Parshat Bamidbar (literally in the desert) is read on
the Shabbat before Shavuot for a number of reasons:
According to Rabbi D. Shoham if a person wants to
merit in receiving the Torah, they should make
themselves into a desert, meaning that they should act
modestly.
Rabbi S. Y. Zevin adds that whoever keeps the Torah
has the capability of turning a wilderness into the
Garden of Eden.
Sfat Emet comments that on the Shabbat before Shavuot
we have to spiritually prepare for Kabbalat HaTorah,
accepting the Torah. The mitzvah of Shabbat was given
before the Torah was given so that Shabbat could be
the first step in the process of receiving the Torah.
Sfat Emet continues that in the Book of Shmot, Parshat
BeShalach 16:30 it says ?€?So the people rested on the
Seventh day?€. From there they went to Har Sinai (Mt.
Sinai). BeShalch 19:2 states ?€?Vayachan-Yisrael camped
before the mountain?€. Rashi explains that it says
vayachan in the singular as opposed to vayachanu in
the plural since at that moment B?€™nai Yisrael were
like one person with one heart. The power of Shabbat
united them.
People who are returning to religious observance often
begin with the observance of Shabbat. Once they have
mastered Shabbat observance they are more confident in
taking on more of the mitzvoth. We must go out of our
way to help those who are striving. We must remember
that the Jewish people started their mitzvah
observance in the desert, with nothing. Even a newborn
baby must celebrate one Shabbat before he takes on the
mitzvah of Brit Milah.
In Israel today, where Shabbat observance has become a
controversy we must find ways to teach the beauty of
Shabbat observance in a positive way as opposed to
forcing it on those who have not yet been exposed to
what Shabbat is all about. If we can each invite a
guest over who has not yet experienced Shabbat we will
be taking the first step in accepting the full Torah
next week on Shavuot. At a time when the Jewish
community is so divided, let?€™s use Shabbat to get
reunited.
