Life in the wilderness! In some ways it was glorious and in other ways it was disappointing and difficult. The children of Israel were redeemed out of Egypt, miraculously crossed the Red Sea, and sang a great song of praise as seen in Exodus 12–15.

This week's Torah portion continues the theme from last week of getting prepared for the wilderness journey. The overall theme is that preparation requires good organization and an internal strength of character and spirituality. The reason is that the journey will have all kinds of blessings and challenges.

Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, is this week. It begins Thursday evening and continues through Shabbat.

This week we begin the Book of Numbers. The Hebrew name of it is Bamidbar which translates in English to “In the Wilderness.” The Book of Numbers describes the journey of Israel from Sinai to the Plains of Moab just before entering the land.

What a “Wondrous Wisdom Weekend” we had with Dr. Ellie Paley. We learned that wisdom is found when we choose the way of Adonai that is rooted in the creation order of God.

This week our Torah portion is mostly about rules for priests to maintain holiness before God. It also contains guidance for all of Israel in morals, ethics, and specific seasons of giving thanks to God.