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Parsha Bamidbar – The Age of War

May 22, 2015 by Russell McAlmond

military

Parsha Bamidbar is about the census of the people of Israel where the counting of all male Israelites started at the age of twenty. The age of twenty was considered to be the age at which a young male Israelite could go to war. The rabbis tell us that women weren’t counted because they were not warriors. Things have changed in a few thousand years.

In Israel today, young women are warriors and go into the military just as men do.  In fact, Israel has had numerous women train as fighter pilots for the IAF (Israeli Air Force).  Modern treatment of women as warriors has a good and bad side.  It is good that women are treated as equals when it comes to defending their homeland.  It is bad that women are subjected to the stress and danger of modern warfare.  Warfare is not good for men or women, but as it says in the Tanakh (Ecclesiastes 3:1), “There is a time for everything.”

As a former US Marine, I can tell you that those who serve in the IDF and the US military are fervent believers in peace.  When I was in Israel, I volunteered on an IDF military base near Tel Aviv and talked about this with the young men and women soldiers.  They would like to get on with their lives and not have to serve their country by being in the military.  Nonetheless, they serve because they love Israel, the Jewish people and they are willing to die to defend them.  I have nothing but admiration for their dedication and service, as I do members of the US military as well.

As a proud member of the Jewish War Veterans, I want to thank all Jews for their service to their country and people.  Shalom to all.

Filed Under: Rants Tagged With: bamidbar, judaism war, military

Parshat Bamidbar

May 12, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrsq6i91dXw

Being a kid was a lot like being a slave. I had to go to school. I had to be home at a certain time. I had to eat the food my parents bought. I was on their schedule: I didn’t have a car, a place of my own, anything!

When I started college, I finally felt free. I was my own man, freed from the slavery of childhood. But there was a problem: I really had no sense of who I was. I was always changing my clothing style, my taste in music, the food I ate, the stuff I liked to do for fun. My identity was really fluid then, not because I was so open minded, but because I was in a crisis: true adulthood was creeping up on me, and I needed to figure out who I was and what I was going to do with my life.

In a way, I was wandering through my own desert, just like the Hebrews.

In this week’s Torah portion, G-d tells the freed Hebrew slaves to count themselves, and instructs them to take on certain roles. The Gershonites were in charge of the tent and the covering of the Tabernacle. The Kohathites delt with the ark, table, lampstand and some other things inside it, etc. etc. etc. In this way, G-d is telling them who they are, and what their life is about.

If you’re having trouble figuring out who you are, and what your life is about, then try the Bamidbar Technique For Solving An Identity Crisis:

  • Count your people. See who it is that you want to be around, day and night, 24/7. Literally count the number of people. Is your “tribe” small or large? Are you OK with that?
  • See how these people live. Maybe it’s the free spiritedness of the Crunchies or the booze-and-shmooze life of the Young Executives that turns you on. Either way, you are going to be in this group and you better see if it’s something you want.
  • Camp with your people. Get involved with the people that you want  to be around. Whether it’s interning at a company that you think you like, or visiting a college that sounds cool, or volunteering for a non-profit that attracts the people you like, getting involved will surround you with the kinds of people you want to emulate.
  • Take on the role. Once you know what you like, and who you want to be, then do it! There’s nothing stopping you.
  • Remember that you are what you are. A lot of people want to be everything. You can’t be. It’s impossible. You might have to sacrifice certain things, like a type of job, a certain place you want to live, certain educational opportunities, etc. But if you love what you are doing, and who you are with, you are willing to give up anything.

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Podcasts & Videos Tagged With: bamidbar, bible, Counterculture, darshan yeshiva, Israel, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, Parsha, parshah, parshat, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, Punk, punktorah, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, rebel, Religion, Torah

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