B’midbar
Numbers 1:1 - 4:20
Précis: The Book is an interesting amalgamation of the narrative of wilderness wanderings (including the stories of the spies, Korah’s rebellion, Balaam’s donkey, and the sin of Moses), sacrificial requirements, the establishment of Israel’s moving camp, and census data.
As the Book of B’midbar (“in the wilderness”) begins, Moses is directed to take a census [“take the number” from which the English name (Numbers) of the Book arises] of the People. A detailed listing of the numbers of each tribe follows, as do explicit directions for setting up the traveling camp; each tribe is apportioned a particular location in the camp. A listing of the Levitical families then follows, together with the beginning of a discussion of their duties.
B’midbar, according to Rabbi Plaut, continues the narrative from Exodus (which was largely interrupted by Leviticus), and begins about a year after the liberation, covering the wandering in the desert. He notes that details are provided for only the first and last years, with the “middle” 38 left mostly to our imaginations. The focus of the Book appears to “point to this moment when Israel is poised to take possession of its inheritance.”
Numbers 1:1 - 2 “And Adonai spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai… saying, ‘Take the sum of the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their father’s houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls.’”
An initial question to be considered as we start the fourth Book of the Torah is why the specific location (in the wilderness of Sinai) is mentioned. A second question to be considered is whether there is a connection between the weekly reading and Shavuot, which we celebrate shortly.
Shavuot is a festival with a plethora of names. Obviously, it is most usually called “Shavuot” meaning “weeks,” since it comes seven full weeks after Passover, during which time we count the days (the“omer”) between these festivals. Shavuot is also referred to as “z’man matan torateinu” (the time of the giving of our Torah). This is a reminder of our obligation to study Torah (reflected in the tradition of night-long Torah study on Shavuot, the tikkun lay’l Shavuot.)
This reference to Torah study is a hint to the connection with the identification of place in the first verse of B’midbar. According to Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 1:7), the location for giving of the Torah is identified to remind us that three distinct elements were present when the Torah was given to the Israelites: fire, water, and desert. Fire was present in the form of the smoking mountain itself (Ex. 19:18). As the Torah was given, the “heavens dripped with water” (Judges 19:18). Finally, in the cited verse, we learn that the Torah was given in the desert.
Our tradition suggests that fire symbolizes hard work. Water is associated with happiness (rain being considered a blessing). The desert, flat and arid, represents humility. These three attributes are, in turn, suggested as a standard for how we read and learn from the text: through hard work, with joy, and with humility. I would further suggest that these three attributes are also appropriate standards for going about our occupations: with hard work, with a joyful spirit, and with the humility to know that we lack the perfection others might expect of us.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.
