With B’Midbar, we begin the first portion of the fourth book of the Torah. The word B’Midbar actually means “wilderness” although many translate the word as “desert.” The Sinai wilderness had limited rainfall, yet here was enough food for animals to graze and to be sustained, a condition which could not exist in the desert. According to the Jewish calendar, the portion of B’Midbar always falls on the Sabbath prior to Shavuot, the holiday in which we celebrate Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah. We often compare the Torah to a wilderness in that it’s owned by no one and open to anyone. As we are challenged to transform a wilderness into a place of habitation, the challenge for each generation of Jews is to transform the words of Torah into a living experience. Each generation needs to interpret the Torah in a way which both honors the past and still enables a new generation to find contemporary meaning.

The central theme of B’Midbar is the census taken of the people. Our triennial reading, however, begins with a narrative which follows the census.

The Torah details how the tribes were arranged so that they could best travel throughout the wilderness. In detailing the arrangement of the camp, the Torah highlights the practical necessity of building an army and a military strategy. No matter how the Torah instructs b’nai yisrael about daily matters of ritual, family living and the economy, no nation can survive without a military.

Without a strong defense force, the modern State of Israel would not have survived any attack from its many Arab neighbors.

This past year, the Israeli military has fought to protect its nation from the barbarism of Hamas, Hezbollah, and - by extension - Iran. We are well aware of the international community and global press condemning Israel without highlighting the existential threats of these terrorists to both Israel and the Palestinian people.

Despite Hamas’ brutality against the Israeli people and the ongoing way they imbed themselves in civilian areas, Israel’s military still practices caution when civilians are jeopardized.

Haftorah Reading: Hosea 2:1-22

The Haftorah for today does not include some background information necessary to understand its complete meaning. Hosea, the prophet, married a woman named Gomer. Gomer was not totally faithful to Hosea and experienced many “lows” during her life. Yet, the prophet forgave her indiscretions. As the personal story unfolds, Hosea recognized the parallels between his personal life and the collective life of Israel. The nation has renounced its God and gone back on its promise to be faithful to the teachings of Judaism, Yet, as Hosea forgave Gomer, God will forgive Israel and re-establish the binding love that was a hallmark of the God-Israel relationship. The Haftorah expresses the themes of unfaithfulness and second chances, while concluding with words now recited when we put on our Tefillin each morning:

I will betroth you to Me forever.
I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, justice, loving kindness and compassion.
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
And you shall know God.