Cultivating the Desert: Bamidbar
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman
May 29, 2025
Bamidbar ("In the Wilderness," Numbers 1:1—4:20) is the name of this week's portion, as well as of the entire fourth book of the Torah. While this title refers literally to the geographical setting in the Sinai Wilderness, the figurative reference is to life as a whole--life without direction, meaning or purpose, no more than a biological process in which everyone is free to do as they wish or desire. Whether life is wholly chaotic or whether any order within it is part of how we perceive nature and natural processes, human beings need order in order to survive. We need leaders with vision who will guide us forward; we need soldiers to guard us from harm and predators; and we need teachers to impart knowledge and wisdom to our young. These are the roles that this portion looks at, even as the Israelites set out on their long journey towards the Promised Land.
The English title of the book, "Numbers," refers to the many censuses of the people that Moses is ordered to conduct. But this title is misleading. It isn't only about numbers (and oh! how we love to play with numbers, a passion that is indeed reflected in this book). People are not numbers, and Jewish law and superstition forbid counting people. So along with each census we are given a list of names, the leaders of each tribe, clan and family. This isn't the first time we encounter the leaders' names. What's different this time however, is that their meanings reflect not ancient, pre-Hebraic, traditions, but rather values that reflect Jewish ideals: God as the rock and foundation of our existence, God as the source of light, life, unity and peace; God as judge, font of knowledge, and the Divine existence with whom we may have an interactive and mutual relationship. These represent more than merely names, and even more than just ideals. They express a philosophy that today we might take for granted but which was revolutionary in its time. They also reflect a unity which was not always clear, when—at least from an outsider's perspective—the people were described as אֲסַפסוּף (asafsuf, rabble or riffraff), עֵרֶב רַב (eirev rav, a mixed multitude) or worse.
The first organizational step Moses takes is to set up an army, led by Nachshon ben Aminadav, the chief of the tribe of Judah. Setting these armed divisions in four camps around the encampment, Moses then proceeds to appoint the Levites—who are not counted among the other tribes—to their new functions. Surrounding the Tent of Meeting, which is located at the center—the heart--of the nation, the Levites are given several duties. First, they are to safeguard and maintain the Tabernacle. Next, they are to administer justice. Last but not least, they are to interpret and teach the people--adults and children alike--both the civil and religious laws as dictated by God and Moses.
Defense, faith and education: These are the primary values that are to guide our people from that point on, throughout our history. There will be many trials, tests, quarrels and even rebellions along the way. This ideal system will be challenged from within and without. The Jewish People, after all, is known for its diverse views and opinions. Yet somehow, the system has proven successful. Life may be a wilderness, but the Torah is both a map and a lifeline meant to lead us towards the Promised Land. Thousands of years later, the standards that we vowed to sustain and uphold in Bamidbar, "In the Wilderness," are still before our eyes today. They still guide us, help us maintain our identity, and give our existence meaning and purpose.
© 2025 by Boaz D. Heilman
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