By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
EL CAJON, California — The wilderness – a rugged, untamed expanse that can seem daunting at first glance. But hold up, this week’s parsha Bamidbar (read right before Shavuot) flips the script! The wilderness of Sinai isn’t just some chaotic wasteland. Nope, it’s the launching pad for an epic 40-year journey with one clear destination: the Promised Land. So, buckle up, folks! We’re about to embark on a spiritual adventure through the wilderness. But don’t worry, with the Torah as our GPS, we’ll navigate this vast expanse step-by-step, growing stronger with every mile. The wilderness may seem wild, but it’s an intricate path meticulously designed to lead us towards our ultimate goal.
Amid this boundless desert, Hashem commands Moses to take a census, not merely to count most of the people, but to remind them that each individual matters, that every human being has a vital role to play.
As hate, violence, and antisemitism greatly escalate, we find ourselves confronting fears and uncertainties, obstacles that can feel like a wilderness of their own. Yet our Torah teaches us the values of faith, daring, humility, gratitude, and never taking our blessings for granted – especially our health – move us through these obstacles and shows us how to use them as fuel.
True understanding of Hashem’s word rests on humility. In the wilderness, we strip away the allure of materialism and awaken to a life filled with Torah.
In many ways, we all dwell in the wilderness’s dangers, surrounded by obstacles and failures. Yet we are not alone, fortified by our bitachon – our trust in Hashem – and the loving embrace of family, friends, congregants, and esteemed teachers. And we do our hishtadlus, our part, striving for parnassa, shidduchim, health, and sustenance. For it was in the wilderness that our ancestors encountered Hashem and received the Torah. And it is there that we, too, can find revelation, even now.
As a people, we have weathered countless wildernesses throughout our long history, and we find ourselves in one again. But on this Shavuot, we stand united through the long night, declaring our readiness to receive the Torah anew and continue our eternal voyage, unafraid. For we are an eternal people, gifted with the eternal Torah. The wilderness brings struggles, hardships, and questions. It is a place of problems, yet also a place of purpose. A puzzle from our perspective, but from Hashem’s, a perfect plan for our lives.
The Torah was not given to a perfect people, nor was it meant to make them perfect. It was designed to make them holy, a vehicle for revealing Hashem’s name, to remind us He lives within us. Though we wander through wilderness after wilderness, the Torah’s words guide us, granting direction, purpose, and comfort – the understanding that we are a people covenanted with destiny.
The Book of Numbers is called “In the Wilderness” (Bamidbar), for it was amidst that wilderness that the Israelites, freshly freed from slavery, found the courage to stand at Sinai’s foot. It was there that they declared their readiness to embark on a new, sacred voyage. Being united was the key. It still is.
We sparkle as individuals, each a singular gemstone faceted with our distinctive qualities. And yet, we are more than the sum of our brilliant parts – together we form a unified constellation, the luminous totality of the Jewish people. Like the venerated heads of the tribes in the parsha, we who lead in one capacity or another, bear a dual responsibility: to polish and refine our own holy essence, while simultaneously allowing our light to merge into the infinite, all-encompassing Jewish nation. It is this delicate dance, this harmony of individual and unified togetherness, that is the secret source from which we draw our enduring strength and resilience. We are at once solitary stars and a single galaxy – a mosaic ablaze with the fire of our shared heritage and destiny.
Our uniqueness lends depth and dimension to the whole, while our unity braids those singular threads into an eternal tapestry, reinforced by the unbreakable warp of our covenant. It is up to us, to you and to me, to ensure that the Jewish people’s guiding light will burn unified, bright and brilliant for all generations to come, clearly unified.
The path to unity can seem daunting when we cannot find harmony even among our own families. How can we stand as one people to defend our brothers and sisters, when we disagree on the very nature of the problems that plague us? The way forward feels obscured by a wilderness of division and discord. Orthodox, conservative, reform and others…how can we unify? How can we stand together, especially at this time of such need to stand with Israel as one? When offering prayers, express gratitude to Hahsem for facilitating meaningful connections and strengthening bonds with others.
In the depths of this parsha, I perceive sacred guideposts illuminating the way towards healing – for ourselves, our people, and our world. Before we can unite under the Tent of Meeting to uplift the wider community, and before we align in our respective tribes to strengthen our intimate circles, we must first embark on the profound inner work of mending our own souls.
The midbar – a place of uncertainty, fear, and danger. The very letters daled-bais-reish from which it derives also form the root of davar – to speak words, words with the power to bring spiritual healing. But we must be one to speak words of true spiritual healing.
It is only after we have traversed our personal wilderness, cultivating wholeness from the shards within, that we can merge our renewed selves with the unified current of our nation’s purpose. We must each be a wellspring of light before combining to become an inextinguishable torch for all humanity.
The way is arduous, but the destination hallowed – to heal ourselves that we might heal our world. May we summon the courage to confront the wilderness inside, emerging revitalized and prepared to join the work of tikkun olam as Jews and as human beings. This is our shared potential; this is our sacred calling.
This Shavuot may our study of Torah and keeping it alive, together, as one family wearing a coat of many colors, be filled with love for one another, and may we experience the revelation at Sinai as a communal event of strength to strength. Let us shine our uniqueness to the best of our ability while serving Hashem as individuals…and as a peaceful, loving, and positively contributing part of Klal Yisrael.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun.