meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Or HaChaim/Torah/Or HaChaim on Numbers/English/Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology.txt"}
text: Or HaChaim on Numbers
  אור החיים על במדבר
  Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology
  
  
  Or HaChaim on Numbers
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  "In the Sinai Desert..." Our Rabbis expounded precious understandings through this text in Bamidbar Rabbah 1. It is only left to ask why HaShem did not use consistent measures in this verse. When it describes where they were, the general location (the Sinai Desert) is mentioned first and only afterwards does it specific 'in the Tent of Meeting;' but when it mentions the time the specific is mentioned first, 'on the first day of the second month,' and afterwards the general - 'in the second year.'It appears, actually, that in a very intelligent fashion the verse did use consistent measures. This can be understood in the same way they explain "...see there is a place near Me..." (Shemot 33:21) in Bereshit Rabbah 68, saying 'that the place of the Holy One is secondary to Him.' From this perspective, every place is secondary in relation to the place where Gd encamps. Therefore, in our verse, the Tent of Meeting is actually the encompassing measure and the desert is secondary to it. In order that we read the verse from this perspective, the second half was joined to it 'on the first of the month...in the second year.' The phrase 'Tent of Meeting' is actually the encompassing measure, and therefore was placed second just as the words 'second year' were placed afterthe phrase 'on the first day of the month.' You can know how immeasurably awesome is the place where the Lord is from the fact that six hundred thousand men of Israel stood in the two cubits between the poles of the ark (Bereshit Rabbah 5). Though it appears little to the eye, it is great from the persoective of the One who dwells there, Blessed be He.