Parashat Beha’alotcha

We continue to follow shem through the Torah.

The first question HASHEM asks us is where are you? (Genesis 3:9) So here we are saying back to Him: where are you, where is Your shem/name?

וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא תַּבְעֵרָ֑ה כִּֽי־בָעֲרָ֥ה בָ֖ם אֵ֥שׁ יי

He named that place Taberah, for the fire of HASHEM had burned against them. (Numbers 11:3)

This is the first time shem is used to name a location since sefer Shemot, when a place is similarly named with a negative connotation:

They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; that is why it was named Marah. (Ex. 15:23)

וַיִּשָּׁאֲר֣וּ שְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֣ים ׀ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֡ה שֵׁ֣ם הָאֶחָ֣ד ׀ אֶלְדָּ֡ד וְשֵׁם֩ הַשֵּׁנִ֨י מֵידָ֜ד וַתָּ֧נַח עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם הָר֗וּחַ וְהֵ֨מָּה֙ בַּכְּתֻבִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָצְא֖וּ הָאֹ֑הֱלָה וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה

Two men remained behind in the camp; the name of one as Eldad and the name of the second was Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. They had been among the recorded ones, but they had not gone out to the Tent, and they prophesied in the camp. (Numbers 11:26)

Shem being used twice in succession to name two people, once for each person, is reminiscent of parashat Yitro, when Moses’ sons are named (again). There, however, each son stands on his own — ‘one and one’ instead of the ‘one and second’ of this parasha:

and her two sons — of whom one was named Gershom, that is to say, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”; and one was named Eliezer, meaning, “The G-D of my father was my help, delivering me from the sword of Pharaoh.” (Ex. 18:3:4)

Whereas Gershom and Eliezer are each given a distinct identity, Eldad and Medad are linked. They act as a unit. Their names sound similar too.

וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא קִבְר֣וֹת הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁם֙ קָֽבְר֔וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם הַמִּתְאַוִּֽים

He named that place Kivrot Hata’avah because there they buried the people who had been craving. (Numbers 11:34)

Once again shem is associated with a place rather than HASHEM or people, and again in a negative connotation.

After scant mentions of shem in sefer Vayikra, each of the first three parshiot of sefer Bamidbar contain shem.