וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני “Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert.” (Bamidbar 1:1)
The Medrash asks why this pasuk must state specifically that Hashem spoke to them in the Sinai Desert. It seems to have been a very important fact that it had to be mentioned. The Medrash answers, this is coming to tell us that the Torah was given specifically in the desert. One who studies Torah has to make himself just like a desert.
Rav Yaakov Neiman (in his sefer Darchei Mussar), remarked that the pasuk is subtly hinting to us that a basic prerequisite of Torah is that one must feel himself in a desert. He is totally alone and has nowhere to turn for his needs except to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. He must develop perfect and absolute bitachon. Then the Torah will be given to him as a gift. This is the tefillah we say every morning in ahava rabbah: “Because of our fathers who trusted in You, and You taught them the statutes of life. So too grant us and teach us.” We see from here a very important principle, we see that bitachon brings to understanding the Torah.
We can compare this to one who spends a lot of time in the company of an illustrious wise man. He eventually becomes a part of the household and dines with him. In the course of time he will hear many words of wisdom. This was the situation of Klal Yisroel in the desert. They dined on the table of the Ribbono Shel Olam (they ate the mann). And in the course of 40 years, they learned the entire Torah. Thus, each and every one of us, according to his personal abilities the amount of his trust in Hashem, becomes a member of the Heavenly household. Thus, he will walk away with a phenomenal amount of wisdom.
The Chofetz Chaim used to say over the parable of a child who went to learn in cheider, but forgot to take his lunch. Is there any doubt in his mind that when his parents realize this they will let him go hungry? Certainly they will do everything to ensure that their child gets fed. So too one who learns to the utmost of his ability is ensured that Hakodosh Boruch Hu will worry about providing him all his needs.
“I saw this myself,” Rav Neiman recounted. “We suddenly suffered a terrible scarcity of food and prices became very expensive. I was struck with fear that we wouldn’t have enough money to buy food for the yeshiva for the bochurim. The yeshiva was saved by a miracle. Not only were we spared during the shortage, but our financial standing improved and became firmer specifically because of the hard times.”
We see from this that in order to succeed in learning one must develop a very strong bitachon. Bitachon is the reason for one’s success in learning Torah.
Rav Neiman continued that his Rebbe, Rav Moshe Rosenstein zt”l, the mashgiach of the Lomzha Yeshiva, once derived this from the pasuk (Devorim 32:10), “He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them; He protected them as the pupil of His eye.” When does a person merit “He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them; He protected them as the pupil of His eye?” This is when he fulfils the first part of the pasuk, “He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling wasteland.” When a person is stranded in the desert, he suffers from overbearing loneliness and realizes that he has no one to rely upon besides his Father in Heaven. So too each and every one of us should feel that Hakodosh Boruch Hu is watching over us and protecting us. Dovid HaMelech said, “I am a stranger (גר – a ger, a convert) in the land” (Tehillim 119:19). I am like a ger who has no relatives; he is a stranger whom no one knows. He has only Hashem Yisborach. One should not be like that proverbial farmer who declared in his davening, “If You don’t help me, I’ll go to my rich uncle.” Then Hashem won’t help him because He doesn’t help those who trust in others.
Therefore, Torah was given in a desert to teach us that bitachon is a precondition to success.
The Midbar teaches us something else also. A desert is empty of people. There is no one there to rob you and deprive you of anything. So too, even when surrounded by people you have nothing to worry about. The will of Hashem is what will prevail and only Hashem has the ability to take from you, or to give you.
Why is it that when a horse is standing by the riverbank and wants to drink it starts kicking with its feet? As it lowers its head to the water to drink, the horse sees the image of another horse trying to steal its water. Therefore, she starts kicking with her feet to scare it away. In the meanwhile, the water gets full of dirt and becomes undrinkable. This is man. When he fears his neighbour is going to deprive him of something, he makes all the efforts in the world to stop him and even take away what rightfully belongs to this other fellow. In doing so, he loses even what is coming to himself. But one who trusts in Hashem and knows that there is no one who can hurt him, will never lose anything. (R’ Eliezer Parkoff)
