Parshas Bamidbar
H-E-C-T-I-C
Life is just so busy. Traveling to work, back home, family
responsibilities, household responsibilities; the days seem to go by in a
blur-like fashion. My wife and I find this pace to be the most difficult
adjustment of living in the States.
The Ramcha"l explains that Paroah's plan to keep the Jews as slaves was to
keep them as busy as possible. This wouldn't allow for the introspection
and growth which would render them worthy of redemption. Life in Israel
seemed to go at a much slower pace. There was more time to focus on what
was being accomplished without having to spend so much time and energy on
just getting there.
We read the parsha of Bamidbar as we are making our final preparations for
Shavuos. As such, Bamidbar must reveal some sort of a game-plan to make our
Kabalas HaTorah a greater reality on Shavuos itself and one that will last
throughout the year.
"And Hashem spoke to Moshe in Midbar {the wilderness of} Sinai. [1:1]"
According to the Medrash [Rabbah 1:7], the passuk is stressing that the
Torah was given in the Midbar. Many different explanations are offered but
an idea that struck me is the hushed, serene, solitude of a midbar. Time
for thoughts. Time for self-awareness, self-understanding, self-
assessment. That is what enabled a Kabalas HaTorah.
And us? Our already busy, hectic lives are incessantly invaded by our
cellphones, beepers and all the myriad electronic, multi-tasking devices
that provide us with "all noise, all the time." I longingly recall the
summers I spent running a sleep-away camp in Israel without a phone in our
bungalow. The sweet sounds of silence . . .
When Eliyahu HaNavi witnessed Hashem's presence, we are told that at first
a stone-shattering wind passed, but Hashem's presence was not manifested
in that wind. That was followed by a clamorous din and then by a blaze but
Hashem's presence wasn't found in either of those. Finally, Hashem's
awesome presence was evident--in the guise of a soft, gentle voice.
As we prepare for Shavuos, we need to find or create that environment and
those moments when that soft, gentle, resonating voice of Hashem can be
heard and felt, enabling us to shift our focus from the clutter of our
lives to the purpose of our existence.
Good Shabbos,
Yisroel Ciner
Text Copyright © 2005 by Rabbi Yisroel Ciner and Torah.org.
