Bamidbar - May 16, 2026 / 29 Iyar 5786
This week’s parsha gives us an important reminder about the overwhelming importance of Torah in our lives. The parsha begins with “G-d spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai.” Why is this important? Why must it let us know that it was a wilderness? The Midrash notes that going to a wilderness is free. So too, Torah is free but requires effort. Just like a trek in the desert needs planning and braving the elements, Torah does as well.
I remember once we went on a camping trip. It was a relatively small state park surrounded by suburbia but with hundreds of acres of thick forest it seemed a quiet retreat from the world. Until one of the kids wandered off the trail while we were looking after the other ones. Hint: it wasn’t one of the younger kids who didn’t know better. Anyway, after a few hours of searching the park police decided to bring in dogs and helicopters to expand the search. That is when we broke down and prayed with all our might that G-d protect our little kid as the sun was rapidly starting to set. We realized how small we are in the world, but not alone. A few minutes of prayer can sometimes do more than hours of searching. On that day G-d answered our prayers. The park police radio squawked and we heard that a couple of tourists had come across our kid – tired, hungry, and thirsty but otherwise fine a few miles from where we had lost sight of them.
There is a lot I learned from the experience, but I want to highlight three specific ideas. First, being a parent is never easy and kids don’t always do what you want or expect them to do. The Jewish people are much the same way. No matter how angry we might have been that they wandered off, all was forgotten the moment we were in trouble. So too G-d has always come to our aid, no matter how many time we have wandered off as a people. Such is also the lesson of this week’s Haftorah where Hosea speaks of the children of a wayward wife.
Second, the Jews needed to abandon themselves to G-d through the journey in the wilderness. Only then would they be ready to face the challenges of building a country surrounded by temptations and dangers. Only when we started to feel desperation were the prayers really able to poor out of us. It was the prayers of necessity that brought about our salvation.
Third and lastly, this parsha also requires the redemption of the firstborn. The father pays five shekels to the Kohen (priest), an amount reminiscent of the brothers selling Joseph into slavery in Egypt. This reminds me that redemption is always possible. After our child was brought back to our campsite, the park staff brough us some additional firewood, snacks, water, etc. We considered leaving early but they convinced us to try to enjoy our last day. Our last night of the trip around the campfire was filled with stories, songs, games, and good food. Today when we think of that trip, we (mostly) think of that night, not the rest of it. So too, despite forty years in the wilderness, we received the Torah. Despite our current years of exile, redemption will come.
Chag Shavuot Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
I remember once we went on a camping trip. It was a relatively small state park surrounded by suburbia but with hundreds of acres of thick forest it seemed a quiet retreat from the world. Until one of the kids wandered off the trail while we were looking after the other ones. Hint: it wasn’t one of the younger kids who didn’t know better. Anyway, after a few hours of searching the park police decided to bring in dogs and helicopters to expand the search. That is when we broke down and prayed with all our might that G-d protect our little kid as the sun was rapidly starting to set. We realized how small we are in the world, but not alone. A few minutes of prayer can sometimes do more than hours of searching. On that day G-d answered our prayers. The park police radio squawked and we heard that a couple of tourists had come across our kid – tired, hungry, and thirsty but otherwise fine a few miles from where we had lost sight of them.
There is a lot I learned from the experience, but I want to highlight three specific ideas. First, being a parent is never easy and kids don’t always do what you want or expect them to do. The Jewish people are much the same way. No matter how angry we might have been that they wandered off, all was forgotten the moment we were in trouble. So too G-d has always come to our aid, no matter how many time we have wandered off as a people. Such is also the lesson of this week’s Haftorah where Hosea speaks of the children of a wayward wife.
Second, the Jews needed to abandon themselves to G-d through the journey in the wilderness. Only then would they be ready to face the challenges of building a country surrounded by temptations and dangers. Only when we started to feel desperation were the prayers really able to poor out of us. It was the prayers of necessity that brought about our salvation.
Third and lastly, this parsha also requires the redemption of the firstborn. The father pays five shekels to the Kohen (priest), an amount reminiscent of the brothers selling Joseph into slavery in Egypt. This reminds me that redemption is always possible. After our child was brought back to our campsite, the park staff brough us some additional firewood, snacks, water, etc. We considered leaving early but they convinced us to try to enjoy our last day. Our last night of the trip around the campfire was filled with stories, songs, games, and good food. Today when we think of that trip, we (mostly) think of that night, not the rest of it. So too, despite forty years in the wilderness, we received the Torah. Despite our current years of exile, redemption will come.
Chag Shavuot Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
