The Book of Numbers, in Hebrew, B’midbar, “In the Wilderness”, raises a wonderful question, as described and explored in Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg’s new book, Bewilderments: Reflections on the Book of Numbers.
This question comes from the common root of the word for “wilderness”, midbar, and the root for the word for “word” and “speech” – which is dalet-bet-reish – the “d”, “b”, and “r” in the word for wilderness.
How are speaking and the wilderness related?
In order to have a common understanding between two people, we must agree on the most basic understandings of words.
The wilderness is where our ancient ancestors and Moses forged their covenant with God and they began by learning about each other and starting to agree upon what things mean. This was difficult and essential.
We continue to need this lesson today.
Before we can learn from each other and work together we must make sure that we share a common understanding of the words, concepts, and feelings that we use and refer to.
Only then, in the wilderness where nothing has yet been built, can we begin to build relationships based on understandings in common.
Wishing everyone a good week of connecting and cooperating,
Jonathan