Pent. Num 1:1-4:20
The opening verses of the fourth book of the Torah return us to the saga of the Israelites as they continue their slow trek from Egypt to Israel: “On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, the Eternal One spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai...” (Num. 1:1) The ancient editors of the Torah text interrupted this saga with the sacrificial laws that filled the pages of Leviticus; as we enter the book of Numbers we now are back on track, back on the trek with the Israelites again.
By giving this book the Hebrew name of BaMidbar, literally, In the Wilderness, our ancestors signal us to pay close attention to the physical, psychological and spiritual effects of time spent in uncharted territories. What do the Israelites, and we, learn when we walk in a place where the great expanse of earth and sky stretches out to the horizon without obstruction? How do we experience our individual human needs and self apprehensions up against the enormity of creation and the uncontrolled forces of nature? What is our place in community and what place has community in bringing a sense of order and safety to a boundary-less universe? And how do we find God in this land of beauty and power, this harsh and unforgiving place where oases are few and faith is a hard-won battle between hope and despair?
Though most of us spend more time in civilization than we do in places we would call “wild,” we metaphorically live most of our lives “in the wilderness” of physical, psychological and spiritual challenges. The “wilderness” of challenge is where we learn how to cope, to transcend, to compromise, to continue to climb after we fall. In the wilderness we learn the power of love and friendship, the necessity of hope, the comfort of faith, and the compassion of community.
The Jewish calendar makes sure that we read these opening chapters about the Israelites in the wilderness just before we celebrate Shavuot, the anniversary of receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai. The Midrash teaches that the Torah was given in the wilderness because “one should be as open as a wilderness to receive the Torah.” (BT Ned.55a) Let each of us and all of us, stand again at Sinai with open hearts and minds, ready to receive again the wisdom of this ancient, ever-new collection of Jewish wisdom. Let it guide us through the wilderness of our every day lives toward a life filled with learning and holiness.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Judy Shanks
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