Bamidbar: In the Wilderness


Bamidbar: In the Wilderness
Welcome to Shabbat Moment, a text study series with Yael Shy, from our friends at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Every week we share Yael’s Torah text study, mindfulness practice tips, and discussion questions for you to reflect + share with others at your Shabbat table. Subscribe here to get the Shabbat Moment delivered straight to your inbox!
This week’s Torah portion is Bamidbar: In the Wilderness.
Does failure have a purpose?
In this week’s Torah portion, Moses is instructed to take a census for the generation of Israelites that journey from Mount Sinai to the Holy Land. However, the text later says that none of this generation survived their trek through the desert.
Why do the Hasidic masters see this lost generation as the most extraordinary receivers of the Torah? What happens to this generation that makes their “failure” a spiritual journey of special knowledge?
About the Author
Yael Shy is the CEO of Mindfulness Consulting, LLC, where she teaches and consults on mindfulness for universities, corporations, and private clients around the world. She is the author of the award-winning book, What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017), and the founder of Mindful NYU, the largest campus-based mindfulness initiative in the US. Yael is a graduate of the IJS Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training Certification.