BEMIDBAR_NUMBERS I:1-IV:20
The Torah 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 Torah study demands modesty and humility. False and exaggerated pride is the mortal enemy of learning. Even Rambam, who always advised Shevil Ha’emtsai, the middle path that avoids extremes, insisted that there is no middle ground in the case of modesty. Medium or partial modesty cannot be conceived because only the person who has acquired knowledge necessarily recognizes the vastness of what he still has to know, like a horizon that moves away despite the distance traveled. Only those with partial knowledge that is always insufficient boast of their intellectual achievements. The true scholar knows he does not know much and is thirsty for study and reflection.
Identifying the Har Sinai that witnessed the revelation of the Divine will has not yet been possible. The ignorance of the place leads to the value of the word and the message that was enunciated there, without the temptation to “sanctify” the place. The message was the only sacred element of that experience over 3,000 years ago.
The name of this fourth book of the Torah that our chapters inaugurate means “in the desert,” a 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.
Humility leads to tolerance – especially of different ideas – and respect for alternative behavior based on the principles of ethics and morality, which do not create conflict but respect others. Those who claim to be the possessors of the sole and absolute truth are often 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 hevh shefal ruach, the Talmud demands because humility is a requirement for spiritual growth.
Among the possible epithets the Torah might have chosen, Moshe is designated as anav mikol adam, “the humblest among humans.” Therefore, in the oral tradition, he is known as Moshe Rabenu, “our teacher Moshe,” because humility is a sine qua non condition in 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 holiday has no date in Scripture: only the count of 49 days, which is 7 weeks from the second day of Passover, identifies its celebration. Shavuot is anticipated during these days, which led some sages to believe that preparation is, at times, more important than celebration.
Anticipating the event brings greater joy than the time of the holiday. Similarly, Torah study is a process, not an event. Just as the desert does not recognize pedigree and privileges because everyone must fight equally to survive in that hostile environment, the Torah is not acquired by inheritance; it does not recognize ancestral privileges. Torah study is, in fact, a way of conducting 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.
