Parshat Bamidbar 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha the pattern according to which Bnei Yisrael encamped in the desert and the way they travelled. There were three tribes in each of the four directions, each group encamping under a joint flag. And in the middle was the Mishkan, surrounded by the camp of the Levi'im, as the pasuk says (Chapter 1, Pasuk 53), Ve'Ha'Levi'im Yachanu Saviv L'Mishkan Ha'Eidus. And surrounding the camp of the Levi'im were the four camps of Bnei Yisrael.
The Ramban in his introduction to sefer Bamidbar (see also the beginning of parshat Terumah) teaches that this encampment paralleled Bnei Yisrael receiving the Torah at Har Sinai. And just as at Har Sinai Bnei Yisrael were meant to keep their distance from the mountain but the Kohanim could approach closer, similarly at Har Sinai the Levi'im were closer to the Mishkan performing a mission of guarding the holiness of the Mishkan from any stranger getting too close. And as the pasuk commanding the Levi'im surrounding the Mishkan continues, V'Lo Yihyeh Ketzef, in order that Hashem will not get angry from anyone inappropriate to the Avodah coming too close. The Ramban continues and explains that even though the laws of sefer Bamidbar are primarily temporary for the desert, this was meant to be the case in the future in the Beis Hamikdash as well.
The Ohr Gedalyahu brings the words of the sefer Chareidim in his introduction which indicate that this encamping arrangement was meant to be eternal. He explains in the name of the Rashba that even though in Eretz Yisrael each Jew would be living in his own home, as the pasuk in Melachim Alef states (Chapter 5, Pasuk 5), Ish Tachas Gafno V'Tachas Te'anaso, each person under his vine and under his fig tree, in reality every Jew continued to be Saviv Le'Mishkan Yachanu; his real encampment was around the Beis Hamikdash. And even when the four directions Bnei Yisrael encamped in turned out to be the four corners of the earth in exile, nonetheless their encampment was always and will always be toward Yerushalayim. Bnei Yisrael must always fulfill the notion of Saviv Le'Mishkan Yachanu.
The Medrash Rabbah on Bereishis (3,5) teaches that the word Ohr appears five times by the creation of light, each one corresponding to a different one of the five books of the Torah. The Ohr which relates to sefer Bamidbar is (Chapter 1, Pasuk 4), Vayavdel Elokim Bein Ha'Ohr U'Vein Ha'Choshech, Hashem distinguished between the light and the darkness. This is sefer Bamidbar which distinguishes between the generation of "Yotzei Mitzrayim", those who left Egypt, and the "Ba'ei Ha'Aretz", those who entered Eretz Yisrael. The great revelation and light which Bnei Yisrael experienced through their direct contact with Hashem became diminished when they entered Eretz Yisrael.
This process is exemplified in the encamping of Bnei Yisrael around the Mishkan in the desert. The greatest revelation of light came at the moment of Matan Torah when Hashem revealed Himself to Bnei Yisrael at Har Sinai. As the Ramban explains, this experience was eternalized through the Mishkan and Bnei Yisrael encamping around it with their flags. Though the revelation was on a much lower level, nonetheless the Shechinah remained in their midst and the flags of Bnei Yisrael represented their greatness as recipients of the Torah and aroused the jealousy of the nations of the world (see the Medrash Rabbah on our parsha).
When Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael, there was a relative darkness compared to the great light they had in the desert. But the light was still there, albeit in a more hidden form. And even though each Jew lived in Eretz Yisrael physically distinct from his neighbors, spiritually they were all encamped together around Yerushalayim and the Beis Hamikdash. And the words of the sefer Chareidim quoting the great Rishonim teach that this obligation remains for eternity. Regardless of which one of the four directions we find ourselves in, we must always encamp around Yerushalayim and the Mikdash. The experience of Matan Torah is eternal, as Chazal teach Bechol Yom Yihyu Be'Einecha Ke'Chadashim, every day they should be to you as new, as if you received them today. And the way we accomplish this is by keeping the experience with us, as Bnei Yisrael did in the desert. And that's by ensuring that we always face Yerushalayim and the Mikdash in everything we do. We must always live our lives in a way which fulfills Saviv Le'Mishkan Yachanu.
Good Shabbos
Print this article