Over Shabbat I was listening to a podcast in which it was described how a Hasidic rabbi could take several dozen ideas, and then 15, and then 3, as a way of describing this rabbi's ownership over Torah. I was thinking if I had any and they are:
1. Creation is a partnership between humanity (a human) and G-d
2. In this partnership, though, humanity (a human) must make the first move
3. The meaning of life is to grow closer/resemble/increase faith in/etc. H' our G-d. All other things, while not "valueless," stand in the shade of this monumental and driving task.
Turning to our brand new Book of Bemidbar! It is a pleasure beginning a new book, this one beginning with the census.
I don't have too much deep commentary on the first aliyah tonight other than I had a fun time imagining creating this orderly society out of literally nothing. Well, not literally nothing, but suffice it to say that this people who had gone down to Mitzrayim - the descendants of the forefathers - had travelled quite far away from those mystical roots. Gone, as the last parasha in VaYikra teachs - but never forgotten.
And so, I was just imagining being in the middle of the desert, now entering the first day of the second month of year two of the freedom - and thinking, okay, what next? We have Moshe, and his brother, Aharon, and later we'll learn that they also had Miriam. And we've gotten and are continuing to receive Torah. And all of our needs are miraculously taken care of. All wonderful. But, really, who are we?
A good place to start - perhaps the most natural - on the road to figuring out this most important of questions is to figure out how many we are. At this point, the people is vast - camping in harmony, but vast. It's time to take a count, and figure out just how strong we are. You can just imagine the enormous pride in which leaders from each tribe were selected, called forth, and enjoyed taking part in this census. And the pride the nation must have felt in them. This is a nation holy in Heavens but also - assembled, organized, and, now, numbered - holy on this earth below.
Holy above, holy below. A partnership worth everything.
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