Dear Rebbetzin,
I’m an ardent nature-lover
and there is nothing that makes me feel closer to Hashem than being surrounded
by serene landscapes far away from the distractions of the bustling city. I
enjoy going camping, praying at the seaside, watching the sun setting into its
reflection in the ripples of the ocean and gazing at the starry sky from around
the bonfire while the guitars are strumming. A friend and I would like to go
camping at the Dead Sea during Parashat Bamidbar – the Shabbat prior to
Shavuot in order to prepare ourselves spiritually for receiving the Torah. I
assume there is no halachic problem with this. After all, the entire Jewish
people camped in the wilderness also on Shabbat. Please let me know if there is
anything I need to be aware of and any preparation I need to make in order to
be able to keep all the laws of Shabbat properly while camping out.
Tzipporah Natura (name changed)
Dear Tzipporah,
Sounds like camping in the
wilderness, the Shabbat before receiving the Torah, could be an awesome
experience, provided that you make the effort in proper preparation. I actually
wish I had the time to join you! The Torah, which was given in the desert was
written with black fire upon white fire (Midrash Tanchuma, Bereishit 1).
In order to engrave the words of the Torah written with black fire in our
hearts, we need to become like white fire – like a blank canvas or piece of
paper, ready to receive new writing inspiration. I believe that the Torah was
given in the desert because this place is the perfect vessel for receiving
Torah. The silence of the vast emptiness of the desert cleansed the Israelites
from their slave mentality. Likewise, the desert can purge us of our faulty
beliefs, attitudes and negative emotions. The pristine wasteland is like a
reset button on the computer- cleaning out all our old files to make room for
the new. The bareness of the desert can open our hearts to receive. Yet, on a
practical level, it is not so simple to keep Shabbat while camping out.
How Can I Carry On
Shabbat in the Desert?
One of the 39 forbidden
creative works on Shabbat is הוצאה/hotza’ah – carrying an object –
regardless of its weight, size or purpose from a private to a public domain and
vice versa, or carrying it more than four cubits (approximately 2 meters or 6
feet) within a public domain. Private and public do not refer to ownership, but
rather, to the nature of the area. An enclosed area is considered a private
domain, whereas an open area is considered public for the purposes of these
laws. When living in Jerusalem, or in a Torah community, we are used to having
an eruv. An eruv is a technical enclosure that surrounds both private and
public domains, creating a large private domain in which carrying is permitted
on Shabbat. When we spend Shabbat away from a Jewish community, in a place
where there is no proper eruv, we cannot carry even a book out to a park. If
you would like, for example, to take your siddur to pray outside of the tent,
when camping on Shabbat, you need to learn the laws of how to construct an
eruv. You must also plan to arrive at your campsite at least three hours prior
to Shabbat, in order to have enough time to build it.
Basic Guidelines for
Building an Eruv
It is permissible to carry
in a closed structure with walls or a fence, etc. If there are no real walls,
or if a wall is missing, you can create an enclosure with poles and strings.
The easiest way to construct an enclosure is by using fishing line that
connects from one pole to the next. The reason to use fishing line rather
than rope is that it stays straight.
This is important because a sagging eruv line or one that moves around in the
wind isn’t kosher. The poles have to be at least ten tefachim tall (80
cm). They need to be a bit longer in order to drive them into the ground, so
they should be at least a meter each (3 feet). If you are camping out for only
one Shabbat, four thin pieces of bamboo will suffice in constructing a square
around your camp site. Drive a nail into the top of each pole. You could
incorporate some of the natural terrain in your eruv such as a cliff wall, very
thick bushes, or impassable brush. I recommend that you consult your rabbi
about how to build an eruv as building an eruv is a fairly complex halachic
endeavor. The Talmudic tractate Eruvin is considered to be one of the
most difficult tractates. Look for more details on this website http://travelingrabbi.com/halacha-general/how-to-build-an-eruv-while-camping.
Shabbat Meals in the
Wilderness
I can’t imagine spending a
Shabbat anywhere without a source of fresh unsalted water. It would be quite
hard to schlep all the handwashing water in addition to your drinking water. (A
schlep it is going to be in any circumstance.) You will need a good size icebox
to bring food for an entire Shabbat. Make sure the food is already prepared and
plan meals that can be eaten cold such as wholesome bread, lox, salads and
dips… I suggest keeping all your food in the icebox including breads and cakes
to avoid invading ants and other crawling creatures. It would be a good idea to
bring a battery-powered lamp, lantern or strong flashlight and keep it on for
the entire Shabbat so you will have some light Friday night. I also suggest
bringing a glass box such as what we use for our Chanukah candles, to insure
that your Shabbat candles won’t blow in the wind, or even worse blow out. You
may be able to keep your Friday night meal hot if you arrange to have your food
kept warm on top of covered embers
before Shabbat goes in. You can relight your bonfire after Shabbat goes out for
a spirited havdalah around a
campfire.
Safety Suggestions
I suggest that you pack a fully charged cellphone, charger, extra food, at
least two extra liters of water, appropriate clothes, emergency supplies and
your list of emergency phone numbers. You may include a first aid kit with band
aids, bandages and antiseptic wipes, rescue remedy and herbal pain reliever.
During the day, protect yourself from the hot desert sun with a large brim hat.
Wear lose cotton clothes that cover most of your body including your neck.
After Shabbat, make sure to take out your trash and adhere to the principles of
‘Leave No Trace.’
Finding Your Personal Portion
in the Torah
With all these
preparations, for the sake of experiencing a holy Shabbat while camping out in
the Holy Land, I’m positive that your Shabbat in the Desert is going to be an
unforgettable experience. This is your opportunity for meditative reflection to
really tune into your own soul and finding yourself and your personal portion
in the Torah. Each of the Israelites camped around the Ark of the Covenant
containing The Ten Commandments. Each person was associated with his own tribe
and camped under the appropriate flag as it states,
ספר במדבר פרק א (נב) וְחָנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ עַל מַחֲנֵהוּ וְאִישׁ
עַל דִּגְלוֹ לְצִבְאֹתָם:
“The
Israelites encamped in their own camp, each person according to his troop and
by his flag” (Bamidbar 1:52).
Each Israelite
camped in their personal space and specific angle in relationship to the Ark of
the Torah. Likewise, today, we all need to find our individual portion in the
Torah while simultaneously knowing our place within the community. The Shabbat
prior to Shavuot is the most suitable time to realign ourselves with our
personal portion in the Torah and our true place within the Jewish community.
What more appropriate place for such alignment than in the wilderness of the
Holy Land?
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