This busy portion contains a number of legal and technical details, as well as stories. We are told of the Levites’ appointment as assistants to the priestly service, and the celebration of Passover in the desert after the exodus. The preparations and arrangements for travel are outlined, as well. We read of two incidents in which the Israelites express dissatisfaction with God, and how He responds. Finally, we learn that even Biblical heroes make mistakes, as Moses’s siblings are punished for gossiping about their brother.
