Shabbos Parashas Bamidbar - 5778

Shabbos Parashas Bamidbar - 5778

Rabbi Hal Miller

And God spoke to Moshe in the desert of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on

the first of the second month in the second year after their departing from

the land of Egypt. [Bamidbar 1:1]

At the very beginning of this fourth book of the Torah, we see something unusual

in the text. All along, each time God communicated to the Jewish people, the

Torah introduces it with something like "And God spoke to Moshe", whether

also to Aharon and/or to others. Here, we get a specific location and date. Why?

Rav Hirsch, in discussing the census that takes place at the beginning of our

parsha, tells us that the census was not for political nor economic purposes,

therefore our verse is telling us that the purpose of the census was for Sinai,

meaning Torah, and Tent of Meeting, meaning the Torah's new home. It is a

renewal of the Divine promises and the God-Israel relationship.

Ramban understands the commandments of Shemittah and Yovel, just given

at the end of last week's portion, to have been an interruption, from which the

Torah is now putting us back into the flow. Since Shemittah and Yovel were

given at Mount Sinai, and the people are at this point past there and in front of

the Tabernacle in the desert, the Torah had to reintroduce where things are.

Rashbam concurs with Onkelos and Ramban that this marks the completion

of construction of the Tabernacle, thus all future commands would be given

there.

We saw something similar, although not identical, last week. In Parashas Behar

[Vayikra 25:1], the verse begins, "God spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai, saying."

Although not the same location as our verse, nor with mention of a time, it does

vary from the norm. There, Rashi asked the obvious question, "Were not all the

commandments stated at Sinai?" He then tries to divide the commandments

into those repeated at the plains of Moav and those not repeated there. Ramban

points out that some of Rashi's examples do not work. However, for our purpose,

Rashi's idea of dividing commandments into groups is of interest.

In Behar, the Torah is still speaking about what God said to Moshe on the

mountain. Now in Bamidbar, God speaks to Moshe in the man-made tent. From

here forward, God has "shifted His watch from the quarterdeck to the pilot house",

to quote my Navy background. His Presence has relocated from the mountain to

the midst of the people. He is "underway", traveling with the nation. This is the

first time in history, and will last throughout the period in the desert. Our verse is

telling us that, not just the Torah but God personally accompanied the nation to

protect them in the wilderness.