It was lit every day by a Kohen (priest). In the modern synagogue, the ner tamid (everlasting light) symbolises the menorah.

The festival of Chanukah recalls the miracle that occurred at the time of the Hasmoneans when following their victory over the Greeks, the oil in the menorah lasted for eight days not the expected one day.

We then read of an initiation ceremony for the Levites, who had just taken over from the firstborn. The Levites were to serve in the Temple.

We then read the story of Pesach Sheni (second Pesach). A group of men were ritually impure during Pesach and were thus unfit to partake of the Paschal lamb.

Not content with being excused from the ritual, they felt deprived of the mitzva. Accordingly, the Almighty instructs that such people were to be given a second chance to offer a Paschal lamb and partake in a form of seder ritual. This was to take place a month after Pesach.

The Torah then details the way the signal was given to move on, when God wanted the Children of Israel to up sticks and carry on their journey to the Promised Land.

This was done by means of blowing on trumpets (this was, of course, before the advent of mobile phones, text messaging, WhatsApp etc).

The people complained about the lack of variety of food — they ate manna every day. Eventually, God sent them quails. However, a plague broke out among the people as a punishment for their rebelliousness.

Miriam and Aaron spoke critically of their brother, Moses, particularly concerning his choice of wife.

The Almighty reminds them of Moses’s pre-eminence as the supreme prophet who received his instructions directly from God’s mouth.

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