then Moses and Aaron took these
Men who had been mentioned to please
By name, 18 and they assembled all
The congregation at one call
Together on the first day of
The second month, and they for love
Recited their ancestry by
Families, by their fathers' houses,
According as the numbers lie
Of names, from twenty years in biz
And above, each one for himself.
19 As YHWH commanded Moses, so
He numbered them in row on row
In wilderness of Sinai's toe.
20 Now the children of Reuben, who
Was Israel's oldest son and true,
Their genealogies by their
Families, by their fathers' house share,
According to the number of
Names, every male for his own love,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war: 21 those who
Were numbered of the tribe of Reu-
Ben were forty-six thousand five
Hundred men all strong and alive.
22 From the children of Simeon,
Their genealogies are done
By their families, by their fathers'
House, of those who were numbered fers,
According to number of names,
Every male for himself and claims,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war and shove:
23 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Simeon were fifty-nine
Thousand three hundred by the scribe.
24 From the children of Gad in fine,
Their genealogies by their
Families, by their fathers' house share,
According to number of names,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war for aims:
25 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Gad were forty-five thousand
Six hundred fifty without bribe.
26 From the children at Judah's hand,
Their genealogies as strict
As their families would depict,
By their fathers' house, according
To the number of names that sing,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war with glove:
27 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Judah were seventy-four
Thousand six hundred without jibe
And without a single man more.
28 From the children of Issachar,
Their genealogies so far
By their families, by fathers' house,
According to number of spouse
For names, from twenty years old and
Above, all who under command
Could go to war: 29 those who were numbered
Of Issachar's tribe unencumbered,
Were fifty-four thousand and four
Hundred. 30 From the children in store
Of Zebulon, lists of descent
By their families and where they went,
By their fathers' house, according
To the number of names that wing,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war and shove:
31 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Zebulon and by the scribe
Were fifty-seven thousand four
Hundred. 32 From the sons at the door
Of Joseph, children of Ephraim,
Their lists of descent come from him
By their families, by fathers' house,
By number of names without spouse,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war for love:
33 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Ephraim as diatribe
Were forty thousand five hundred.
34 From children that Manasseh did,
Their lists of descent by families,
By their fathers' house, as they please,
According to number of names,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to keep war's claims:
35 And all those who were numbered of
The tribe of Manasseh counted
Thirty-two thousand two hundred.
36 From the children of Benjamin,
Their lists of descent by their thin
Families, by their fathers' house, by
The number of their names that vie,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could war instead of dove:
37 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Benjamin were thirty-five
Thousand four hundred men alive.
38 From the children of Dan subscribe,
Their genealogies by their
Families, by their fathers' share,
According to number of name,
From twenty years above the same,
All who were able to subscribe
To war 39 were numbered of the tribe
Of Dan sixty-two thousand and
Seven hundred. 40 Folk from the hand
Of Asher, their lists of descent
By their families, by fathers' tent,
According to number of names,
From twenty years old up to claims
Above, all who were able to
Go to war: 41 and all of those who
Were numbered of Asher's own tribe,
Forty-one thousand five hundred.
42 From children of Naphtali's tribe,
Their lists of descent by the bid
Of their families, by fathers' house,
By number of names without spouse,
From twenty years old and above,
All who could go to war to shove:
43 Those who were numbered of the tribe
Of Naphtali both man and scribe:
Fifty-three thousand four hundred.

Gad is advanced in the list of the brave
Behind Simeon, though he's son of slave.
Beloved, I see the profane advanced far
Upon the thrones of this world and this star,
The low-born in terms of their sense and worth
In compassion, morality on earth.
Advance me not, though Gad despite the name
His mother bears, lowly but not in shame,
Is well deserving of the praise that runs
With being one of Jacob's righteous sons.
I rather stay here at the end of spite
And wrestle with my Naphtalian night.
It's not in dawn and daylight comes the guide,
But in the darkness leading stars don't hide.

44 These are the ones who were numbered,
Whom Moses and Aaron numbered,
With the leaders of Israel, twelve
Men, each one showing how to delve
Of his father's house. 45 So all who
Were numbered of Israel's accrue,
By their fathers' houses, and from
Twenty years old, above in sum,
All who were able to go to
War in Israel, 46 all who were numbered
Were six hundred and unencumbered
Three thousand five hundred fifty.
47 But the Levites were not to be
Numbered among them by the tribe
Of their fathers, 48 YHWH to inscribe
Had spoken to Moses, saying
49 "Only the tribe of Levi's spring
You shall not number, nor take count
Of them in Israel's folk's amount,
50 "But you shall set the Levites over
The tent of testimony, over
All its furnishings, over all
Things that belong to it by call,
They'll carry the tent and all its
Furnishings, they'll tend where it sits
And camp around the tent. 51 "And when
The tabernacle is to go
Forward, the Levites shall unpen
The tent and take it down from show,
And when the tent is to be set
Up, the Levites shall be cadet.
The outsider who comes near shall
Be put to death as prodigal.

The idle curious are criminals.
We're civilized when we suspend their sentence.
They never looked in on devotionals
In forthright days without bitter repentance.
Unholy eyes must never see the gold
That bears the oil and bread of mystic prayer.
Unholy hands touch not what can't be sold
For any price or purchased anywhere.
The wages of democracy is death
To heads and spirits that rise higher than
The ridgepole of the tent. The sacred breath
Departs. We're left with prayer book and tin can.
Some sip the wine and rue the day it grew.
Some sip the wine and know what thing is true.

52 "The children of Israel shall pitch
Their tents, everyone by his ditch,
Everyone by his own standard,
According to their armies card,
53 "But the Levites shall camp around
The tent of testimony's ground,
That there may be no wrath upon
The congregation of the dawn
Of Israel's folk, and the Levites
Shall keep charge of the tent of lights."
54 Thus Israel's folk did, according
To all YHWH told Moses to sing.

NUMBERS 2

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses and brother
Aaron , saying 2 "All and another
Of Israel's folk shall camp by his
Own standard, where the emblem is
Of his father's house, they shall camp
Away from tent of meeting's ramp.
3 "On the east side, toward the rising
Of the sun, those who're not despising
The standard of Judah's forces
Shall camp according to armies,
And Nahshon Amminadab's son
The leader of Judah's folk won."
4 And his army was numbered at
Seventy-four thousand up to bat
And six hundred. 5 "Those who camp next
To him shall be the tribe perplexed
Of Issachar, and Nethanel
The son of Zuar who shall dwell
As leader of Issachar's folk."
6 And his army came to convoke
Fifty-four thousand four hundred.
7 "Then comes the tribe of Zebulon,
Eliab son of Helon's bid
To be the leader of the folk
Of Zebulon." 8 And he bespoke
A host counted at fifty-seven
Thousand four hundred up to heaven.
9 "All who were numbered by their hosts
Of forces and with Judah's coasts,
One hundred eighty-six thousand
Four hundred, these move first command.

The sacred dance beginning at the east
With Judah, Issachar, and as the least
Zebulon, turns to find Your hidden face
Beneath the veilings of the holy place.
With back to sun, Judah bows toward the veil
And brings the holy law out of the pale.
The eastern gate where You reveal Your will
Is brightened by their footsteps sounding still
Upon the sacred, silent desert air
And on the pebbled sands and everywhere
The hills look on eternally and bare.
Beloved, I follow in the ancient traces
Left by obedience of feet and faces
Led in their steps by Your eternal graces.

10 "On the south side is the standard
Of the forces in Reuben's ward
According to their armies, and
Reuben's folk's leader there shall stand
Elizur son of Shedeur." 11 And
His host was numbered forty-six
Thousand five hundred. 12 "Those whose tricks
Camp next to him shall be the tribe
Of Simeon, and without jibe
The leader of Simeon's folk
Is Shelumiel son of bloke
Named Zurishaddai." 13 And his host
Was counted at fifty-nine boast
In thousands and three hundred's toast.
14 "Then comes the tribe of Gad, and chef
Of Gad's folk is Eliasaph
The son of Reuel." 15 And his host
Counted at forty-five thousand
Six hundred and fifty to boast.
16 "All who were numbered by command
According to their armies and
The forces with Reuben, up to
One hundred fifty-one thousand
Four hundred and fifty, not few
They'll break camp second by command.
17 "And the tent of meeting shall move
Out with the camp of Levites' groove
And in the middle of the camps,
As they camp, so they'll hit the ramps,
Everyone in his place, and by
Their standards flying in the sky.

I follow Simeon southward to find
The blazing sun upon my opened mind
Still shivering beneath the golden glare
Of loves flooding, budding the south gate there.
Reuben takes the first steps, the last is Gad,
And so the crowds move on, joyful and glad.
Each in his place beneath the standards flown,
The armies march or camp around Your throne.
The silence of my forest makes me think
That I sit here alone with food and drink,
And yet the armies of the Lord that were
Are vast in thousands that make my heart stir
To know I'm not alone in my prostration
Before You, my Beloved, You have a nation.

18 "On the west side shall be the flag
Of the forces with Ephraim's tag
According to their armies, and
The leader of Ephraim's folk's band
Shall be Elishama the son
Of Ammihud, who's not a Hun."
19 And his army was numbered at
Forty thousand five hundred flat.
20 "Next to him comes Manasseh's band,
And leader of Manasseh's folk
Shall be Gamaliel son at hand
Of Pedahzur, a handy bloke."
21 And his host reached to thirty-two
Thousand two hundred, not a few.

Joseph and Benjamin are in the west,
Dressed in a coloured cloak, embroidered vest.
Their dancing feet raise dust against the sun
That caught them all red-footed before done.
Joseph and Benjamin, cherished for their
Own loving hearts and for their mother fair,
Are set against the praise of Judah's row,
And after Reuben's failed to hope and show.
Beloved, I too would take my place so near
The holy of holies and the ark dear,
Which also lies upon the western end
Of sacred tent. My praises I too send
Toward the golden throne where You abide
Above the tables of Your law and hide.

22 "Then comes the tribe of Benjamin,
And Benjamin's folk's leading jinn,
Abidan son of Gideoni."
23 And his army's counted to be
Thirty-five thousand four hundred.
24 "All who were numbered by their bid
According to their hosts of forces
With Ephraim, (not counting horses),
One hundred and eight thousand one
Hundred, they shall be the third done
To break camp. 25 "The standard of forces
With Dan on the north side in courses
Shall be according to their hosts,
And the leader of Dan's folk's boasts
Shall be Ahiezer the son
Of Ammishaddai when he's done."
26 And his army was numbered at
Sixty-two thousand and a flat
Seven hundred. 27 "Those who camp next
To him shall be the tribe of vexed
Asher, and leader of the folk
Of Asher shall be Pagiel woke
The son of Ocran." 28 And his host
Was counted forty-one at most
In thousands and five hundred men.
29 "Then comes the tribe of Naphtali,
And leader of Naphtali's den
Is Ahira son of Enan."
30 And his host counted to a man
Fifty-three thousand four hundred.
31 "All those who were numbered and fed
Of the forces with Dan to heaven,
Were one hundred and fifty-seven
Thousand six hundred, and they shall
Break camp last, with their standards mall."
32 These are the ones who were numbered
Of the children of Israel heard
By their fathers' houses, all who
Were numbered by their armies due
Six hundred and three thousand five
Hundred and fifty men alive.
33 But the Levites were not numbered
Among the folk of Israel heard,
Just as YHWH told Moses to do.
34 Israel's folk did according to
All that YHWH told Moses to do,
So they camped by their standards and
They broke camp, each one by command
In his family, according to
Their fathers' houses and on cue.

Dan, Asher, Naphtali who northward wend
Their way, bring contrasts as their feet contend.
Naphtali is a struggle there between
Dan and Asher, who clash upon the green.
Dan is the judgement, Asher blessedness:
How can these two camp in one place and dress?
Your judgement, my Beloved, is not destroying
The faces of the meek who in You joying
Encircle the throne of Your mercy set.
That's why justice and blessing are found yet
Together at the end of the world's dance.
They walk both hand in hand, not in a trance,
But in the fair reality that You
Extend mercy with justice as You do.

NUMBERS 3

1 Now these are the records of Aaron
And Moses when YHWH spoke to share on
With Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 And
These are the names of, right off-hand,
The sons of Aaron: Nadab, who
Is the firstborn, and Abihu,
Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of every star
Son of Aaron , anointed priests,
Whom he consecrated at least
To minister as priests. 4 Nadab
And Abihu had died by stab
Of YHWH when they offered profane
Fire before YHWH upon the plain
Before Sinai, and they had no
Children, so Eleazar and
Ithamar ministered below
As priests in Aaron 's presence for
He was their father on that score.
5 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying
6 "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and
Present them before Aaron 's hand,
Who is the priest, that they may sing
And serve him. 7 "And they shall attend
To his needs and the needs amend
Of the whole congregation that
Stands where the tent of meeting's at.
8 "Also they shall attend to all
The furnishings of meeting hall,
And to the needs of Israel's folk,
To do the tent work at a stroke.
9 "And you shall give the Levites to
Aaron and his sons, they're to do
Entirely for him from among
The children of Israel unsung.
10 "So you shall set Aaron and his
Sons, and they'll take care of their biz,
But the stranger who shall approach
Shall be put to death like a roach."
11 Then YHWH spoke to Moses, saying
12 "Now indeed, I Myself will bring
The Levites from among the folk
Of Israel in place of bloke
First born among Israel's folk,
Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,
13 "Because all the firstborn are Mine.
On the day that I struck down all
The firstborn in Egypt's land's thrall,
I sanctified to Myself all
The firstborn in Israel by call,
Both man and beast, they shall be Mine:
I am YHWH and alone divine."

You tell the people what to do, one thing
Or then another, sometimes with the ring
Of arbitrary statutes multiplied.
But often You end what You say beside
With proclamation that You're only YHWH.
Like dogs we look upon the finger You
Use to point to Your unity and think
The detail of the law is on the brink.
Nothing has meaning otherwise than that
It reaffirms Your wearing of one hat.
The firstborn's Yours to say that You are one,
And every human action that is done
By Your command buries idolatry.
That's why the firstborn is both sold and free.

14 YHWH spoke to Moses at Sinai
And in the desert saying why,
15 "Count the children of Levi by
Their fathers' houses, and by their
Families, you shall count every heir
And male from a month old and up."
16 So Moses counted them that sup
By the word of YHWH, as commanded.
17 These were the sons of Levi branded
By their names: Gershon, Kohath, and
Merari. 18 And these are the brand
Names of the sons of Gershon by
Their families: Libni, Shimei.
19 And the sons of Kohath by their
Families: Amram, Izehar,
Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And sons
Of Merari by family runs:
Mahli and Mushi. So are these
By fathers' house Levites' families.
21 From Gershon came the family
Of the Libnites and family
Of the Shimites, these were families
Of Gershonites. 22 Those who were counted
According to number amounted
Of all the males from a month old
And above, those counted all told
Seven thousand five hundred bold.
23 The families of the Gershonites
Were to camp behind the tent sites
To westward. 24 And the leader of
The fathers' house of Gershonites
Was Eliasaph the son of
Lael. 25 The duties and the rights
Of the children of Gershon in
The tent of meeting, in one bin
The tabernacle, tent with cover,
The tent of meeting's screen to hover
About the door, 26 and the screen for
The courtyard and its open door,
The hangings of the court around
The tent and altar on the ground,
And their cords, according to all
The work around their therewithal.
27 From Kohath came the family
Of the Amramites, family
Of the Izharites, family
Of Hebronites, and family
Of the Uzzielites, these are
The Kohathites' families' star.
28 According to the number of
All the males, from a month old love
And up, there were eight thousand six
Hundred keeping charge of the tricks
Of the holy place and its sticks.
29 The families of Kohath kids
Were to camp on the south side bids
Of the tent. 30 And the leader of
The fathers' house of families of
Kohathites was Elizaphan
The son of Uzziel, good man.
31 Their duty included the ark,
The table, the lampstand, the park
Of the altars, the sanctuary
Utensils all which they would carry
On ministry, the screen, and all
The work included therewithal.
32 And Eleazar son of Aaron
The priest was to be chief to bear on
The leaders of all the Levites,
Keeping holy place oversights.
33 From Merari came the family
Of the Mahlites and the family
Of the Mushites, these the families
Of Merari. 34 And those who please
To be counted, according to
The number of all the male crew
From a month old and above led,
Were six thousand two hundred fed.
35 The leader of the fathers' house
Of the families and every spouse
Of Merari was Zuriel
Who was the son of Abihail,
These were to camp on the north side
Of the tabernacle tent ride.
36 And the children of Merari
Had as their appointed duty
The boards of the tent and its bars,
Its pillars, its sockets, and jars,
All the work relating to them,
37 And the pillars of the court hem,
With their sockets, their pegs, and cords.
38 Moreover those the camp affords
Before the tent on the east side,
Before the tabernacle tried,
Are Moses, Aaron, and his sons,
Keeping charge of holy place buns,
To meet the needs of Israel's folk,
But the stranger who dared approach
Was to be put to death like roach.
39 All who were counted of Levites,
Whom Moses and Aaron on sites
Counted at the command of YHWH,
By their families, all males too,
From a month old and onward up,
Were twenty-two thousand of tup.

Your dwelling, my Beloved, is all surrounded
With hundreds of officials and unbounded
To scour and carry, keep and police all
The corridors that hide Your praise with pall.
An unclean stranger I may be to You
And certainly to them, for what I do,
Despite my circumcision and the way
I recite Your bright law by night and day.
The civil servant's civil to some folk
Who have the pedigree and tinseled cloak,
But such a dervish dog as I they'd choke
If I had lived then to put stick in spoke.
I rush to You, Beloved, and penetrate
Defences, pierced to die upon the gate.

40 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Count all
The firstborn males of Israel's folk
From a month old and above brawl,
And find out all their names invoke.
41 "And you'll take the Levites for Me,
I am YHWH, instead of one wee
Among all the firstborn of folk
Of Israel, also the livestock
Of the Levites instead of all
The firstborn livestock in the stall
Of the children of Israel."
42 So Moses counted all firstborn
Among children of Israel sworn,
As YHWH commanded him. 43 And all
The firstborn males, according to
The number of names what and who
From a month old and above, of
Those who were numbered in their love,
Were twenty-two thousand and two
Hundred and seventy-three. 44 Then YHWH
Spoke to Moses, saying 45 "Now take
The Levites instead of the wake
Of firstborn among Israel's folk,
And the livestock of the Levites
Instead of their livestock in stoke.
The Levites shall be Mine: I'm YHWH.
46 "And as for the redemption rights
Of the two hundred seventy-three
Of the firstborn of Israel's free
Children, who are more than the count
Of the Levites, 47 "you'll take amount
Of five shekels for each one there,
You'll take it in the shekel share
Of sanctuary, the shekel
Of twenty gerahs. 48 "And you'll tell
The money, with which the excess
Number of them's redeemed in care
Of Aaron's and his sons' witness."
49 So Moses took redemption money
From all those who were over runny
Above the number of redeemed
By the Levites. 50 And so it seemed
From the firstborn of Israel's folk
He took the money, at one stroke
One thousand three hundred and yet
Sixty-five shekels, by the set
Count of the sanctuary. 51 And
Moses gave their money in hand
For their redemption to Aaron
And his sons, according to dawn
Of the word of YHWH, as YHWH said
To Moses, so he did as led.

The natural priesthood of the Lord it seems
Is the firstborn, Isaac and Ishmael's dreams.
Redemption of the firstborn must take place
Before You Yourself can make change in face.
So who gives right to Rome, Constantinople
To set up priest without redeeming pople?
Since Aaron is no longer taking shekel,
Who appears as a priest is really speckle.
Each firstborn is Your own, Your priest today,
And has the duty to teach all Your way,
Your law and covenant, Your love and word
Until the younger hearers' hearts are stirred.
Why else is the word "elder" once preferred?
Beloved, I bow to Your will where I stay.

The second son or youngest son is known
To be the choice since Seth and Abel grown.
The family priesthood is a thing in air:
To compromise we choose a pope with care.
Though I am not the second son I am
Both first and last, fit sacrificial lamb.
All competition for the leadership
Resolves in Moses' harsh creatorship,
Harsh seen by the opponent in the field,
Yet opportunity wounds to be healed.
Moses himself is here to represent
Authority of the last son and sent.
Aaron's accepted only through his prayer
That God might touch his tongue and so be fair.

NUMBERS 4

1 Then YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron,
Saying 2 "Take census to declare on
The sons of Kohath from among
The children of Levi unsung,
By their families, by fathers' house,
3 "From thirty years old (don't count spouse)
And above, even up to fifty
Years old, all who enter the nifty
Service to do the work within
The tent of meeting without sin.
4 "This is the service of the sons
Of Kohath in meeting tent runs,
About the most holy things, 5 "when
The camp prepares to journey, then
Aaron and his sons shall come, and
They'll take the covering veil by hand
And cover ark of testimony
With it. 6 "Then they'll not put a phony
But covering of badger skins, and
Spread over that a cloth to stand
All made of blue, and they'll run in
Its poles. 7 "On the table or bin
Of showbread they shall spread a blue
Cloth, and put on it dishes few,
The pans, the bowls, and pitchers for
Pouring, and the showbread before
Shall be upon it. 8 "They shall spread
Over them a scarlet cloth red,
And cover the same with a cover
Of badger skins, and they shall hover
Inserting its poles. 9 "And they'll take
A blue cloth and cover the stake
Of lampstand of the light, with lamps,
Its wick-trimmers, its trays for damps,
And all its oil vessels, with which
They service it and in a pitch.
10 "Then they shall put it with all its
Utensils in its covering kits
Of badger skins, and put it on
A carrying beam. 11 "Over upon
The golden altar they shall spread
A blue cloth, and cover it shed
With a cover of badger skins,
And they'll insert its poles as pins.
12 "Then all utensils they shall take
For service with which they shall make
Ministry in the sanctuary,
Put them in a blue cloth, and bury
Them with cover of badger skins,
And put them onto carrying pins.
13 "Also they shall remove the ashes
From the altar, and spread like sashes
A purple cloth over the whole.
14 "They shall put on it in its role
All its tools with which they serve there,
The firepans, forks, the shovels bare,
The basins, all the altar tools,
And they shall spread on it by rules
A covering of badger skins,
And insert its poles and its pins.

Though badger skin and purple have their place,
A blue cloth is found everywhere they race.
A blue cloth covers every holy thing
From prying eyes, from those who dance and sing.
The golden altar and the bread and table,
Each bowl and pitcher, as with blue they're able.
The sons of Kohath come with blue to hide
The lamp extinguished on the tent's south side.
Beloved, in me too there's a holy sound,
The I-ness where Your lovely name is found,
And that thing too is covered from the eye
Of the disdainful, those who sing and dance,
With coverings of blue beneath the cry
Reflecting on the veils the passing glance.

15 "And when Aaron and his sons shall
Have finished covering integral
The sanctuary and all its
Furnishings of its holy kits,
When the camp is set up to go,
Then the sons of Kohath shall show
To carry it, but they shall not
Touch any holy thing untaught,
Lest they die. These are the things in
The tent of meeting without sin
Which the sons of Kohath shall bear.
16 "Appointed task of Eleazar
The son of Aaron the priest is
The oil for the light, and for his
Sweet incense, the daily grain offering,
Anointing oil, as well as proffering
The oversight of all the tent,
Of all that is in it and spent,
The sanctuary and its tools."

Some are appointed to the holy task
Of bearing things holy and golden, mask
And bone, structure and hidden wooden frame.
Some are appointed to recite Your name.
Some are appointed to the work and press
Of making oil for light and for the guess
Of incense for the daily offering,
And as they work they dance around and sing,
Anointing with such oil each holy thing
That has such need or love or daily claim.
Some are appointed to recite Your name.
Beloved, I have no task given to me
In bearing heavy holy things to see,
In bringing oil, I only love Your name.

17 Then YHWH spoke to Moses these rules
And to Aaron , saying 18 "Do not
Cut off the tribe of families taught
Of Kohathites from the Levites,
19 "But do this as regards their rights,
That they may live and not die when
They approach the most holy den:
Aaron and his sons shall go in
And appoint each of them to win
His service and his task. 20 "But they
Shall not go in to watch the way
The holy things are being covered,
Lest they die there where they have hovered."

Beloved, I do not seek to touch the thing
That is beneath Your holy, covering wing,
I do not seek a vision of the gold
That fills Your holy temple built of old,
And yet I seek a deeper sight than those
That filled with fear the ones who bore the clothes.
The holy things I pass as something crass,
The instuments of priest and public gas.
Instead I rush like moth into the fire,
Blaze up for just a moment on the pyre,
And then die sacrifice upon the dergah floor.
Death in the gold's not enough, I need more.
Beloved, beyond touching and seeing I
Join You in One so that my self may die.

WEEK 35

21 Then YHWH spoke to Moses, saying
22 "Take also census of the sons
Of Gershon, by their fathers' runs,
By their families. 23 "From thirty years
Old and above, to fifty years
Old, you shall count them, all who go
In to perform the service show,
To do the work in meeting tent.
24 "This is the service of descent
Families of the Gershonites,
In serving and carrying rights:
25 "They'll carry curtains of the tent
And meeting tabernacle vent,
Its cover, and cover of skins
Of badger that upon it wins,
The screen for the door of the tent
Of meeting, 26 "the screen for the door
Of the gate of the court before,
The hangings of the court around
The tent and altar, and their cords,
All the furnishings for the hordes
Of their service and all that's made
For these things: so shall they be played.
27 "Aaron and his sons shall assign
All the service of the sons fine
Of Gershonites, all their tasks and
All their service. And you'll command
To them all their tasks as their duty.
28 "This is the service in its beauty
Of the families of the sons of
Gershon in the meeting tent's love.
And their duties shall be beneath
The hand of Ithamar's bequeath,
The son of Aaron and the priest.
29 "As for sons of Merari, least
You'll count them by families increased
And by their fathers' house and feast.
30 "From thirty years old and above,
Even to fifty years old, love,
You'll number them, each one who goes
Into the service on his toes
To do the work of meeting tent.
31 "And this is what they must be sent
To carry as all their service
For the tent of meeting in bliss:
The boards of the tent, bars and pillars,
Its sockets, 32 "as well as the pillars
Around the court with their sockets,
Pegs, and cords, with their furnishings
And all their service, and such things,
And you shall assign to each ferry
By name the items he must carry.
33 "Such tasks for families of the sons
Of Merari, as all the ones
In service for the meeting tent,
Under hand of Ithamar went
The son of Aaron the priest sent."

A Gershonite or Merarite am I,
Beloved, who stand beneath the open sky.
Wherever I go I carry along
Boards with their sockets so no one may wrong
The burden of Your name, I carry veils
To spread across the flying, fleeing sails
Of those who claim to seek You in the plot
Of faiths enjoined by gurus seen and taught.
I have no faith nor message but Your name,
Divided not, singular in my shame.
I am the gadfly to prevent their finding
The truth they hope to see in golden binding.
I veil the right from every searching sight
And lead astray the faltering steps in night.

34 And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders
Of the assembly counted heeders
Of Kohath's sons by their families
And by their fathers' house to please,
35 From thirty years old and above,
Even to fifty years old, love,
To everyone who came to task
For work in meeting tent to bask,
36 And those who were counted by their
Families were two thousand to share
With seven hundred and fifty.
37 These were the ones who were nifty
And counted of the families of
The Kohathites, all who above
Might serve in the meeting tent, whom,
Moses and bro Aaron for room
Counted according to command
Of YHWH and by Moses, his hand.
38 And those who were counted of sons
Of Gershon, by their families' runs
And by their fathers' house for love,
39 From thirty years old and above,
Even to fifty years old, each
Who entered in the work to preach
In the tabernacle of meeting,
40 Those who were counted by the reach
Of their families, fathers' house' seating,
Were two thousand six hundred thirty.
41 These are the ones counted assertive
Of the families of Gershon's sons,
Of all who might serve in the runs
Of tabernacle of meeting,
Whom Moses and Aaron counting
According to YHWH's commandment.
42 Those of families who were meant
Of the sons of Merari counted,
By their families, and amounted
By their fathers' house, 43 from thirty
Years old and above, not dirty,
Even to fifty years old, all
Who entered the service for call
To work in the meeting tent's wall,
44 Those by their families counted
Were three thousand two hundred led.
45 These are the ones who were counted
Of families of Merari's sons,
Whom Moses and Aaron by tons
Counted according to YHWH's word,
By the hand of Moses and stirred.
46 All who were numbered of Levites,
Whom Moses, Aaron, acolytes,
Leaders of Israel counted, by
Their families and also by
Their fathers' houses, 47 from thirty
Years old and above, to furtive
And up to fifty years old, all
Who came to do the work by call
Of service and the work of bearing
Burdens in the meeting tent caring,
48 Those who were counted came to eight
Thousand five hundred and eighty.
49 According to the command's weight
Of YHWH they were counted to be
By the hand of Moses, each one
According to his service done
And according to his own task,
Thus were they counted, tin and cask,
As YHWH told Moses how to ask.

It is a slavery and a mockery
Of right and of those who would stand up free
To work slaving forty hours a week or
More for forty years then be put in store.
The work life should begin at age of thirty,
And then for twenty years let hands be dirty.
Instead of work as life's identity
In some profession for eternity,
Let fifty years be spent in eating, sleeping
And all about the lightened dergah creeping.
Six days, perhaps, are given to men's work,
But only score of three score ten to shirk
One's being like the lily of the field,
A swallow who does not spin silken yield.

NUMBERS 5

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying
2 "Command Israel's folk on the wing
That they put out of the camp each
Leper, everyone who in reach
Has a discharge, and who becomes
Defiled by a corpse, all such bums.
3 "You shall put out both male, female,
You shall put them outside the pale
Of the camp, that they not defile
Their camps where I live, rank and file."
4 So Israel's folk did, put them out
Of the camp, as YHWH spoke in shout
To Moses, so Israel's folk did.
5 Then YHWH spoke to Moses to bid,
6 "Speak to Israel's folk, 'When a man
Or woman commits sin or ban
That men commit unfaithfulness
Against YHWH, and that one confess
Or is shown guilty, 7 'then he shall
Confess the sin which prodigal
He has committed. He shall make
A restitution for trespass
In full, plus one-fifth of the stake
And give it to the one he's wronged.
8 'But if the man has no alas
Relative to whom it belonged
For restitution to be made
For the wrong then the wrong's relayed
In restitution to YHWH for
The priest, in an addition more
To the ram of atonement by
Which atonement for him is nigh.
9 'Every offering of holy thing
Of Israel's folk, and which they bring
To the priest, shall be his, 10 'and each
Man's holy things are in his reach,
Whatever any man shall give
The priest shall be for him to live.'"

The one-fifth restitution is a thing
That from beginning was the tune to sing.
In different times the one-fifth offering
Has been due to a slightly different score.
Your law, Beloved, accommodates the floor.
As time and place change, so the application
Of Your word may receive a different station.
But always the one-fifth is due at last,
To wronged man claimant or the priest gone past,
Or to the prophet or the prophet's daughter.
Your law is always fast and clear as water.
I bring the one-fifth in my hand to fast
And pray a blessing on the progeny
Of Moses, David, Muhammad, Ali.

11 And YHWH spoke to Moses, and saying
12 "Speak to Israel's folk for their swaying,
'If any man's wife goes astray
And acts unfaithfully one day
Toward him, 13 'and a man with her
Lies carnally, as may occur,
And it is hidden from the eyes
Of her husband, who would despise,
And it's concealed that she's defiled
Herself, no witness but the child
Against her, nor was ever caught,
14 'If spirit of jealousy wrought
Comes on him and he gets jealous
Of his wife, who in all the fuss
Defiled herself, or if the spirit
Of jealousy comes on to fear it,
And he gets jealous of his wife,
Although she's not in all her life
Defiled herself, 15 'then the man shall
Bring his wife to the priest's cabal.
He'll bring the offering that's required
For her, one-tenth ephah acquired
Of barley meal, he'll pour no oil
Nor frankincense on it to spoil,
Because it's a meat offering of
Jealousy, an offering for love
Remembering, for bringing such sin
To remembrance. 16 'The priest within
Shall bring her near, and set her there
Before YHWH. 17 'The priest shall take care
With holy water in a pot
Of earth, and take some of the caught
Dust that is upon the tent floor
And put it in the water's store.

Not now, but in the ancient time and place,
A woman could be brought before the face
Of priest for her unfaithfulness' disgrace,
Without proof or witness or her confession,
But only on account of man's obsession.
But even then the thing would not bear oil
Or frankincense, but only basic toil,
And holy water, holy, what is that?
And how does water become holy fat?
Consensus says its blessing of the priest,
But there's no valid priesthood, now it's ceased,
Except that every loved of You is one,
A priest and king is every mother's son.
Without the holy water, trial's done.

18 'The priest shall stand the wife before
YHWH, uncover the woman's head,
And put the offering for mind read
In her hands, which is meat offering
Of jealousy, and the priestling
Shall have in his hand the bitter
Water that brings a curse on her.

Och, hardly any text in all the Book
Of revelation wherever you look
From Genesis up to Suratul-Nas
Speaks of head cover for lady and lass.
In passing here this rarity appears,
That women have head covered for their fears.
One witness hardly suffices to bring
A legal verdict or two on the thing,
Especially when I see that the veil
Is lifted once she comes within Your pale.
This practice is tradition for Islam
And Judaism, and the Christian’s balm.
If we scratch hard enough the sacred scroll
Will lend a voice to those who take their toll.

19 'The priest shall put her under oath,
And say to the woman with growth,
"If no man has lain with you, and
If you have not gone out of hand
To uncleanness under husband,
Be free from this bitter water
That brings the curse that I infer.
20 "But if you have then gone astray
Under your husband's power and sway,
And if you have defiled yourself
And some man or some other elf
Besides your husband's lain with you,"
21 'The priest shall put wife under oath
Of the curse, and he shall say loath
To the woman, "YHWH make you curse
And oath among your people, worse
When YHWH makes your thigh rot and your
Belly swell, 22 "and may this water
That causes the curse go into
Your stomach, and also make you
And your belly swell and thigh rot."
The wife shall say "Amen," or not.

The trial by fire and dunking of the witch
Does work according to the proper stitch
In ethnographical account, but then
It only works with the encultured men.
The difference between the trial by fire
And water, and that of Your Word's desire,
Is dusty water does not burn nor drown.
If magic incantation of renown
Fails as technique, at least the test will show
No more than belly-ache unless dust glow.
Innocent till proven guilty's Your will
And that must fit the jealous husband's bill.
Beloved, I drink Your dust and water well,
And fall beneath Your jealousy and spell.

23 'Then the priest shall write in a book
These curses, and scrape them with hook
Into the bitter water. 24 'He
Shall make the woman drink freely
Of the bitter water that brings
A curse, and the water that brings
The curse shall go in her, be bitter.
25 'The priest shall take from jealous sitter
The grain offering from the wife's hand,
Shall wave the offering before YHWH,
And bring it to the altar's band,
26 'And the priest shall take residue,
A handful of the offering, as
Its portion that memorial has,
And burn it on the altar, and
After that make the wife in hand
To drink the water. 27 'When he's made
Her drink the water's lemonade,
Then it shall be, if she's defiled
Herself, behaved to get a child
Unfaithfully toward her man,
That the water that brings a curse
Will enter her and do her worse
And become bitter, and her paunch
Will swell, her thigh will rot and raunch,
And the wife will become a curse
Among her people for the worse.

The rustic Arab and the literate
Of dervish may lay on the polished plate
A scattering of letters scraped off from
The parchment where they did the magic sum.
And setting up the incantation right
Is something still done in the dark of night.
The fevered hope and desperation's hate
Still drive well-reasoned people to their fate.
But writing and scraping of spells is not
A thing I had expected in Your spot.
I write no spell nor drink it in Your game,
Except to breath and whisper Your sweet name,
And so I eat and drink that writing bare,
And fill my heart with incantation rare.

28 'But if the woman's not defiled
Herself, and is clean, though she's wild.
She shall be free and may conceive
Children. 29 'This is the law's reprieve
Of jealousy, when a wife, while
Under her husband, shall defile
Herself having gone astray, 30 'or
When spirit of jealousy bore
Into a man, and he becomes
Jealous of his wife in her sums,
Then he shall stand the wife before
YHWH, and the priest shall bring the store
Of all this law upon her. 31 'Then
The man shall be free from his yen
And his iniquity, but that
Wife shall bear her guilt where she sat.'"

Your Book even when dealing with the heart
And jealousy on men and women's part,
It touched most deeply by conception's art
And the right of the child to know who be
Her father in the jungle and the sea.
I'd say You did not feel, Beloved, the care
That humans have about their love and share,
Except You also cry aloud in pain
And jealousy to see the veilings stain
And find Your own loved searching out in vain
The idols that transverse Your heart for gain.
Let me not be unfaithful, My Beloved,
In this world of the taken and the shoved,
But bask each day in Your gentle love's rain.

NUMBERS 6

1 Then YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
2 "Speak to Israel's folk, have them led,
'When either man or woman bring
Consecrating an offering
To take the vow of Nazirite,
To separate himself for right
To YHWH, 3 'he shall separate from
Wine and such drink that tricks the sum,
He shall drink neither vinegar
Made from wine nor of vinegar
Made from such drink, neither shall drink
Any grape juice, nor in his kink
Eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 'Each day
Of his vowed time he'll in no way
Eat anything produced by vine,
From seed to skin. 5 'He shall resign
All the days of distinction's vow
Not to pass razor anyhow
Upon his head, until the days
Are fulfilled for which he conveys
To separate himself to YHWH,
He shall be holy then he'll let
The locks of his head's hair long get.
6 'All the days that he separates
Himself to YHWH in holy states
He shall not go near a dead body.
7 'He'll not make himself unclean, shoddy,
Even for his own father or
His mother, for his brother or
His sister, when they die, because
His separation to God's laws
Is on his head. 8 'All the days of
His separation's holy love
Shall be to YHWH. 9 'And if someone
Dies suddenly beside his bun,
And defiles consecrated head,
Then he shall shave his head as said
On the day of his cleansing, on
The seventh day he'll shave it gone.
10 'Then it's on the eighth day he brings
Two turtledoves or two young things
As pigeons to the priest, and to
The tent of meeting's door for stew,
11 'And the priest shall offer one as
A sin offering the other as
A burnt offering, make atonement
For him, because he sinned and went
In to the corpse, he'll sanctify
His head that same day going by.
12 'He'll consecrate to YHWH the days
Of separation, and then bring
A male lamb in its first year plays
And as a trespass offering,
But the former days shall be lost,
Because his separation's tossed,
It was defiled. 13 'Now this is law
Of Nazirite to be in awe:
When the days of his separation
Are fulfilled, with his reparation,
He shall be brought to the tent door
Of meeting 14 'To present before
It his offering to YHWH: one male
Lamb in its first year without fail
Or blemish as a burnt offering,
One ewe lamb in its first, yearling
Without blemish as sin offering,
One ram without blemish as peace
Offering, 15 'a basket to release
Unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour
Mixed with oil, unleavened, unsour
Wafers anointed with oil, and
Their grain offering by My command
With their drink offerings. 16 'Then the priest
Shall bring them before YHWH increased
And offer his sin offering and
His burnt offering, 17 'and he shall offer
The ram as sacrifice to proffer
A peace offering to YHWH, and led
With basket of unleavened bread,
The priest shall also offer its
Grain offering and drink offering kits.
18 'And then the Nazirite shall shave
His consecrated head like slave
At the meeting tent door, and shall
Take the hair from his consacral
Head and put it upon the fire
Under the peace sacrifice pyre.
19 'And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder
Of the ram, one yeastless cake bolder
From the basket, and one yeastless
Wafer, and put for faithfulness
Upon the hands of Nazirite
After he's shaved his pate aright,
20 'And the priest shall wave them as wave
Offering before YHWH, after shave,
They are holy for the priest, too,
Together with the breast that's due
Of the wave offering and the thigh
Of the heave offering. By and by,
The Nazirite may drink grape juice.'
21 "This is Nazirite law's produce,
When one vows to YHWH offering
For his separation to sing,
And besides that, whatever more
His hand is able to provide,
According to the vow he swore,
So he must in all things abide
In his separation reside."

Consecrations and sacrifices and
Shavings it takes to bring a man to stand
Pure, clear in mind without the bitter stain
Of alcohol upon a pickled brain.
The Qalandar too shaves his holy head
And stands outside with basket full of bread.
Beloved, as You are holy, so too I
And every mother's son that breathes a sigh
Must separate himself upon a day
To carry out the promised holy way.
I trow it was as easy then as now
To keep an unintoxicated brow.
Religion is an empty ceremony
To help keep Your commandments, not be phony.

22 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying
23 "Speak to Aaron and sons, saying
'This is the way that you shall bless
Israel's folk. Tell them and not guess,
24 "YHWH bless you and keep you, 25 YHWH make
His face shine on you for your sake,
And be gracious to you, 26 YHWH lift
Up His visage on you, and gift
You peace or Islam without shame."'
27 "And so they shall then put My name
On Israel's folk, I'll bless their fame."

In giving peace of Islam to the folk
You carry out the blessing You bespoke.
The blessing lies within the sighing breath
That sings the threefold YHWH before soul's death.
The blessing's in six promises well kept
While people woke and worked, lay down and slept.
Bless, keep, and shine, and give abundant grace,
And so in peace abide beneath Your face.
Beloved, I seek Your blessing, keeping, shining
Upon the dergah floor without repining.
I bask and breathe within Your grace and stand
Determined in the peace of Islam's land.
Submitted to Your will in nine-fold theme,
I whirl and break the veils that only seem.



AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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