NUMBERS I:1-IV:20

INDISPENSABLE HUMILITY FOR TORAH STUDY

The Torah (Pentateuch) was delivered in the desert, no man’s land, and from a mountain of medium height, without apparent distinction. From this fact, the Chachamim conclude that Torahstudy  demands modesty and humility. False and exaggerated pride is the mortal enemy of learning. Even Rambam, who always advised the Shevil Ha’emtsa’i, the middle path that avoids extremes, insisted that there is no middle ground in the case of modesty. Moderate or partial modesty cannot be conceived, because only the person who has acquired an accumulation of knowledge necessarily recognizes the vastness of what he still must know, which is like a horizon that recedes despite the distance traveled. Only those who have partial knowledge, that is always insufficient, boast of their intellectual achievements. The true scholar knows that he does not know and is thirsty for study and reflection.

It has not been possible to definitively identify Har Sinai, the mountain that witnessed the revelation of the Divine Will. Ignorance of the site leads to valuing the word and the message that were enunciated there, without the temptation to “sanctify” the place. The message is the only sacred element of that extraordinary experience more than 3,000 years ago.

The name of this fourth book of the Torah that our chapters inaugurate means “in the desert,” a kind of prediction that man would remain spiritually in a desert for an extended period. While in the field of technology advances grow exponentially, in the spiritual field there are continuous advances and setbacks. On the other hand, due to technological excellence, the possible destruction it can engender, converts it into a threat to the survival of the human species.

The quality of humility leads to tolerance – especially of ideas that are different – and respect for an alternative behavior that is also based on the principles of ethics and morality, which do not attack, but respect others. Those who claim to be the possessors of the one and absolute truth often fall prey to the fanaticism and fundamentalism that invariably produces intolerance, which in turn translates into physical aggression.

The arrogance of those who have “seen the light” prevents them from admitting justice and truth, because their interest is focused on glory and personal power. This arrogance is the mortal enemy of Torah study, which demands humility before God’s “Supreme Intellect.” Me’od me’od heve shefal ruach, “be very modest” the Talmud demands, because humility is a requirement for spiritual growth. 

Among the possible epithets the Torah might have chosen, Moshe (Moses) is designated as anav mikol adam, “the humblest among humans.” For this reason, in the oral tradition he is known as Moshe Rabbenu, “our teacher Moshe“, because humility is a sine qua non in the process of learning and teaching.

These chapters are usually read on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the anniversary of the bestowal of the Torah. It should be noted that this feast has no date in Scripture: only the count of 49 days, which is 7 weeks, from the second day of Pesach (Passover), identifies its celebration. Shavuot is anticipated during these days, a fact that led some sages to believe that preparation is often more important than celebration. 

Anticipating the event brings with it greater rejoicing than the time of the holiday. Similarly, Torah study  is a process, not an event. Just as the desert does not recognize pedigree or privilege, because everyone must struggle equally to survive in that hostile environment, the Torah is not acquired by inheritance, it does not recognize ancestral privileges. Torahstudy  is, in fact, a way of conducting one’s life with a north that aims at learning, which can only be achieved under the premise of humility before the eternal wisdom of the Creator.