A few weeks ago we read Parashat Bamidbar which, on the surface, is a relatively straightforward Torah portion highlighted by G-d’s command that Moshe conduct the first post-Exodus census of the Israelites. The Torah recounts with precision the number of military age males present in each of the tribes (save for the Levites whose exclusive focus was on spiritual duties). It also sets forth details concerning the location of the tribes’ respective encampments surrounding the Mishkan (aka the Tabernacle). Especially when juxtaposed with the awesome audiovisual spectacle of the Israelites’ divine revelation at Mount Sinai, Bamidbar’s numeric and geographic details seem comparably mundane. But, as is often the case with the Torah, there is so much more than meets the eye. The question is what is the Torah teaching us and how does it apply to our modern-day tribe?

I humbly submit there are two sides to Bamidmar’s eternal coin, each complementing the other.

The first is a ruthlessly pragmatic focus on preparing for the military conquest of the Promised Land. Moshe is counting his soldiers and, in turn, rallying the troops for the sacred task of establishing a Jewish homeland. Each able-bodied male makes himself available for duty, willingly becoming part of a whole greater than the self.

The second is the spiritual significance of the wilderness’ ability to remove distractions of ego and materialism, enabling each Jew to accept the divine decree with their priorities properly ordered.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)