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DIVINE ENCOUNTERS
of Yahweh," the last verse of the Book of Exodus states, "was upon the Residence by day and a fire was in it by night, before the very eyes of the whole house of Israel, throughout their journeys." It was only when the divine cloud lifted that they moved on; but when the cloud did not rise off the Residence, they stayed put where encamped until the cloud would rise. It was during those resting periods (as the first verse in the next book of the Pentateuch, Leviticus, states) that "Yahweh called Moses, and spoke to him from inside the Tent of Appointment." The instructions covered the appointment of the House of Aaron as the priestly line, and the precise details of the priestly clothing, consecration, and the rituals of the sacred service of Yahweh. Even then, in the immediate aftermath of the landing on the Mount and within the consecrated confines of the Tabernacle, it was from inside the thick cloud of a foglike darkness, from behind the screened-off portion, from between the Cherubim, that Yahweh's voice could be heard—the words of the Unseen God. With all those precautions and obscuring veilings, even the High Priest had to raise an additional opaque haze by burning a specific combination of incenses before he could approach the screen that veiled the Ark of the Covenant; and when two sons of Aaron burned the wrong incense, creating a "strange fire," a beam of fire "emanating from Yahweh" struck them dead. It was during those resting periods that Moses was instructed regarding a long list of other rules and regulations— for all manner of sacrifices and the paying of homage to the Lord by the common people, who were all to be considered "a nation of priests"; for the proper relations between members of the family and between one person and another, prescribing equal treatment of the citizen, the serf, and the strangers. There were instructions for what foods were proper or improper, and in the diagnosing and treatment of various ailments. Throughout and repeatedly, there were strict prohibitions of the customs of "other nations" that were associated with the worship of "other gods"—such as the shaving of the head or beards, the incising of tattoos, or the sacrificing of children as burnt offerings. Forbidden was the "turning to