07 Jun Parshas Bamidbar In The Wilderness The Desert Consciousness

Inspired by the teachings of Harav Yizchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth    

Parshas Bamidbar begins the book of Bamidbar translated as ‘the wilderness’; the desert. This is the account of the Journey of the Nation of Israel as they left Egypt.

It is in ‘the wilderness’ that we can best connect to the experience of nullification; the process by which we divest of our ego (self, self will) and make ourselves into  a  vessel to receive.

The journey of Bamidbar in the environment of  the nullification in the wilderness  was the place where individuals (having left Egypt) became a Nation and where  we  learned to bond with G-d,and others. It is the state of consciousness of bitul (nullification) that allows our then empty vessel (divested of ego) to receive. Thus it was in Bamidbar, the wilderness, that we received the Torah and formed a Nation.

Zion is a word that is often used  to refer to Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. What is fascinating about the word  Zion is that its root word Ziah means desert, wilderness, wasteland, desolate and dryness, all accurate descriptions of Bamidbar. It’ is prohibited to ‘decorate’ the Holy Temple. It’s interior and exterior accentuate ‘the wilderness’. The Temple was sparse, and except for the vessels as prescribed by the Torah, was ’empty insided.  Trees or plants in or around the Temple were prohibeted. The ‘consciousness of Zion’ is one of nullification and the ability to best ‘receive’.

Bamidbar as ‘the wilderness’ and Zion (the Temple or Jerusalem ) also ‘the wilderness’,  share the  common consciousness of bitul (nullification),. These are places to receive,  to learn to have relationships and to grow.   Bamidbar and the Holy tempole exists in the soul of every Jew… always. We should strive to  acquire the experience of bitul-nullification each day and each moment as we did in the desert and;  as as it was in the Holy Temple in order to be filled with G-ds goodness.

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
lawrencelax.com 
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com