Bamidbar begins with a detailed census of the Jews in the desert. For the record, there were some 600,000 Jewish males between the ages of 20 and 60.
While there are plenty of commandments (51, to be exact) to be found in the pages of Bamidbar, the “highlights” of much the rest of the book might be summed up with one word — rebellion.
- Some of the people demanded meat (Bamidbar, chapter 11).
- Contrary to G-d’s wishes, they despaired of entering Israel after the false report of the spies (chapters 13, 14).
- Korach and his followers rebelled against the leadership of Moses (chapter 16).
- There were those who complained about the lack of water (chapter 20).
- There was a group that fell prey to the enticements of the daughters of the nation of Moav (chapter 25).
Not an impressive record. On the other hand, there was very little else going on over those forty years. If we realize that these were nearly all the public complaints of a nation of more than 600,000, we gain a new perspective. Think also about the subject of some of the complaints: lack of water or meat, fear of being killed by a powerful Caananite nation…. Living in the desert without a reliable source for food, water and protection would make the best of us think twice about our situation, wouldn’t it?
If anything, the amazing thing might be the deep, silent trust the vast majority of Jews had for G-d the vast majority of the time. There is another point to consider: it’s very rare to find an historical work (much less a religion) that so ruthlessly scrutinizes its founders and early leaders. After all, we are descended from these very Jews and we are the students of Moses and Aaron. If anyone would have had anything to cover up, to save historical face, it would have been us. Yet each year (when we read from the Torah in Synagogue) we minutely dissect and discuss each of their failings and sins. Doesn’t this point lend our Torah credibility?
The book of Bamidbar ends in the year 2488 (1272 BCE).