Table Talk

This week's parsha is Parshat Bamidbar. This parsha is the first parsha in the fourth Book of the Torah. In this parsha Hashem tells Moshe to count all the men ages 30 to 50 in order to see how many men were ready to serve Israel and defend the People.

In this parasha we also see how Bnei Yisrael were organized in the desert. There were 12 tribes - three tribes in each direction: one group of tribes would be south, the other west, the other north and the next group of tribes south. In the middle was the Mishkan, or Holy Sanctuary. Each tribe had a leader and a unique flag. In school we are organized too - there is usually a head teacher and an assistant teacher. Also in the United States, there is one flag for our country and then each state has its own flag, just like each tribe of Israel had its own flag.

This parasha teaches a very big life lesson - the importance of organization. If Bnei Yisrael were not organized in the desert, then people would get lost, and it would be very crazy with so many people not knowing where they are supposed to go.

In my own life, I know how important it is to be organized. I share a room with my sister and we also share our clothes! The shelves are sometimes pretty messy. One weekend I had a party and I knew exactly what I wanted to wear. My mom usually suggests putting out my clothes the night before, but I didn't do that because I already knew what I was wearing. The day of the party I woke up and went to get my outfit. I was going through the messy shelves and couldn't find the outfit I wanted anywhere. Then I realized that my sister Simone was wearing the same outfit I had planned to wear! I learned the hard way that just like our ancestors in the desert had to keep themselves organized, I have to keep things in my life organized too.

One time I had a spelling test and I took home a review sheet for the test. The day before the spelling test I wanted to study so I went to my bag to get the paper. When I opened my bag I realized the paper wasn’t there. I had no idea where I put it and started searching everywhere for it. I was asking everyone if they had seen it. My mom then said that she threw it away thinking that it was trash because it was just lying on the counter in the kitchen all crumpled up. After that week I realized I need to be more organized, and now that I’m going to middle school I need to be super organized.

Our rabbis teach that if Bnei Yisrael had not been organized in the desert, then they never could have learned all the Torah and life lessons that Moshe had to teach them. They also teach that our lives are the same way - if we have good organizational skills then our minds will be clear and we can live neatly and be the best person we can be!

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!