וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִ דְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד )א:א(
And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting (1:1).
The Midrash at the opening of our parashah (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7) expounds:
“And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai. Why in the wilderness of Sinai? From here, Chazal taught: The Torah was given with three things—fire, water, and wilderness. How do we know about the wilderness? And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai. Anyone who does not make themselves like a wilderness, open to all and unclaimed, cannot acquire wisdom and Torah. Therefore, it is said, in the wilderness of Sinai.”
As we approach the festival of Shavuos, our holy Torah teaches us the middah of humility, an essential condition for receiving the Torah. Anyone who does not make themselves “like an unclaimed wilderness” cannot acquire Torah or wisdom at all.
Those who delve into the hints in the Torah discussed the names of the leaders mentioned in our portion. One is called (Bamidbar 1:12) אֲחִ יעֶזֶר - בֶּן עַמִּ ישַׁדָּי Achiezer, son of Ammishaddai, and the other (1:15), אֲחִירַ ע בֶּן עֵינָן - Achirah son of Enan.
This hints at the following: If one is an Achiezer (אֲחִ יעֶזֶר)—a brother )אח( who offers help and support to his fellow Jews—then the result (בֶּ ן) will be Ammishaddai, the Shechinah will dwell among the people of Yisrael. However, if one is an Achira—a wicked (רַ ע) brother who is arrogant and does not assist his fellow Jews—the result (בֶּ ן) will be Enan, a cloud )ענן( that separates Yisrael from their Father in Heaven, bringing darkness to the world.
Let us, therefore, strengthen ourselves in the proper and upright middah of humility—a humility that brings glory to its practitioners and earns them respect from others. This humility fosters good and refined character traits and love for Yisrael, Amen.
I have a vivid childhood memory of Rav David’s humility and dedication. One day, a question arose in our home regarding the kashrus of a chicken. In those days, before the advent of modern abattoirs, all aspects of poultry preparation—from slaughtering and inspection to salting and koshering—had to be done personally. My father, a great talmid chacham, sent me with the chicken to Rav David to seek his ruling.
When I arrived, Rav David carefully examined the chicken from all angles. Then, turning to me warmly, he said:
“My dear child, I myself cannot rule on this question. Let us go together to the great Rav Yisrael Yitzchak Reisman, zt”l, a dayan in the Edah Hachareidis and rav of the Batei Warsaw neighborhood, to hear what he has to say.”
Before leaving, Rav David paused and said, “Perhaps the Shulchan Aruch...
