Thinking Torah Blog

As we open the Book of Numbers (Sefer Bamidbar) this week, I’m struck by a sharp contrast between rabbinic Judaism and the way our ancestors once practiced. God begins the portion by ordering a census, and then the Torah describes in meticulous detail how the Tabernacle must be dismantled for travel. Certain sacred furnishings had to be wrapped by the priests before the Levites could so much as touch them. Should a Levite overstep—or, worse, an Israelite from another tribe approach—death could be the consequence.

Some faiths still operate in this manner: only a select class is permitted to handle holy objects, and certain parts of the sanctuary are off-limits to everyone else. Rabbinic Judaism chose a different path. After the Temple fell in 70 CE, the rabbis never tried to claim priestly privilege. Instead, authority flattened. Rabbis dress and pray like any other Jew. Any Jew may lead a service, officiate a lifecycle event, or read from the Torah. Over time, the Jewish community has sought to professionalize those tasks, hence the modern rabbinate; however, the core truth remains: rabbis are not inherently holier than anyone else. We may know a bit more text, yet our worth is no greater.

That egalitarian spirit is one of the things I cherish most about our tradition, and I hope you feel it, too.