Parshas Bamidbar: Desert Survival

“And G-d spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert” –Numbers 1:1

Why does the Torah mention that it was given in the desert? To teach us that in addition to the fire and water which were present at Sinai, the desert was also an essential component of the Sinai experience. The reason being that just as fire, water, and the barren region of the desert are free for all, so too Torah is free and available to all. –Midrash Rabbah 1:7

The commentary Ksav Sofer explains an additional symbolism behind water, fire, and the desert. In his words, these three matters contain the vital characteristics for Torah acquisition:

Water: Just as water descends from above to below, so too Torah is transmitted from the previous generations leaders to us. Additionally, Sinai was from the smallest mountains in the region and it was chosen to be the location of the Revelation due to its humility of size. Only a humble person could become a Torah giant because a humble individual has no qualms to ask somebody greater than himself or herself for the correct understanding. Water teaches us this lesson.

Fire: Torah is our beacon of light which guides us in all aspects of our daily living in this world. It brings out the beauty and potential of our life, and allows us to appreciate all the intricacies of this world.

Desert: Torah is compared to a desert in the sense that everybody in a desert is focused on just one thing: survival. There is only one being that helped the generation in the Desert survive, and helps all of us survive: G-d. When the Jews were in the desert for forty years they saw the open miracles of G-d on a daily basis in the form of the Manna that fell from heaven. Once we left the desert, we ceased experiencing the open miracles of G-d. The lesson in the desert was open faith in G-d.

The commentator Netziv in his introduction to the book of Bamidbar/Numbers points out that there were two censuses taken in the desert, hence the name Numbers. One was taken at the beginning of the sojourning in the desert and the second was taken in the fortieth year. The book of Numbers represents the transition of the Jewish People. Until this point we were a nascent nation surviving on G-d’s umbilical cord in the desert. On the eve of our arrival in Israel, G-d decided to let us loose on our own, and teach us some rules of survival. The only way to truly come our ahead in this world is to be cognizant of our inability to accomplish anything without G-d’s help. Although we do not experience open miracles in our day-to-day lives, if we look hard enough, we will feel the wind of G-d blowing on our faces. Our mission is to get back into the mindset of the generation of the desert, and to walk together with G-d.

The haftorah of this week’s parsha concludes with the prophesy in the book of Hosea. “I shall marry you (the Jewish People) to Me (G-d) forever; I shall marry you to Me with righteousness, and with justice, and with kindness and with mercy. I shall marry you to Me with fidelity; and you shall know G-d.” These verses are recited daily when phylacteries are donned. When did we marry G-d? In the desert when we followed G-d out into the desert on the second day of Pesach. (hence the beginning of sefirah is on the second day) The faith that we displayed back then still holds true for us today, as long as we heed the call of Jeremiah who prophesied “I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride. I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn't be farmed.” May we all merit to take the lesson of Bamidbar/Numbers to heart: to study the Torah which is accessible to all and to have complete faith G-d in that as long as we follow His word, He will take care of us. Amen.