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Dedicated in memory of Alice Setton

Parshat Bamidbar May 15, 2021 4 Sivan, 5781
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Bamidbar
TORAH
ARTSCROLL 726 The parsha of Bamidbar we know it was given through approach taken by the
fire? From Exodus 19:18: “And Sages. What mattered to
is generally read on the
HERTZ 568 Shabbat before Shavuot, Mount Sinai was all in smoke them is that all three are
z’man matan torateinu, as God had come down upon it free.
HAFTORAH “the time of the giving of in fire.” How do we know it was
ARTSCROLL 1180 our law,” the revelation given through water? As it says Staying for a moment with
the comparison of Torah
HERTZ 582 at Sinai. So the Sages, in Judges 5:4, “The heavens
believing that nothing is dripped and the clouds dripped and the wilderness, there
coincidental, searched for water [at Sinai].” How do we were surely other significant
analogies that might have
Times some connection between know it was given through been made. The wilderness
the two. To find one is wilderness? [As it says above,]
not easy. There is “And God spoke to Moses in is a place of silence where
Weekly Times nothing in the parsha the Sinai Wilderness.” And why you can hear the voice of
about the giving of the was the Torah given through God. The wilderness is a
Shacharit: Sun. 8:30 am place away from the
Mon. & Thurs. 6:35/7:45 am Torah. Instead, it is these three things? Just as distractions of towns and
Tues, Wed. & Fri. 6:45/7:45 am about a census of the [fire, water, and wilderness] cities, fields and farms,
Israelites. Nor is its are free to all the inhabitants
Mincha 7:45 pm setting helpful. We are of the world, so too are the where you can focus on the
told at the beginning that words of Torah free to them, presence of God. The
Shabbat Times the events about to be as it says in Isaiah 55:1, “Oh, wilderness is a place where
described took place in all who are thirsty, come for you realize how vulnerable
Friday Night 7:00 pm you are: you feel like sheep
Mincha “the wilderness of Sinai,” water…even if you have no in need of a shepherd. The
whereas when the Torah money.”
Candle Lighting 7:46 pm speaks about the great wilderness is a place where
revelation, it talks about The Midrash takes three words it is easy to get lost, and
Hashkama 8:00 am “Mount Sinai.” One is a associated with Sinai – fire you need some equivalent
general region, the other (that was blazing on the of a Google-maps-of-the-
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am mountain just before the soul. The wilderness is a
a specific mountain revelation), water (based on a place where you feel your
Main Sanctuary 9:00 am within that region. Nor phrase in the Song of Deborah) isolation and you reach out
are the Israelites at this and wilderness (as at the to a force beyond you. Even
Beit Midrash 9:15 am stage walking towards beginning of our parsha, and the Hebrew name for
Mount Sinai. To the
Youth Minyan 9:45 am contrary, they are also in Exodus 19:1, 2), and it wilderness, midbar, comes
preparing to leave. They connects them by saying that from the same root as
Gemara Shiur 6:40 pm are about to begin the “they are free to all the “word” (davar) and “to
second part of their inhabitants of the world.” This speak” (d-b-r). Yet these
Mincha/SS 7:40 pm journey, from Sinai to the is not the association most of were not the connections
Promised Land. us would make. Fire is the Sages of the Midrash
Shabbat Ends 8:55 pm associated with heat, warmth, made. Why not? The Sages
The Sages did, energy. Water is associated understood that something
Latest Times for nonetheless, make a with quenching thirst and profound was born at Mount
Shema/Shemoneh Esrei
connection, and it is a making things grow. Sinai, and this has
surprising one: “And God Wilderness is the space distinguished Jewish life
May 15 9:14/10:26 am spoke to Moses in the between: neither starting point ever since. It was the
Sinai nor destination, the place democratization of
May 22 9:11/10:25 am
Wilderness” (Numbers where you need signposts and knowledge. Literacy and
1:1). Why the Sinai
Next Shabbat a sense of direction. All three knowledge of the law was
Nasso Wilderness? From here would therefore make good no longer to be confined to
the Sages taught that the metaphors for the Torah. It a priestly elite. For the first
Mincha 7:00 pm Torah was given through warms. It energizes. It time in history everyone
three things: fire, water, satisfies spiritual thirst. It gives was to have access to
and wilderness. How do
Candle Lighting 7:53 pm direction. Yet that is not the knowledge, education and