Ainsumem.

Torah Portion

Jewish And Family History
Provide A Wilderness Compass

This week's Parsha (Torah portion) is
the last moment of being home-free; for
after this census is taken, everything
changes. Indeed, the Hebrew text can be
read as "they were reborn (va-yityaldu),"
not just as if their names were registered.
Rashi interprets this to mean that the
tribes brought records of their heritage.
n the wilderness of Sinai, God
But Nachmanides pictures the
instructed Moses: "Take a census
Israelites doing more than just recount-
of the whole Israelite community
ing their names: he envisioned them
by the clans of its ancestral hous-
actually retelling their family's histories
es." (Numbers 1:2)
to each other. They would be "reborn"
What an interesting time to choose
and enrolled for the life's journey only if
for this registering of num-
they came to terms with the
bers and names! Immediately
full story of the path which
prior to their embarking
led them to the place where
upon a long journey the peo-
they were standing.
ple must be identified and
Just as our confirmants
assigned a lineage.
and graduates at this time of
They are preparing for life.
year submit biographies and
Many of us will, in the next
credits for their accomplish-
few weeks of our communal
ments and just as they need
lives, see our children partici-
to know their own families'
pate in ceremonies of confir-
stories (with triumph and
NORMAN
mation in the synagogue and
sorrow) before they can
ROMAN
graduation from institutions of
truly go out into the world
Special to the
higher learning. Their names
as adults, so did the
Jewish News
will be announced their fami-
Children of Israel need to
lies will be congratulated. And
get their story straight
we will realize, often with tears, that this
before entering their wilderness.
may be the last opportunity in a long
"My father was a wandering
time, for us to stand together before we
Aramean," they said. "My mother
embark on new journeys.
danced with Miriam at the shores of the
The Children of Israel expected, when
sea," they proclaimed. "I stood at Sinai,"
they lined up with their houses for the
they remembered.
census, that they would soon enter the
God and Moses wouldn't let the peo-
Promised Land. They were preparing to
ple move on until -they were reconciled
return home. Yet the very name of our
with who they really were, and who they
Torah portion, BaMidbar — in the
wished ,to become.
wilderness — demonstrates they were
This Shabbat before Shavout is, then,
facing a difficult period of wandering.
the time to recall the heritage of home
Homecoming was a long way off.
and the challenge of being free. It is a
Yearning for home and family is a very
time for telling stories of family history,
strong emotion; wanting to be in a safe
for recognizing names and achievements
place, a good place, and wishing to share
in the past, and for sharing concerns for
that sense of security are all aspects of
what will happen in the future.
parenting and nurturing which we cher-
In celebrating the desire to move on,
ish as family members. But we also
we acknowledge the lesns learned in
know that yearning for freedom, new
all the places we have been. 0
experiences, wonderment and challenge
are strong dimensions of the human
condition, as well:
My teacher, Dr Larry Hoffman,
How do you know that you are
reminds us that this Torah portion is
ready
to "move on?" How do you
always read on the Shabbat before the
help instill the self confidence in
festival of Shavuot. He calls this the
others to do so? If you could
"home-free Sabbath," for in our read-
design a banner of your "ancestral
ing, we will soon be entering the
house"
under which you would
wilderness wandering" for almost 40
stand
to
be counted as a member
years, but, on this Shabbat, we are
of
the
Jewish
community, what
invited to "feel at home." We are
would
be
written
or pictured on
called to number and identify our-
that banner? Tell a story about
selves, and reaffirm our stand under
some member of your family that
the banners of our ancestral houses.
everyone should remember.
Norman Roman is a rabbi at Temple

Shabbat BaMidbar:
Numbers 1:1-4;20;
I Samuel 20:18-42.

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