Session 21: Parashat Bamidbar
The "Wilderness Letter," Wallace Stegner, December 3, 1960
Parashat Bamidbar begins the Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah, whose title is also Bamidbar in Hebrew. We translate “bamidbar” as “in the wilderness,” indicating the geographical and spiritual position of the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
“Wilderness” is a useful term with no precise definitions. Its meanings reflect the complexity of a person’s relationship with the natural world and with other humans. This is true not only for individuals, but also for larger groups of people like nations, whether they are ancient or modern. The entire book of Bamidbar illustrates the internal challenges of organizing the Israelite nation and the frictions between this nation and its neighbors. The setting is not an accident. Wilderness is where we figure each other out. Wallace Stegner’s famous “Wilderness Letter” from 1960 similarly emphasizes the role of the American wilderness in the development of both individual and national character.
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