This week’s parasha marks the end of the book of Numbers and in our reading this week there is a curious list of 48 places at which the Israelites stopped during their wanderings in the desert. There they are, poised to enter the Promised Land, about to conclude a journey which has taken 40 years and Moses recounts a small travelogue. But interestingly, he does not say anything about any of the places, he just recites a list of names. It was as if he had only limited space and he had to get in as many memories as he could, so rather than give details about what happened, he just says, there was Sukkot then Etham and Migdol… I imagine the Israelites listening, remembering the stories of those places, remembering what happened there, laughing, smiling, cringing, crying. Through that list they are inspired to recall the people who walked beside them during their travels many of whom no longer walk the earth, they recall the moments of pride, the times they were ashamed of their actions and so much more. It is interesting to see which places are left off and which included. There is, for example, no recalling of Mt. Sinai, the place of revelation, perhaps the most momentous event of their entire travels. Instead, the smaller moments are recalled, the ones which may otherwise have been lost in the sands of time.
There is much discussion in the commentaries about what this list of place names is trying to teach us, because we do not have the memories of the Israelites to be triggered, we did not have the experiences, all we have are the stories of them and so the list could seem dry and somewhat irrelevant. But just as everything else in the Torah, the sages of our tradition have extracted great meaning from just a few verses. One of my favourite explanations is from the Apter Rebbe. He refers to another section in the Torah portion which commands the creation of six cities of refuge to which people can flee. The Rebbe notes there are 6 cities of refuge and 6 words in the shema, 48 places in Moses’ travelogue and 48 words in the veahavta prayer. This teaches us, he says, that just as people found refuge in the six cities, we should find refuge in the shema: Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad, Listen Israel The Eternal is your God The Eternal is One. And when people cry out we need to “shema,” to listen, to hear their cries, to hear their pain, and then “veahavta,” reach out in love, in openness with compassion and justice. Shema Yisrael, listen Israel, our tradition calls to us, listen to the pain, the hurt, the suffering and work for justice with an open heart and with love. The cities of refuge, the Israelite journey was about finding a place where we could be one, finding a home away from persecution and pain, a place where we could live true to our principles and our faith. We fled persecution and slavery of pharaoh, we journeyed to 48 places, healing, becoming one, learning to love and to be, and then we arrived at the Promised Land. —
This week is set aside as Infertility Shabbat. So many amongst us are on their own painful, sometimes challenging journey to have a child. It is so often a silent struggle, yet one in six people will face difficulties. We often think that there is IVF and paths to have a child but in more than half the people under 35 and less over 35, will not be successful. And the fertility journey takes an emotional toll, as well as having deep impacts on finances and time. Our parasha calls upon us to be there with compassion and love. To reach out and recognize the yearning for a child often comes with great pain, struggle and difficulty. Our community needs to be a haven, a shelter, a place of comfort and strength, as we walk alongside individuals and couples on their journey. We can offer blessings and support and be there, we can shema, listen if and when they want to talk and veahavta, we can love them. The last few weeks in our Torah readings we have been receiving the instructions to build a mishkan, a sanctuary, and this week we are reminded of the most important elements: a listening ear and a loving heart. I pray that all people will find a sanctuary of peace and love amongst us.
The Australian Jewish Fertility Network (AJFN) is a place of support and care for everyone struggling to achieve their dreams of having a baby. They offer financial, emotional and spiritual support and want to ensure no Jewish Australian feels alone on their fertility journey. Find out more and how to contact them www.ajfn.org.au.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio OAM