By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

The word bamidbar, which means wilderness, is the Hebrew name for the biblical book of Numbers. For some, that title feels accurate since its chapters contain lists of the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness, coupled with their complaints about the lack of appropriate food and water, and the wish they could return to Egypt. However, Rabbi David Fohrman believes the book also features a central theme beyond that of portraying the physical movements of the Israelites. In his “Numbers: A Parsha Companion” (Aleph Beta Press/Maggid Books), his latest work on the first books of the Bible*, he notes that something else is occurring, something spiritual. He sees the underlying theme of Numbers as parenthood: “how parents let go of children, and children let go of parents.” For him, the book contains many bittersweet partings, including the loss of the Israelite generation that dies in the desert.
Fohrman is a master teacher: he writes as if he is speaking directly to the reader and takes them through his ideas step by step. Even if readers disagree with his interpretations and their theological underpinnings, they will find themselves impressed with his ideas because they are so well thought out and clearly expressed. Fohrman also manages to tie together different parts of the biblical text in unexpected ways. For example, when writing about the biblical portion Naso in the chapter “Does the Torah Contain a Parenting Manual,” he uses the priestly blessing as a way of discussing the relationship between Jacob and Esau. The author notes that the blessing Isaac was tricked into giving to Jacob contained similar phrases to those found in the priestly blessing. When Jacob returns after his time with Laban, he tries to make peace with Esau by offering him a similar blessing, one that will allow them to heal their relationship. This is a simplification of Fohrman’s discussion, which compares different parts of the Hebrew text and their meaning. However, one does not need to be familiar with Hebrew in order to understand the author’s clear explanations. 
In “The Spies” the chapter focusing on parashat Shelech, Fohrman discusses what he considers a puzzling action by God: he ponders the reason behind God’s telling Moses to send spies into the land of Israel. It’s clear that God already knows everything about the land. After all, this is a God who created plagues to torment Egypt and who split the Sea of Reeds. That means that the spies’ purpose isn’t directly related to God’s needs, but rather to something else. The author then discusses the story in Genesis of how Joseph spied on his brothers, before returning to what he believes is the reason spies were needed now. He notes, “The mission of the spies was not exclusively military in nature. God, our Heavenly Father, wanted the people to reach out to the land... God wanted us to establish family ties with the land, to see the land as something that would care for them, just as they would be pledged to her.” The spies were to see the whole of the land – the good and bad – but to also understand they were to love and care for it. Unfortunately, they only saw the negative aspects, which showed their lack of faith in God. Their misinterpretation caused them and the other members of their generation – except for Caleb and Joshua – to die in the wilderness rather than enter the promised land.
In discussing the story of the prophet Balaam from parashat Balak in “Balaam and the Akeidah,” Fohrman negatively compares Balaam to Abraham. Offering side-by-side verses from the Bible, the author shows how the ones featuring Balaam and his donkey echo those found in the akeidah (the binding of Isaac). The author also includes a discussion of Jewish ideas of Satan, including midrash (rabbinic stories) of how Satan approached Abraham during his trip. However, the main focus of the chapter is the two men. Fohrman notes that “Balaam and Abraham really are playing in the same sandbox. Each undertakes a great journey in which they must go, bidden by God, to do something that stands in opposition to their greatest desires. Moreover, each had enough fealty to God that they would not even consider contravening God’s words. But that is not their real struggle. Their real struggle is to admit that God’s words are really what they are in the first place. If you see the truth for what it is, despite your desperate desire for things to be otherwise, then you are an Abraham. If you are unable or unwilling to see that, you are Balaam.” The fact that Balaam continued to try to curse the Israelites, even when God put other words in his mouth, shows that he did not accept God’s decree. 
Fohrman offers an interesting interpretation of why Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land in “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” which focuses on parashat Pinchas. The author believes we are supposed to feel as sad as Moses; the purpose of this event is to make us feel uncomfortable. He writes, “This sadness... is a feature [of the story]. It’s intentional. This is how God wants you to feel when you’re reading the final episode in the Torah.” The section helps readers understand that sometimes the world will not make sense, and that they need to learn to live with the “unresolved discomfort” that raises. Fohrman adds that we are meant “to imagine: What would it be like to be Moses at that moment? What would it be like to be a ‘servant of God’ and make that trek up the mountain, knowing that your final, heartfelt, request – which seemed to you so eminently reasonable – was denied by God? What would that feeling have been like? Your job is to feel some of that.” Fohrman’s answer focuses on how humans should act/react when God or life hands them a “no” to their hopes and dreams when what they really want to hear is a “yes.”
“Numbers: A Parsha Companion” is an excellent continuation of Fohrman’s commentary on the biblical text. Readers need not be familiar with his previous works in order to enjoy this book. In addition to challenging its readers, it could be serve as a commentary for study groups or classes on the Bible. Those who have enjoyed the other works in the series will be impatiently waiting for the final book. 
*To read The Reporter’s reviews of Fohrman’s commentaries on Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus, visit Off the Shelf: Biblical commentary by Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Off the Shelf: Parasha and prophet by Rabbi Rachel Esserman and CJL: Exploring Leviticus.