Rabbi's Derasha

Reopening

We mentioned a few weeks ago that the OU's guidelines about reopening Shuls calls for a buffer of up to two weeks between the granting of permission by the relevant authorities and the actual opening.  In New York state, that count began already with the governor's announcement a few days ago.  It is as yet unclear what the president's announcement today will mean in other parts of the country.  Some of that will surely play out in California over this weekend, and we'll have more clarity even in a few days.  No matter the outcome, one imagines that we got closer to, and not further from, reopening today.  Once again, in terms of guidelines, that will mean Davening in ventilated areas, preferably outside where possible, in streamlined services of small groups (NY is starting in groups of 10).  If that means multiple Minyanim, so be it.  

Praying for Our Chidlren's Success in Learning

Every year before Rosh Chodesh Sivan, some hava a custom to pray for their children to have success in learning Torah.
Artscroll makes the text of this prayer, written by R' Yeshayahu Horowitz (d. 1640), also known as the Shelaw HaKodesh, available each year.
Because Erev Rosh Chodesh falls out on a Shabbat this year, it should be said before Shabbat.

Derasha

The stars of the book of Vayikra were the Kohanim.  The book was about the workings of holiness around the Mishkan, so they were the central actors.  The role of ordinary Jews in holiness also came up, but the Kohanim were the central players.  

Who will have that role in the book of BaMidbar?  It’s not so obvious, but the main actors of the book of Bamidbar are identified in that very word.  A word in Hebrew structured like this can be parsed easily.  A “Midbar,” like a “Miklat” or a “Mishkan,” denotes a place.  The type of place is identified in the root word.  “Miklat” is a place of refuge, to which one escapes.  “Mishkan” is a place of dwelling.  

As we are used to translating “Midbar” as “desert” or “wilderness,” one would think the root word would be “Shomem” or “Pa’er,” which mean wild.  But DaBaR means “speaking,” so the wilderness becomes a place of “speaking.” 

But there’s another step in this.  The word DaBaR also means “to lead forcefully.” In the Tefilla we say for Israeli soldiers each week (when we are in Shul), we ask that Hashem “Yadbair Soneinu Tachteihem,” which means that Hashem will lead the army in triumph over our enemies.  The reason the word for leading and the word for speaking are the same is because of the crucial role speaking has in seizing, holding and being successful in leadership.  

The decisive actors in this book will be leaders.  Not the Kohanim but the Nesi’im, the princes of the tribes, are the focus.  They have important roles in the beginning, as they assist in taking the census; they also lead the tribes into position to march toward Israel.  Later, they will also have crucial roles to play as disputes and confusion over leadership will continue to dominate the Parashiot in the book.

There’s another sign that the roles of these leaders take precedence over the workings of the Mishkan.  The arrangement of the tribe of Levi gets attention in this week’s Parasha (and in Nasso as well) but not until the tribes and their leaders are in place.  A transition has taken place. 

What is the role of the non-leaders?  So this is clear in the words as well.  The Ramban points out that just as the Torah calls the leaders “Ne’si’im,” so it uses the same language in the census.  The word “Nasee” for a prince means, literally, someone who is lifted up.  In the census, the word used is not Moneh, to count, but rather “Si’u,” or lift up.  Each person will be lifted up.  They will not be herded like animals.  The act of counting shows that each one literally “counts,” but in the sense that they each have an important role.  Even as they march in formation, everyone has a place.

The march toward the land -- direct, at first, and then so very circuitous -- will depend on everyone, both leaders lifted up to the highest positions and non-leaders lifted up to their roles as well.   Where it runs smoothly, it will be because these roles are understood and executed well.  When that does not go well, it will be from failure to understand or execute.  

It has at times been tortuous to watch leaders try to deal with the pandemic.  Only some have handled the responsibility well.  But there has been an interesting result to this: When there is a dearth of direction from the top, others have stepped up.  And there is a place for everyone to step up.  There are so many decisions to be made, and each household must decide.  
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The Midrash calls the book of BaMidbar the book of “Pekudim,” or numberings.  It calls it that because there are two numberings, or two censuses, in the book.  The people are reminded twice over 39 years that this “lifting up” of everyone to responsibility is crucial for the nation to serve and to thrive.