Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Parshat Bamidbar
Bamidbar 1:1 – 4:20
2 Sivan 5773 / May 10 – 11, 2013
Everything in its Place?!
by Zvi Bellin, MHHQ
It
is not easy roaming through the desert, especially with such a large
group of people. You are susceptible to hunger, to spreading disease,
and to attack. And added to this, the Israelites have a pretty serious
mission. They have to transport these mystical tablets inscribed with
God’s law through the desert to an only envisioned homeland. There is a
lot riding on their survival.
The
book of Bamidbar shares a strategy for their survival. Each tribe had a
specific role and place in the encampment. The East was protected by
Yehudah, Issaschar, and Zevulun. The West was covered by Ephraim,
Menasheh, and Binyamin. The South was held by Reuven, Shimon, and Gad.
And to the North, the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naftali secured the
nation’s safety. (Game of Thrones anyone??) And in the heart of the camp
were the Priests and Levites securing the safety of the Ark and
Tablets, and all the other instruments of holy work.
According to Torah-lore (midrash)
YOU were present at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given. No matter
your gender, sexual orientation, race, denomination, or conversion
status, And so YOU, with your unique Jewish identity, is extremely
important to the complete narrative of the Jewish people. Everyone has a
place in our community!
It
could be so wonderful if, like the Israelites in the desert, we were
given a clear role and placement in this community. But we all know that
life comes with doubt. And sometimes we can feel so estranged from the
surrounding Jewish community. We might disagree with the majority stance
on Israel. We might have been told that we cannot love who we love. We
might have been barred from leadership roles in our synagogue. We might
feel whole-heartedly that Judaism should not exclude our non-Jewish
friends and family members. It can be really hard to feel a part of a
system that feels so foreign or even harmful.
At
these times, I remind myself that Yisrael comes from the root to
wrestle. Jacob was renamed Yisrael because he wrestled with God. And in
our modern time, Israel, has been translated as the God Wrestlers (by
Rabbi Arthur Waskow). And so, sometimes STURGGLE is the role that we
play in our Jewish community. We grab hold of the fringes of our faith
and tug with all our might to stretch its values to include an even
greater expression of truth.
As
we head into Shavuot, the holiday where we renew our commitment to
greater revelation, I want to offer all of us a blessing that we can
feel a part of the Jewish story as a framework that gives our life
greater collective meaning. I wish you a healthy balance between
certainty and doubt.
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