The book of Bemidbar, the fourth of the five books of the Torah, contains an array of historical events. It seems to contrast with the previous book of Vayikra substantially. The transition and progression is not immediately clear. In his introduction to the Book of Bemidbar, the Abarbanel provides an insightful summary of the previous 3 books, and then describes the fourth book.

אברבנאל במדבר – הקדמות

הנה הספר הראשון מתורת האלהים והוא ספר בראשית. בא ליחס יחוס בני ישראל ומשפחתם. מהתחלת בריאת עולם עד שנכנסו בגלות מצרים. והספר השני בא לבאר גלותם וגאולתם הגופניית משעבוד מצרים והנפשיית משבושי אמונתם שהיו לישראל ונגאלו מהם במעמד הר סיני. ואיך נצטוו על מלאכת המשכן להשרות ביניהם השכינה האלהית.

Abarbanel - Introduction to the Book of BeMidbar

Behold, the first book of God’s Torah is the Book of Beresheit. It comes to trace the lineage of the Jewish people and their families, from the beginning of the creation of the world until they entered the Egyptian exile.

And the second book comes to explain their exile, their redemption from the physical bondage of Egypt, and their spiritual redemption from the corruption of their faith which occurred to the Jewish people, and their full redemption from them at Mount Sinai. And how they were commanded regarding the work of the Tabernacle, to enable the divine presence to dwell among them.

As the Abarbanel explains, the first book of Beresheit discusses gives the background of the Jewish people, starting with the creation of the world, a brief history of man from Adam through Noah, then Noah to Avraham. Avraham changes the course of human history, picking up the thread of the awareness of God after it has been obscured. Avraham transmits this to Yitzchak, who in turn transmits this to Yaakov, who teaches his children and establishes his household as an academy of learning devoted to these ideas and ideals. The Rambam describes the progression:

רמב"ם עבודה זרה וחוקות הגוים א:ג

וכיון שהיו העם מתקבצים לו, ושואלים לו על דבריו, היה מודיע לכל אחד ואחד לפי דעתו עד שיחזירהו לדרך האמת, עד שנתקבצו אליו אלפים ורבבות, והם אנשי בית אברהם, ושתל בליבם העיקר הגדול הזה, וחיבר בו ספרים, והודיעו ליצחק בנו, וישב יצחק מלמד ומחזיר, ויצחק הודיעו ליעקב ומינהו ללמד, וישב מלמד ומחזיר כל הנלוים אליו:

ויעקב אבינו לימד בניו כולם, והבדיל לוי ומינהו ראש, והושיבו בישיבה ללמד דרך י"י ולשמור מצוות אברהם, וציוה את בניו שלא יפסיקו מבני לוי ממונה אחר ממונה, כדי שלא ישתכח הלימוד: והיה הדבר הולך ומתגבר בבני יעקב ובנלוים עליהם, ונעשת בעולם אומה שהיא יודעת את י"י. עד שארכו הימים לישראל במצרים, וחזרו ללמוד מעשיהם ולעבוד עבודה זרה כמותן, חוץ משבט לוי שעמד במצות אבות. ומעולם לא עבד שבט לוי עבודה זרה: וכמעט קט היה והעיקר ששתל אברהם נעקר וחזרו בני יעקב לטעות העמים ותעייתם. ומאהבת י"י אותנו, ומשמרו את השבועה לאברהם אבינו, עשה משה רבינו ורבן של כל הנביאים ושלחו: כיון שנתנבא משה רבינו ובחר י"י בישראל לנחלה, הכתירן במצוות, והודיעם דרך עבודתו, ומה יהיה משפט עבודה זרה וכל הטועים אחריה:

Rambam - Laws of Strange Worship and Practices

When the people would gather around him [Avraham] and ask him about his statements, he would explain [them] to each one of them according to their understanding, until they turned to the path of truth. Ultimately, thousands and myriads gathered around him. These are the men of the house of Abraham. He planted in their hearts this great fundamental principle, composed texts about it, and taught it to Isaac, his son. Isaac also taught others and turned [their hearts to God]. He also taught Jacob and appointed him as a teacher.

[Jacob] taught others and turned [the hearts] of all those who gathered around him [to God]. He also taught all of his children. He selected Levi and appointed him as the leader. He established him [as the head of] the academy to teach them the way of God and observe the mitzvot of Abraham. [Jacob] commanded his sons that the leadership should not depart from the descendants of Levi, so that the teachings would not be forgotten. This concept proceeded and gathered strength among the descendants of Jacob and those who collected around them, until there became a nation within the world which knew God. When the Jews extended their stay in Egypt, however, they learned from the [Egyptians'] deeds and began worshiping the stars as they did, with the exception of the tribe of Levi, who clung to the mitzvot of the patriarchs - the tribe of Levi never served false gods. Within a short time, the fundamental principle that Abraham had planted would have been uprooted, and the descendants of Jacob would have returned to the errors of the world and their crookedness. Because of God's love for us, and to uphold the oath He made to Abraham, our patriarch, He brought forth Moses, our teacher, the master of all prophets, and sent him [to redeem the Jews]. After Moses, our teacher, prophesied, and God chose Israel as His inheritance, He crowned them with mitzvot and informed them of the path to serve Him, [teaching them] the judgement prescribed for idol worshiper and all those who stray after it.

The Jewish people’s commitment becomes compromised in Egypt, with the exception of the tribe of Levi. Moshe Rabbeinu is appointed by God to teach the people mitzvot, teach them how to serve God, and return the people to the proper path.

אברבנאל במדבר – הקדמות

והספר הג' בא ללמדם הקדושה והטהרה והעבודה שיתנהגו במקדש ה' להתמיד השכינה ביניהם. וזה אם בכהנים משרתי ה' ואם בעמו בכלל באזהרת כל הדברים המתועבים והרעים. ואחר שהשלים כל זה. בא הספר הד' לספר סדר הנהגת העם. איך היה במדבר במסעיהם וחנייתם ואת כל התלאה אשר מצאתם בדרך. והסבה אשר בעבורה נתעכבו במדבר מ' שנה עד תום כל הדור היוצאים ממצרים. ואשר אירע לקרח ועדתו אשר הצו על משה ועל אהרן.

Abarbanel - Introduction to the Book of BeMidbar

And the third book comes to teach them about holiness, purity, and the service that should be conducted in the Mikdash of Hashem, to maintain the Divine Presence among them. And this with regard to the Kohanim who serve Hashem, and with regard to his nation in general, with warnings about that which is abominable and evil. And after having completed all the this, the fourth book comes to discuss the conduct of the nation. How it was in the desert during their travels and encampments, and all the challenges they encountered along the way. And the reason’s why they were delayed 40 years in the desert, until the the entire generation that left Egypt had concluded. And what happened to Korach and his assembly, which rebelled against Moses and Aaron.

While the end of the second book of Shemot tells the people how to serve through the Mishkan, the third book of Vayikra teaches them how to maintain God in their midst. It begins by describing various offerings in the Mikdash. But it continues and discusses broader religious ideals that must be pursued, such as respecting one’s parents, not taking revenge or bearing a grudge, loving one’s neighbor (Vayikra Ch. 19).

The fourth book of Bemidbar, discusses not the founding of the Jewish people but their early attempts at functioning as a people. It begins with a census and description of the encampment and community. But the people soon encounter challenges which causes them to stumble. They struggle to reign in their complaints, they fail in their first remote encounter with the land, and they undermine the leadership provided to them by God. They miss the opportunity to enter the land immediately and usher in the ultimate redemption. Instead, the subsequent Jewish history takes many twists and turns.

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch - Introduction to sefer Bemidbar

The end of the second book of the Chumash tells of the construction of the Sanctuary of the Torah. The third book is devoted entirely to the standards set for Israel by this Sanctuary - in symbolic terms, by the offerings, and in practical terms, by the laws that sanctify every aspect of daily life. Thus an outline is presented of the ideal to be translated into reality by every individual member of the nation as well as by the nation as a whole…The fourth book now returns to the national reality. It shows us Israel as it actually is; it presents before us the actual nation in its relationship to the ideal of its calling as outlined in the third book.

Bemidbar can be a hard book to read. We are confronted with our mistakes and failings. We repeat and continue to repeat many of these mistakes throughout the generations. Even though we do not quite live up to the ideal, it is informative to watch the Jewish people in action. It sets the foundation for the fifth book, where Moshe teaches the people the balance of the mitzvot and instructs them about how to operate in the future. Indeed, the Haftorah in Hoshea describes the eventual restoration of the relationship between the nation and God, “I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice, and with kindness and with mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness; and you will know Hashem.” (Hoshea 2:21-22). We retain the promising prospect of living up to our people’s calling and our unique relationship with God.

References

Hirsch, R. S. R. (2008). Hirsch Chumash: Sefer Bemidbar. Jerusalem - New York: Feldheim Publishers.

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

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