Have you ever wondered why the Jewish people received the Torah and the Ten Commandments in the desert, rather than in some built up city or perhaps at least once they arrived in the Land of Israel?
Maybe this question has been something that has crossed your mind or maybe not, and maybe this doesn't even to be something to stop and think about. Yet in truth there is actually a profound message in this little detail, which it turns out gets to the very crux of Judaism.
Is Judaism for the Synagogue or for the Home, for Hebrew School or for the big wide world?
Where should Judaism be celebrated, observed, studied? Is it reserved for the synagogue, Hebrew School and Jewish Classes and Jewish spaces, or is it about impacting us beyond the walls of our synagogues and Jewish infrastructure?
Is it about the moments of prayer, study and Mitzvot that we do? Or is it about our Jewish values and morals, influencing us in the workspace and home, in our interactions with others and with society at large, in our passion for caring for what is truly right for justice, the world and others?
It is indeed a big question that shapes the way we approach Judaism and how we can appreciate its role and impact on our lives and the world around us.
It was this question, that was being addressed in the location chosen to give the Ten Commandments and the Torah.
It was not given in a lush green oasis or in some built up city like Jerusalem or Beersheva or something similar. Instead it was given on a simple small and barren mountain in the middle of the desert, which is referred to as the great , awesome and powerful desert.
Therein lies the powerful message of this experience. Judaism, is not simply about uplifting a good and holy place or person, rather it is about confronting the desert, the barren and the place where nothing grows, no matter how challenging it is, and finding a way to turn that into a place of inspiration, meaning hope and life enriched with a Divine purpose and goal.
Tomorrow we start to read the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar which actually means "Desert", although in English it is known as the Book of Numbers. It comes a few days before we celebrate Shavuot the 3,335th anniversary of the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
The timeless message of this desert and the events that took place in it, are a message that continue to give us a direction. It reminds us and causes to remember that the job doesn't end in the synagogue or in our Hebrew School, rather that is simply the gateway for the inspiration and learning that will enable us to take on the desert and the realities of life and imbue them with a sense of purpose, mission and goals for a higher and greater good, to make th.
Indeed it is about making the desert bloom.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel