Bamidbar is the portion where Torah’s fourth book begins. Also known as Numbers this book is all about counting and counting and you guessed it more counting. Where Genesis appeals to those of us almost religiously flawed with a great collection of triumphs and tragedies of our collective Patriarchs and Matriarchs, Exodus speaks to the patriotic of the tribe with the founding of the first Jewish state, and Leviticus provides an argumentative source for the politically minded. For those who love genealogy and a complete and thorough document of the past Numbers will speak to you.

It is easy to forget the history and circumstances which led the Ancient Hebrews to forty years in the desert. Passover is such an important holiday that it makes it easy for the modern mind to delegate the memory of slavery to the observance and rituals of the Seder. Parsha Bamidbar is the first portion in [Read more…]