Our double parasha, Matot-Ma’asei, includes a long list of every journey the Israelites made across the wilderness. Rabbi Kenneth Brander asks: Why do we need this exhaustive list of every single encampment of the Jewish People in the desert?
The Shulchan Aruch uses this list to determine that the number of lines in each parchment of a Torah scroll should be 42, equal to the number of the Jewish People’s journeys. [Based on Soferim 2:11]
After all, if the Torah is to be our roadmap for life, it should celebrate the idea that life is about the journeys that we take, and therefore each piece of parchment should correspond to the number of journeys we took.
In contrast, the Rambam (Maimonides) rules that each parchment should be no less than 48 lines. [Mishneh Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll 7:10]
Why?
His view is that each parchment must highlight not only the 42 stops going forward, but also the six occasions on which they retreated in their desert travels.
Toward the end of the desert journey, they actually revisit six of their previous encampments, and confront the mistakes they made there.
While we usually think that life is all about moving forward, often, we need to retreat from the progress that we’ve made: to take a step back, and have the humility to learn from our mistakes and re-evaluate our decisions.
It is through this process that we grow and truly move forward.
In the Jewish calendar, we have begun the slow movement toward the Yamim Nora’im, the High Holy Days. The month of Av calls us to remember times when our actions caused harm to others, when our prejudices led to unfairness, and our desire to do what we wanted led us to ignore the needs of others.
During the first wave of Covid we were sensitive to the needs of others–we tested, wore masks, and stayed indoors if we didn’t feel well. Then, restrictions lifted and we relaxed. Today, with Covid still with us, we may need to revisit where we have been. We need to recall our responsibility to each other. Lead full lives, but continue to test and wear masks in unsafe situations. Protect each other. Care for each other.
In the next two months, I invite us to look back on where we have been, and use that knowledge to move forward in the zigzagging journey of life.
This Shabbat, may we receive a double portion of humility to learn from the past. May we find a double dose of hope for a healthier future for us all. .
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Marcia Plumb
