04 Jun PARASHAT BAMIDBAR: THE ORIGINS OF JEWISH TENACITY

The Midrash,
commenting on the
opening verse of Sefer
Bamidbar, observes
that the Torah has been
compared to three natural phenomena: fire,
water and a desert. Many Rabbis raised the
question of what precisely the Midrash seeks
to teach us through this observation. Why is
it important for us to know that the Torah is
compared to these three phenomena?
One explanation is that the Midrash seeks
to draw our attention to the roots of one
of the Jewish people’s most outstanding
and consistent character trait: our innate
stubbornness and tenacity, our refusal to
surrender even under the harshest conditions.
Throughout the millennia, Jews have
shown their readiness to make enormous
sacrifices – including the ultimate sacrifice,
of their own lives – for their faith. Whether
it was in Germany or Spain, in Russia
or in Syria, Jews stubbornly clung to the
Torah despite unbearable pressures. Even
here in the United States, where we enjoy
the freedom to practice our faith without
fear of persecution, we are nevertheless
subjected to an unrelenting onslaught of
cultural pressures and lures, and yet so many
Jews, Baruch Hashem, remain steadfastly
committed to Torah study and observance,

heroically resisting these pressures.
The Sages teach us that this extraordinary
quality originates from three sources: fire,
water, and the desert.
It began with Avraham Avinu, who refused
to renounce his beliefs even at the threat
of being thrown into a furnace. The fire
of Avraham has been passed down to his
descendants, to the countless generations of
Jews who were prepared to give all they had,
and their lives, for their faith.
But Avraham’s example was the source
of individual devotion, people making the
personal decision to make great sacrifices.
The concept of a nationwide sacrifice, of
the Jewish people collectively sacrificing
themselves for their belief, began in the
water – at the Yam Suf. Following G-d’s
instructions, the nation headed straight into
the raging waters of the sea. They were not
told that the sea would be transformed to
dry land. But they trusted that G-d would
somehow rescue them, and with unfailing
faith, they proceeded onward into the water.
This established the precedent of nationwide
sacrifice for the sake of G-d.
Still, these two incidents – the heroism of
Avraham and of Beneh Yisrael at the sea
– were momentary events. What remained

to be seen is whether
this stubborn, steadfast
devotion could endure
over an extended period
of time. And so the third
origin of Jewish tenacity is

the wilderness, the forty-
year period that Beneh

Yisrael spent traveling
through an uninhabitable
desert. Their only food
was the miraculous daily
ration of manna, their
only water source was the
miraculous traveling well,
and their only source of
protection from the elements, animals and
attackers was the miraculous clouds of glory.
Placing their trust in G-d, Beneh Yisrael
lived for forty years in a place where there
is no possibility of survival through natural
means. This set the example of our ability
to withstand pressures and hardship even for
many years, to refuse to relinquish our faith
even through lengthy periods of difficulties
and sacrifice.
As mentioned, we face enormous pressures
and challenges here in the United States.
Day in, and day out, week after week, month
after month and year after year, we live with
the temptation of material indulgence, the

prevalent obsession with wealth, and the
pervasive culture of permissiveness and
immorality. We have good reason to take
pride in our stubbornness, in the beautiful
Torah homes, communities and institutions
that we’ve built despite these persistent
pressures, in the way we have remain
stubbornly committed to our traditions
rather than accept defeat. Even today, we
live “Bamidbar,” in the desert, in a constant
condition of challenge and struggle. May
we continue to draw inspiration from our
ancestors in our attempts to overcome the
obstacles in our path, withstand pressures,
and remain proudly and steadfastly
committed to G-d and His Torah.