In Chazal we find three more names for Chumash Bamidbar:
1) Chumash Vayedaber, because that is the first word
2) Chomesh HaPekudim
3) Sefer HaYashar
The Medrash says that all the nations learned from the degalim in the midbar to make special flags with different colors, like we have today.
There were two Yidden in the Russian army in the times of the czar. Every morning very early, they would secretly put on tefillin.
One day, a Russian officer passed by and saw them. He began shouting. The Yidden realized this could lead to a death penalty, so in fear for their lives, they managed to kill the officer and buried him. They knew they would be caught, so they quickly ran away and escaped to Germany.
When the army investigated, they figured out it must have been these soldiers, and a big search began. They even asked the king of Germany to hand them over. The king sent out a message that no one should help these Yidden.
The chief rabbi of Berlin, Rabbi Dovid Tzvi Hoffman, heard what happened. He found out where they were hiding and went to see them. When he saw they were honest, G-d-fearing Yidden, and only acted out of fear, he decided to help them. He dressed them in women’s clothing and brought them into his home.
After some time, the king of Germany became very sick. No doctors could cure him, and it seemed like he would die. Rav Hoffman called his personal doctor and told him, “Go to the palace and say the rabbi sent you to heal the king. When he gets better and wants to reward you, ask him to give these Yidden German citizenship. Hashem will help you succeed.” And that is what happened. The doctor healed the king, and the Yidden were saved.
The passuk says וְזֹאת עֲשׂוּ לָהֶם וְחָיוּ וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ בְּגִשְׁתָּם אֶת קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים. The seforim explain that when a person is busy with kodesh hakodashim, with Torah and mitzvos, he will live and not die.
These Yidden, who were moser nefesh for tefillin, were saved in a miraculous way, and they lived, even when it seemed impossible.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 81.