B’midbar this week’s Torah portion begins the fourth book of the Torah. It is not only the name of the parsha of the week but it is the name of the entire book. The custom is to the name the entire book from the name of the first portion. The book of numbers recounts the story of the 40 year wanderings of the Jewish people in the desert. It is the name however which really describes the journey of our people. They are in the wilderness spiritually, emotionally and literally. Wilderness is a time, place or feeling without orienting landmarks or structure. The Israelites must find their way and become a people connected to each other, God and tradition. We, too must always find our way. We are all on this journey in the proverbial wilderness, always looking for meaning and structure. The ancients eventually used Judaism as their guide, let us too explore our tradition to find our way.
Cantor Sussman
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