* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Are you on your way somewhere? Are you waiting to get married, finish your degree, find work, pay off your mortgage, move to a new place?
This week we begin to read the Book of Bamidbar, a book that centers around “the time in between.” The book describes the travels of our ancestors in the desert en route to the land of Israel. At first glance, one might conclude that perhaps it would be best to ignore this period entirely and to focus instead on the beginning of our journey and the arrival at our destination. Whatever happens along the way is of secondary importance and of lesser significance. Yet there are commentators who maintain that Sefer Bamidbar is, in fact, the most important book in the Torah.
Why? Because if you think about it, most of our life takes place in the “in-between,” or as it says in Shema, “u’belechtecha baderech”—when you travel on the way.
Therefore, it is important to ponder how we relate to the period “along the way.” Do we consider it important or do we wait impatiently for it to be over already? Do we take advantage of the times when we find ourselves “in between” (even in the small things, like when waiting in line or stuck in a traffic jam?) Do we know how to invest in transition periods, or are we simply waiting until we finally arrive at our destination?
Often when great people were asked to identify the most important moment of their lives they replied: This very moment! If we could teach ourselves to stop feeling as if we’re waiting for our “real life” to begin but focus, instead, on what is happening here and now, not only will we—with God’s help— eventually reach our destination, but we will also benefit from all the gifts that await us along the way.
This is the way to approach the Book of Bamidbar as well as the many journeys of our lives.
