Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting.
Why are both geographic points of reference – the Wilderness of Sinai, the Tent of Meeting – necessary? And of what practical relevance is this information today?
Another point of interest are the following verses in Shir ha-Shirim*: על משכבי בלילות בקשתי את שאהבה נפשי בקשתיו ולא מצאתיו. אקומה נא ואסובבה בעיר בשוקים וברחבות אבקשה את שאהבה נפשי בקשתיו ולא מצאתיו. מצאוני השמרים הסבבים בעיר את שאהבה נפשי ראיתם. כמעט שעברתי מהם עד שמצאתי את שאהבה נפשי אחזתיו ולא ארפנו עד שהביאתיו אל בית אמי ואל חדר הרתי... מי זאת עלה מן המדבר כתימרות עשן מקטרת מר ולבונה מכל אבקת רוכל. On my bed at nights, I sought the one whom my soul loves – I sought him, yet I did not find him. I shall arise now and go around in the city, in the marketplaces and the squares, I shall seek out the one whom my soul loves – I sought him, yet I did not find him. The guards who go around in the city found me; [I inquired of them,] “Have you seen the one whom my soul loves?” I had just passed them by when I found the one whom my soul loves; I grabbed him and I would not let him up until I had brought him to my mother’s house and to my paternal chamber… Who is this that ascends from the Wilderness, like columns of smoke, fragrant of myrrh and frankincense, from every compound of the spice dealer.
The starting point for our analysis is the famous dispute in Berachos** as to how a Jew ought to relate to the pursuit of material sustenance. R. Yishmael contended that one should conduct himself in the normal manner of the world, earning an honest living while fixing times for Torah study. R. Shimon, however, was concerned that preoccupation with a livelihood would leave scant time for study, and “what, then, would become of Torah study?” As such, one can rely on the assurance that if the Jewish People are fulfilling Hashem’s will, their labor will be undertaken by other parties.
We can expand on this by positing three levels of intent in how one approaches one’s material preoccupations. The first is when one acts purely for self-interest – for his own glorification and power. The heavenly response to that is the ominous message of ולקחתי דגני, I shall take back My grain***. The second is when one pursues material wealth – but for noble reasons, such as to facilitate service of Hashem. It is to this quasi-religious engagement that the Torah assures ואספת דגנך, you shall gather your grain****. The third is when one follows the directive of R. Shimon to ignore materialism completely, focusing oneself exclusively upon Torah study. To this comes the promise, as mentioned above, that ועמדו זרים ורעו צאנכם, strangers shall arise and graze your flocks.*****
In this light we can offer a new interpretation of the above passage from Shir ha-Shirim. Our world consists of physicality and spirituality. The masses tend to be preoccupied with the former, spending their time in commerce and labor; the talmidei chachamim – with the latter, spending their time in Torah study. Each one of these groups can be further divided into two subcategories. Within the former, some plebians engage materialism purely for their own advancement, while others do so for nobler reasons. And within the latter, some scholars study Torah selfishly, to gain renown for their knowledge and intellectual prowess, while others do so altruistically, to improve the lot of the Shechinah, the Divine Presence. As the Zohar****** teaches, the primary goal of Torah study is to redeem the Shechinah from its exiled state.
As such: על משכבי בלילות, during the nightlike exile, while the Shechinah lies dormant, awaiting those that will arouse it through Torah study, it exclaims, בקשתי את שאהבה נפשי, I seek out those scholars whose study is done out of love for me, instead of self-love. The result, tragically, is בקשתיו ולא מצאתיו, I was unable to locate such an individual, as Torah study is begin pursued solely for self-interest.
אקומה נא ואסובבה בעיר בשוקים וברחובות. As such, continues the Shechinah, I turn to the marketplaces and Wall Street, observing those engaged in the pursuit of wealth, אבקשה את שאהבה נפשי, hoping to find some who do so for my sake. Yet, here as well, בקשתיו ולא מצאתיו, he is not found, as all pursue it for their own advancement.
Why is it so difficult to find a few good men? מצאוני השמרים הסבבים בעיר, it is because of the various “partitions” that prevent all but the worthiest from accessing these lofty levels of acting out of love for the Shechinah.
וכמעט שעברתי מהם עד שמצאתי את שאהבה נפשי, through repentance some were able to bypass these safeguards, allowing them to achieve love for the Shechinah.
Consequently, מי זאת עלה מן המדבר. The term מ"י is code for repentance, and זא"ת for the Shechinah. The wilderness is symbolic of the spiritually uncivilized physical world that we inhabit. Thus, to reassemble the verse: Through מ"י, the repentance that allows for pure motives in one’s service of Hashem, זא"ת, the Divine Presence, is עלה מן המדבר, able to ascend from and transcend the physical world, elevating it in the process.
We can now understand the depth of the opening of our sidra. The two locations listed in the verse allude to the four categories. במדבר is those who engage in materialism for personal gain alone, lost within the physicality. סיני, though, is one small section of the desert; it represents the select few who do so for higher purpose. אהל is those who dwell within the tents of Torah study, most of whom do so for social advancement. Within those, however, there are a spiritual elite who focus on the מועד, another reference to the Shechinah, channeling their study on elevating it from its exile.
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*.3:1-6** 35b. *** Hoshea 2:11.
**** Devarim 11:14. ***** Yeshayah 61:5. ****** 3:67a.