Parashat Bamidbar: How Does the Wilderness Prepare Us to Inherit the Land of Israel?

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Parashat Bamidbar
How Does the Wilderness Prepare Us to Inherit the Land of Israel?

What made Me Embrace the Torah in The Old City of Jerusalem on Shavuot?
This Shavuot, I celebrate 45 years of Torah! I can hardly believe how the years have flowed by, like foamy waves softening and refining our hearts, as hardships etched their traces into the furrows of our faces. I look back with nostalgia to that first Shavuot – the beginning of my teshuva – when everything was new. I found myself among a circle of women, sitting on cool stones under the starry sky in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was the first time I learned about Ruth – who left behind the comfort of her regal home, her country, and all that was familiar, to follow her aged mother-in-law Naomi toward an unknown destiny.
I, too, had recently left my own country, my childhood home, and the prospect of a prestigious university degree to follow my heart and fulfill an undefined calling. Was Ruth also a truth seeker, who found the pomp of prosperity superficial while looking for a deeper meaning and mission in life? I pondered.
Since my teenage years, I had been searching for truth. I had rejected the Marxism I was taught in high school, which focused solely on dismantling economic classes without addressing the values that would define the envisioned society of financial equality. Dancing in the inner city with born-again Xtians whose theology conflicted with everything I would later come to value felt exciting at the time, but their answers rang hollow and rehearsed. Though I was a flower-power girl immersed in the hippy counterculture, I was never drawn enough to the East to join my friends traveling to India and Nepal in search of spirituality and inner vision. Yoga helped me strengthen my body, but it in no way touched my soul.
I had never considered seeking truth within my own Jewish heritage. The Jewish experiences of my youth had led me to believe Judaism was nothing more than a culinary creed wrapped in outdated rules, lacking any spiritual essence.
Yet here I was, in the holy city of Jerusalem, at the Women’s Division of the Diaspora Yeshiva – where I had surprisingly found my spiritual home. I still remember hearing Rabbi Goldstein proclaim: “Now that you’ve received the Torah, can you give it back? No, you can’t. You have to keep it!” At that moment, I knew I was hooked for life.

Why is the Torah Given in the Desert?

Parashat Bamidbar opens with the Israelites still in the wilderness, poised to begin their journey toward the Land of Israel.

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק א וַיְדַבֵּר הַשֵׁם אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי...

“Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai…” (Bamidbar 1:1).

Chazal ask: why was the Torah given in the מִדְּבַר/midbar – ‘desert’ a place of emptiness and desolation?

To enter the covenant of Torah and inherit Eretz Yisrael, we must let go of personal pride and entitlement. The desert has no owner. It is vast, barren, and silent. In that space of inner surrender, we become worthy of receiving Hashem’s word.

Just as the desert prepared us to receive Torah, it also prepared us to receive the Land. Before entering the land flowing with milk and honey, we had to be emptied of Egypt – of its mentality, attachments, and enslaved self-image. The desert strips away ego so we can enter the land as humble vessels for Hashem’s presence. This reflects my experience of accepting the Torah, on my first Shavuot. I made myself like the wilderness, emptying myself of my past to start over on a clean new page in the story of my life.

The Midrash teaches: the Torah was given with fire, water, and in the wilderness – all elements that are free and accessible to all. So too, Torah is free for anyone who thirsts for it (Yeshaya’hu 55:1). Another teaching: Only one who makes himself like a wilderness, can truly acquire Torah. “Whoever does not make himself ownerless and accessible to all, cannot acquire the wisdom of the Torah” (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7).

What Does it Take to Make our Torah Transformative and Enduring?
The Imrei Emet explains that the Torah was given to rectify the three core flaws of humanity – jealousy, lust, and pride – reflected in the sins of early generations: Kayin, the generation of the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. The mitzvot at Matan Torah correspond to these: the boundary around Mount Sinai addressed jealousy – giving each person their designated space; the command to abstain from marital intimacy represented restraint – countering lust; and standing humbly at the foot of the mountain symbolized submission – opposing pride. This is why the Torah was given with fire, water, and wilderness – representing passion, humility, and self-nullification. Every day, we are challenged by jealousy, lust, and pride – and only through the power of Torah can we overcome them. Moreover, to truly acquire Torah, we must make ourselves like a wilderness – open, humble, and ownerless (Imrei Emet, Bamidbar, 5667). This concept hits home when I reminisce about those early days of embracing Torah, most of the students in Diaspora Yeshiva from affluent American families, made great sacrifices to leave flourishing careers and promising prosperous futures behind, to dedicate ourselves to Torah learning in the Land of Israel. As the Imrei Emet teaches, as long as we make ourselves like a desert completely given over and devoted to Torah and Mitzvot (mesirut nefesh), through this inner work of surrendering our selves, our Torah becomes transformative and enduring. Now, 45 years later this concept has proven true through the descendants of the students of the ‘hippy yeshiva’ raising families deeply rooted in Torah and mitzvot.  

How Does the Counting of Israel Connect to the Land?

It is significant that the journey through the wilderness begins with counting:

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק ב שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כָּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם:

“Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers' houses; a head count of every male according to the number of their names” (Bamidbar 1:2).

What is the purpose of counting the Israelites specifically at the outset of the nation’s journey through the wilderness? The Netziv explains that the census in Parashat Bamidbar isn’t just about numbers – it’s about identity and a spiritual confirmation of each individual’s destined inheritance in the Land of Israel (HaEmek Davar, Bamidbar 1:2). Each person was counted “by name” and “by their father’s house,” emphasizing identity, lineage, and their destined portion in the Land of Israel. The configuration of the Israelite camp mirrored this destiny. Each family and tribe camped in a Divinely designated place, forming a sacred map that anticipated their eventual settlement in Eretz Yisrael – not only geographically, but spiritually.

According to the teachings of the Arizal, this encampment was patterned after the supernal structure of the sefirot. The twelve tribes corresponded to distinct spiritual channels, grouped into four דְּגָלִים/degalim – ‘banners’ – each containing three tribes. This mystical arrangement reflected a deeper cosmic order, where each tribe’s location in the wilderness corresponded to its spiritual root above (Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 31, Chapter 3). The Midrash supports this idea, stating that the formation of the tribes mirrored the arrangement of the heavenly hosts (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 2:8).
Thus, the desert became a place of alignment – each soul drawn to its specific inheritance, in sync with its Divine source. This is hinted in the verse: וְאִישׁ עַל־דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ “Each man by his banner, according to the signs of their father’s house shall they camp” (Bamidbar 2:2). The אֹתֹת/otot – “signs” – may be understood as spiritual markers, revealing each tribe’s unique role within the collective mission of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael.

How is the Wilderness Experience Still Relevant for Life in the Land Today?

The journey from the wilderness to Eretz Yisrael is not only historical – it is psychological and spiritual. Many of us today live in the Land yet still carry traces of ‘Egypt’ in our hearts. The midbar remains a necessary stage to enter the Land inwardly.

The holiness of Eretz Yisrael cannot be fully appreciated until we empty ourselves of the spiritual clutter of exile. Only then can the light of the Land penetrate our souls. I’m continually inspired by how many of my students go through this process – shedding layers of exile, undergoing both physical and spiritual reboot, and gradually rooting and resettling themselves in the Holy Land.

Although Bat Ayin isn’t a desert, compared to the grand cities many of our students left behind, this rural village in the Judean Hills serves as a kind of midbar – a humble, quiet space where we can learn to hear the whisper of the Divine voice. The word מִדְבַּר/midbar – ‘desert’ – is etymologically related to דִּבּוּר/dibur – ‘speech.’ Like the desert, Bat Ayin is free of distractions – a place where we can learn to listen to the still, small voice and truly dwell in the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael.
May we each walk our personal midbar with courage and faith – shedding old identities, listening to the voice of Hashem, and preparing our hearts to receive our portion in the Holy Land. And may we soon see the full inheritance of Am Yisrael revealed – each tribe, each soul, restored to its rightful place in the Land.   

Parashat Chayei Sarah: How do We Know to Whom the Biblical City of Chevron Belong?

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Parashat Chayei Sarah
How do We Know to Whom the Biblical City of Chevron Belongs? 

The Elements of the Four Holy Cities Flow Through Bat Ayin

I’m very blessed to live in Bat Ayin, situated between the two holiest cities in the world: Yerushalayim and Chevron! The two additional holy cities Tiberias and Tzfat are also dear to my heart and soul. Although they are further away, I try to visit them every year, swim in the Kineret, and pray at the tombs of Tzaddikim buried in these cities. The term “four holy cities of Israel” was coined in the 16^th century when these cities connected for charitable purposes under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Alshich, together with Rabbi Yosef Caro, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, and Rabbi David ibn Zimra (Radbaz). I have not found the source for how these four cities correspond to the four elements, Jerusalem – Fire, Chevron – Earth, Tzefat – Air, and Tiberias – Water. In my experience, often the most self-evident doesn’t have or require a source, everyone senses that these cities are holy through their particular elements. Thus, we here in Bat Ayin live in the vortex point between holy fire and the holy earth, and here you can feel the red-brown earth element flowing from Chevron to merge with the red fire of Jerusalem. Bat Ayin, is, furthermore called the Tzefat of Yerushalayim, due to the air of the devoted Chassidim who live here and their intense prayer. Our numerous wellsprings also connect us with Tiberias’ holiness through water. Needless to say, in our experience, the zenith of the land of Israel is gathered here in Bat Ayin. This year, on our annual school trip to the Machpelah Cave, we were fortunate to find the Yitzchak Hall open. It is known that inside this Hall – which is only open to Jews 10 days a year – is the opening to the Garden of Eden through which all our prayers ascend. As I stepped into this enchanted hall, I felt transported beyond the dimensions of time and space. As I bent down and felt the cool air from the opening to the Garden of Eden, my prayers flowed like never before, as if my soul was wrapped in prayer. What an incredible, powerful, experience!

Sarah Ensures Ownership of the Machpelah Cave for Her Descendents

Sarah, our mother, was very well connected with the holiness of the land. Therefore, she made sure to pass away specifically in Chevron so she could be buried within the holiest earth in the world. The Eishet Chayil that we sing Friday night upon returning home from the synagogue was originally Avraham’s eulogy for Sarah. Later King Solomon recaptured it and included it at the end of his Mishlei (Proverbs). This is what is written, “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband” (Mishlei 12:4). This is Avraham who would lament over Sarah as it stated, “She envisioned a field and took it” (Mishlei 31:16) – She envisioned and took the field of Machpelah and there she was buried as it states, “Afterward Avraham buried Sarah” (Bereishit 23:19); (Midrash Tanchuma, Chayei Sarah, Chapter 4). Sarah, through her gevurah, decided during her lifetime the location of her burial place in the holy cave where Adam and Chava were buried. We can learn from her to devote ourselves to establishing the holy places of Israel under Jewish autonomy. Avraham wouldn’t have had the idea to request the Machpelah if Sarah had not established her place nearby throughout the days of her last years. In Sarah’s merit, Avraham was able to redeem the Machpelah for her, for the rest of the matriarchs and patriarchs, and for all their descendants until this day. We need to renew to merit the Cave of Machpelah through the power of Sarah. Let us keep visiting this holy cave and keep praying the Hall of Yitzchak will be redeemed from the captivity of the Ishmaelites and be returned to the descendant of Yitzchak, son of Sarah our Matriarch!

How can the nations defraud Israel by Saying that our Holy Places are Stolen Property?

Parashat Chayei Sarah opens with Sarah’s passing and Avraham’s purchase of not only the Machpelah cave but also its surrounding land as it states:

ספר בראשית פרק כג פסוק יז וַיָּקָם שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי מַמְרֵא הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ וְכָל הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל גְּבֻלוֹ סָבִיב:יח) לְאַבְרָהָם לְמִקְנָה לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי חֵת בְּכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ:

“And so, the field of Efron which was in Machpelah, facing Mamre, was established (as Avraham's possession). [This included] the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within its entire border around. [It was] to Avraham as a possession before the eyes of the sons of Chet, in the presence of all who had come within the gate of his city” (Bereishit 23:17-18).

The description of Avraham’s purchase spans most of chapter 23 in Bereishit (Verses 9-20), including numerous repetitions. “The field” is mentioned 6 times, “give” is mentioned 4 times, “Machpelah” is mentioned 3 times, “Silver” 3 times, “before the eyes of the sons” 2 times, and “before the ears” 2 times. Moreover, both in verse 2 and in verse 19 it mentions “The same is Chevron in the land of Canaan.” Emphasizing that Chevron is part of the Land of Canaan and not Philistine land. These redundancies clearly indicate Avraham’s purchase of the Machpelah cave in the eyes and ears of those present, so no misunderstanding could ever occur about the Machpelah belonging to Avraham. Yet, Chevron and its Machpelah cave has been and still is one of the most disputed places in the world. It is as if the Torah preempted that the Ishmaelites and other nations would try to dispute Jewish sovereignty over this holy city. Thus, the Torah clarified in black on white how Avraham purchased this whole area for his wife for posterity for all of their descendants. The Midrash furthermore nails this point:

…Rabbi Yudan bar Simon said: This is one of the three places that the nations of the world cannot defraud Israel and say, “This is stolen property in your hands.” They are the Machpelah cave, the Beit Hamikdash, and the tomb of Yosef [in Shechem]. The Machpelah cave, as it states: “Avraham listened to Efron, and Avraham weighed out the silver for Efron” (Bereishit 23:16). The Temple, as it states: “David gave to Ornan for the place 600 Shekel of gold by weight” (I Divrei Hayamim 21:25). The tomb of Yosef, as it states: “He bought the part of the field where he had pitched his tent, at the hand of the sons of Chamor, Shechem’s father for a hundred pieces of silver” (Bereishit 33:19); (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 79:7). It is interesting to note that these are the three most disputed places in Israel and perhaps in the entire world.

The Eternal Connection Between the People of Israel and Our Promised Land

When the Promised Land is redeemed, by its rightful owner – the people of Israel, it becomes elevated as Rashi explains that although the simple meaning of Beresishit 23:17 is that the field and the cave that was within it, and all the trees…became secured to Avraham as a possession, etc., the literal meaning of וַיָּקָם שְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן is that “the field of Efron rose” – וַיָקָם/vayakam. It experienced an elevation, for it left being the possession of a simple person [and went] into the possession of a king (Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 48:8); (Rashi, Bereishit 23:17). We experience the application of this principle concerning Gaza. When this area was under Jewish autonomy it was the thriving land of Gush Katif with Israel’s most developed agriculture. Yet as soon as Israel left the lands to the Ishmaelites, all the flourishing greenhouses and fields were destroyed along with our synagogues and graveyards. The entire land turned into breeding grounds for terrorism with tunnels for lethal arsenals of deadly weapons, may Hashem save us. The holiness of the land of Israel must be activated by her people. Only when the people of Israel live on its land and connect with its holiness, does the land bear its holy fruit. The word Chevron is from the root ח-ב-ר –‘connect’ from which also the word ‘friend’ derives. Chevron is the connecting point between this world and the Garden of Eden, as the Zohar explains:

Rabbi Kisma said The Machpelah Cave is close to the opening of the Garden of Eden. When Chava died, Adam buried her there. There he sensed the scents of the Garden of Eden. He wanted to dig more, but a heavenly voice emerged and proclaimed: “Enough!” At that moment he stopped and did not dig anymore, and there he was buried. Who took care of his body?  Shet, his son, who was created in his likeness and image… [Since then] No one knew the cave until Avraham came and entered it, saw it, and smelled the perfumed scent of the Garden of Eden. He heard the voice of the ministering angels saying: “The first man was buried there; Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’acov were prepared for this place.” He saw the lit candle and went out. Immediately his desire was for this place…Before Avraham came, many others desired to be buried there, but the ministering angels would guard the place.  (Zohar Chadash, Midrash Ruth, Article When Hashem expelled Adam from the Garden). So, you see that the exclusive right to the holy Machpelah cave has already been established since Avraham’s time.

What is the Connection Between Chevron and Yerushalayim?

Whereas the Temple in Jerusalem is high upon a hill, revealed and open to all, Ma’arat HaMachpelah is a cave that embodies the inner dimension, hidden from all eyes. The Beit HaMikdash extends outward to the heavens – a masculine quality, while the Cave of Machpelah extends inward, to the depths of the earth – the feminine mother earth. Jerusalem bursts out, while Chevron is directed toward the roots. Chevron is the preparation for Yerushalayim just like our Patriarchs are the preparation for King David who conquered Yerushalayim. Moreover, King David himself was first a king in Chevron for seven years before he was crowned king over all of Israel in Yerushalayim. The root letters of the word יִרְאָה /yirah – ‘awe’ are included in the name יְרוּשָׁלַיִם/Yerushalayim, the city of awe. It is a place of intense גְּבוּרָה/gevurah – ‘might,’ the trait of Yitzchak. The near sacrifice of Yitzchak occurred in Jerusalem at the site of Beit HaMikdash. In contrast, the humble cave of Machpelah is a place that inspires אַהֲבָה – ‘love of G-d and חֶסֶד/chesed – ‘loving kindness’ the trait that characterized Avraham. He even discovered the Cave of Machpelah while being engaged in the hospitality of slaughtering calves to serve angels disguised as guests. The Zohar asks, how did Avraham enter the cave? He would run after the calf as it states “Avraham ran to the herd...”  (Bereishit 18:7). The calf fled to this cave. Avraham entered after it into the cave and saw what he saw. When he would pray daily, he would go out to this field, which gave rise to celestial scents. Since he saw a light emanating from the cave, he made it his place of prayer. In this place, G-d would speak with him. Therefore, he desired the cave and yearned for it perpetually (Zohar, Part 1 127b). The merit by which Avraham earned discovery of Ma’arat HaMachpelah is likely due to his desire and willingness to fulfill the positive precept of hachnasat orchim (hosting guests), despite the exceedingly hot weather and the pain he experienced on the third day after his Brit Milah. This reflects Avraham’s primary trait of ‘Chesed’ – total, unrelenting loving-kindness.  All may view that which is revealed but the revelation of the hidden is dependent on G-d’s Chesed – His willingness to allow entrance into ‘the arena of the hidden.’ In other words, Avraham’s discovery of Ma’arat HaMachpelah is an example of how Chesed begets Chesed. Jerusalem and Chevron blend and unify. Torah – the rules, the boundaries – the Tablets of the Ten Commandments are found in Jerusalem. The Chesed, the full loving-kindness without restriction, the trait of Avraham is in Chevron. The lights of Chevron and the lights of Jerusalem merge to create a unity of spirituality that imbues the Jewish people, the revealed and the hidden, this is the secret of Ma’arat HaMachpelah, a unity which cannot be, and never will be, ‘disengaged.’