Something that makes you wonder, "Why is that there?"
Well, let's talk about a strange little section tucked away in the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar. Specifically, Bamidbar 10:35: "And it was, when the ark traveled…" This verse, and the one that follows it, are marked by something unique: inverted nuns.
Inverted nuns? What are those? They're like the Hebrew letter nun (נ) flipped upside down, acting as markers before and after these verses. The Sifrei Bamidbar, an ancient midrashic text on the Book of Numbers, delves into why these peculiar symbols are present.
Rebbi, one of the sages quoted in the Sifrei Bamidbar, offers a fascinating idea: This section, these two verses, are almost like a book within a book. They're self-contained. This idea leads to a ruling: Even a Torah scroll that has been damaged, if these 85 letters from "And it was, when the ark traveled..." remain, it still retains a certain level of sanctity, imparting tumah, ritual impurity, to the hands. (This is a Rabbinic enactment, discussed in the Talmud, Shabbat 115b-116a).
But Rabbi Shimon offers a different perspective. He says the inverted nuns are there because this section simply isn't in its proper place. It's out of order. So, where should it be?
According to Rabbi Shimon, it should follow Bamidbar 10:33: "And they traveled from the mountain of the L-rd, a journey of three days. (And the ark of the covenant of the L-rd preceded them a distance of three days"). Immediately after that, before Bamidbar 11:1 ("And the people were as seekers of a pretext").
Why does this placement matter? Well, the Sifrei Bamidbar uses a powerful analogy to explain.
Imagine some people inviting a king to accompany them on a journey to see the governor of Acco. But when they arrive in Acco, the governor is gone to Tyre. They follow him to Tyre, but he's moved on to Tzidon. The chase continues all the way to Antioch! Frustrated, some of the people start complaining against the king for dragging them all over the place.
But wait a minute! Who should really be complaining? It's the king who has gone to all this trouble for their sakes!
The analogy, of course, is about the Israelites' journey in the desert. On that day, the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, traveled a three-day journey ahead of them – essentially clearing a path so they could immediately enter the Promised Land, Eretz Yisrael. And how did the people respond? By complaining!
They grumbled about the very thing that was meant to ease their way. It was HaShem, the Divine, who should have been complaining, for being put to such lengths for their sake! The Shechinah constrained itself, traveling ahead, all for them.
So, what does this all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder to appreciate the blessings in our lives, even when they come in unexpected or challenging packages. It's a reminder to look beyond our immediate frustrations and recognize the efforts made on our behalf. And maybe, just maybe, it's a reminder to be a little less quick to complain. Because sometimes, the "inconvenience" is actually a profound act of care.