Last week we concluded Vayikra, Leviticus, the third book of the Torah. As we finished the chanting during our Shabbat morning service, we ended with the customary words that are uttered at this moment, chazak, chazak v’nitchazek, may we be strong and strengthened (as we go forward on to our next chapter.)  Our eyes and focus are fixed as we look at what is ahead. And what comes next interestingly is Babidmar, which translates to desert, as if to foretell that our long walk in the wilderness will in fact continue.

The fourth book is considered transitional. Talmudic sages taught that this moment marked a real shift from heavy reliance on the Almighty to more human centric accountability. They cite several examples.

Our Torah portion begins with a census of males over the age of twenty. This is not like before, a counting of simply being numbered when we left Egypt, but rather an indication that we will be counted on to defend ourselves with an army instead of plagues initiated by Heavenly intervention or a wondrous splitting of the sea to devour our enemies.

In our reading we learn that the Tabernacle that was just built will not travel miraculously on some cloud, but rather certain named families will have to carry the various components from camp to camp. We had to shoulder the burden ourselves of bringing the sacred space with us. It has to be done by us, not for us.

Furthermore, within this week’s narrative we are provided the instructions on where each tribe is to set up their tents around the Tabernacle as well as the specific design of each tribe’s banner. This signified the importance of the individual tribes’ obligations and their identity. Judah took the lead in marching; Dan was to guard the rear. Zebulun’s flag had a ship on it, showing it was going to oversee maritime commerce. No longer were our ancestors a singular mass such as “slaves” or an entire entity that “received the Torah at Sinai.” From this moment on, responsibility was delegated within identifiable smaller groups, clans and individuals.

Moving from dependence to independence in this section of our holy text is meant to mirror the mature evolution in our own lives. What a great lesson and reminder. An origin story that teaches the importance of transformation that ought to occur during our own personal journey–from reliance to responsibility,
both singularly and communally — is indeed divinely inspired.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Jack