וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי (במדבר א, א), לָמָּה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, מִכָּאן שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה, בָּאֵשׁ, וּבַמַּיִם, וּבַמִּדְבָּר. בָּאֵשׁ מִנַּיִן (שמות יט, יח): וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ וגו'. וּבַמַּיִם מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים ה, ד): גַּם שָׁמַיִם נָטָפוּ גַּם עָבִים נָטְפוּ מָיִם. וּבַמִּדְבָּר מִנַּיִן וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, וְלָמָּה נִתְּנָה בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, אֶלָּא מָה אֵלּוּ חִנָּם לְכָל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם כָּךְ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חִנָּם הֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה, א): הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם, דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כַּמִּדְבָּר, הֶפְקֵר, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַחָכְמָה וְהַתּוֹרָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי.
(7) "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" (Numbers 1:1). Why the Sinai Wilderness? From here the sages taught that the Torah was given through three things: fire, water, and wilderness. How do we know it was given through fire? From Exodus 19:18: "And Mount Sinai was all in smoke as God had come down upon it in fire." How do we know it was given through water? As it says in Judges 5:4, "The heavens dripped and the clouds dripped water [at Sinai]." How do we know it was given through wilderness? [As it says above,] "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness." And why was the Torah given through these three things? Just as [fire, water, and wilderness] are free to all the inhabitants of the world, so too are the words of Torah free to them, as it says in Isaiah 55:1, "Oh, all who are thirsty, come for water... even if you have no money." Another explanation: "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" — Anyone who does not make themselves ownerless like the wilderness cannot acquire the wisdom and the Torah. Therefore it says, "the Sinai Wilderness."
“...just as quickly as the Torah evokes this openness, it contains it...It is as if the wilderness of Numbers is like the primordial chaos of Genesis, in need of containment...There is military organization, and there is priestly organization — and quite quickly, we see the perils of organized religion. The counting is exclusive: women, youth, those unable to bear arms, all are not counted….
Perhaps even more challenging, the census is not only exclusive, but it is also hierarchical. Priests and Levites hold different positions than everyone else. Tribes are positioned in the camp based on their status, or that of their ancestors. It is a structure which, as the commentator Luzzatto (Italian, 18th century) writes, is set up “so that everyone would know his place.”
https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/torah-commentary/containing-lives-open-wilderness
Organized religion, after all, has organizing principles. It is worth exploring what those are. In this opening parashah of Numbers, we can find three:
- People count. We may not like who is and is not counted, but the fact remains that we have lists upon lists of names, even though — or maybe because — this generation will die in the desert. Their individuality is noted and honored. Even Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons who died as a result of offering strange fire to God, are mentioned in this list. A midrash notes: “…see how heavily the death of Aaron’s sons weighed upon the Blessed Holy One… God’s grief was twice as keen as that of their father” (B’midbar Rabbah 2:24). Organized religion insists that we carry our loved ones with us after their death, and supports us in this holy work. Just as the Israelites carried the coffin containing Joseph’s bones through the wilderness, so too does the biblical account of their journey carry them. None of us are insignificant, in death or in life.
- God is at the center. This may be challenging to us, but it is everywhere in the text. Abarbanel (Portuguese, 14th century) reminds us that the whole organization of the camp was around the Tabernacle, the Mishkan: “The Tabernacle was to be like the heart inside the body, as the tribes would be its limbs.” Moreover, that center is precious, and in need of our protection and respect: “There is no comparison between a palace with a guard and a palace without a guard” (Sifrei Zuta, B’midbar 18:4). Judaism is often defined as a non-credal religion: being Jewish does not require a declaration of belief in God. But if organized religion is not organized around God, we might just be missing the point.
- Humility is essential. This is a corollary of the other two. If people count, and different people have different roles, we all need each other. And if God is at the center, it is not all about us: “There is no place for greatness in the presence of God” (B’midbar Rabbah 4:20). The midrash goes on to remind us that even the priests wore their best clothes to serve God, knowing they would get dirty. Being part of the community means that it may not always be to your advantage. You show up, even when you don’t feel like it — and in return, you are part of a bigger story than your own. It is not actually all about the journey. There is a destination, and you may not reach it — but your people will.