Num. 13:1-15:41
Précis: Moses is ordered to
“send out” (sh’lach l’cha) spies to
examine the land. Representatives of each tribe go out, report on its bounty,
but also report about its fearsome inhabitants. The People are frightened, and
their “murmuring” turns into something close to panic. God tells Moses that He
will destroy the People, but Moses intercedes; the People are sentenced to
spend 40 years in the wilderness. The parasha then returns to matters
concerning the Tabernacle, with a discussion of the offering for unintentional
sins. Near its end, the parasha discusses the wearing of tzitzit, a paragraph which is part of the traditional recitation of
the Sh’ma. This is the 27th of 54
parshiot, marking the half-way point in the yearly reading.
Num. 14:27 “How much
longer will that wicked community keep murmuring against Me?”
Here, God complains about the
“murmuring” by the people following the dour report of 10 of the spies. The word
for “community” in Hebrew (“edah”)
which here numbered ten was used by the Rabbis as the basis for creating the
requirement of a minyan, the Jewish quorum needed for communal prayer and
observance. This fact has been powerfully driven home in recent months by the
pandemic, when “virtual” services have been attempted as substitutes for the
communal acts we would ordinarily engage in together.
The Conservative Movement has recently
issued a legal opinion (t’shuvah) stating that certain rituals,
including Shabbat and holiday services, may be conducted virtually. Some
congregations, such as my own, have decided that they will begin to stream
services provided that a minyan is present in the sanctuary. Some members of my
congregation (including myself) have already been participating in “Zoom”
services on Shabbat together, with the kind of substantial two-way interaction
which a one-way stream does not offer. This is a matter of deep concern to
those who feel torn between the need for observance of traditional halacha and the
real need for “edah.”
I would also note that this week’s
reading takes place during a time of heightened awareness of institutional
racism which is part of America’s DNA. “Murmuring” about its impact is not
sufficient. We, as a community - an edah – need to be outspoken and supportive
of equal rights for all.
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