Bamidbar/Numbers

This weeks Torah portion is Bamidbar and we begin a new book of the Torah. The haftorah reading comes from Hosea and I would like to begin there.

והיה מספר בני־ישראל כחול הים אשר לא־ימד ולא יספר והיה במקום אשר־יאמר להם לא־עמי אתם יאמר להם בני אל־חי

The number of the people of Israel shall be like that of the sands of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; and instead of being told, “You are Not-My-People,” they shall be called Children-of-the-Living-God.

I looked up the significance of the phrase “living God” however, it gave me pause.

"These and these are the words of the living God."

This same description “of the living God” this time from the Babylonian Talmud, spoken by God to end an argument between Hillel and Shammai, supposedly show that two different, non-converging opinions can both reflect righteousness, holiness, and insight.

I want to explore is the concept of a living God. The obvious is clear המבין יבין a living God is not an idol or an inanimate object of any kind.

But why it this phrase used here immediately after the reference to the Children of Israel being compared to sands of the sea?

In order to understand we have to return to the sand. The sands of the sea are plentiful in nature and so too is this blessing. It is also another example of where we get the concept of not counting Jews which is deep in our tradition and heralds also from the census, one of which was held in this weeks Torah portion (although as we know the Levites were left out of this particular count).

So we have a number of ideas floating around within this one passuk (verse). Just as the sand, as Jews our value is counted by God as the beauty within the world of Gods creation. As the sand allows the water to gently flow and ebb so too, is one of our roles within the world to be a calm landing for tumultuous waters. A light among the nations. Without sand, water tends to dash against the rocks in time wearing even the hardest of rocks down.

We are malleable, can take on new traditions and shapes just as the sand cradles the foot to create each individual footprint, yet we can also hold our shape with the addition of Torah, just like a sandcastle is built with the addition of water.

Sand could exist without the sea/without water but would be formless and be limited in its action. Jews can exist without Torah but we can develop and grow as we learn from it’s teachings.

And our living God. We have long learnt from the teaching that we are created b’zelem Elohim, in Gods, image. And here, is possible a clue to one of our most important teachings.

God is a living God. Whether it is the life-cycle of a plant, an organism beneath a pond, the fish in the sea, or the mind of a child, these too are living. As adults, we can choose to continue our learning and development as we live together on this earth.

God is a living God, and as our history continues to be created, God is with living among us. We did not just receive the Torah on Sinai and we do not just celebrate our

relationship with God once a week. God is living among us every day and every moment.

We are as wondrous as the sand of the seas and amongst us lives God.

Shabbat Shalom