Parshat Bamidbar, the first parsha of the new sefer, often read right before Shavout, sets the stage for Bnei Yisrael’s journey through the Midbar – the desert, wilderness. Bamidbar opens not only a journey through space, but a journey through self—a psychological training ground for adaptability. The Mechilta (Yitro: Bachodesh 1) shares the connection between the Parsha and upcoming celebration of Matan Torah being juxtaposed as the Torah was given publicly, openly, and in a place no one owns so that anyone could lay claim to it. Another reason for the Torah being given in the wilderness was to provide us an everlasting fundamental insight into the psychological concept of adaptability.
Psychological adaptability refers to the capacity of individuals to effectively adjust their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in response to new, changing, or uncertain circumstances. It encompasses a range of skills and attributes that allow a person to cope with and thrive amidst life's challenges and transitions. A desert is an extreme environment leading to constant change: searing heat during the day, freezing cold at night, scarcity of water, and unpredictable terrain. Surviving in such a harsh environment requires adaptability.
Matan Torah occurring in the wilderness reminds us that the Torah can survive, thrive, and flourish in any environment, as long that there is flexibility for change. We as human beings too can internalize the learnings of the Torah through our ability to adapt to our circumstances and receive it. American author John Maxwell said "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."
Midrash Rabbah tells us that the Torah was given via three elements: fire, water, and wilderness. In explaining the connection to wilderness the Midrash continues that anyone who does not make themselves ownerless like the wilderness cannot acquire the wisdom and the Torah. The Gemarah in Eruvin (54:a) expounds that making oneself ownerless relates to humbling ourselves and being open to receive what comes to us. On the other hand, we are also tasked with being strong and true to our principles, and unwavering faith in Hashem. Homiletically, being an owner to our principles but adaptable to the process in which we achieve our goals, makes us perfect vehicles to receive the Torah.
Three tips to becoming more psychologically adaptable:
- Embrace Growth: In times of challenge, you may feel buried—but you might actually be planted. Adversity often contains the seeds of development. Like Bnei Yisrael in the desert, challenge precedes transformation.
- Clarify Your Values: When you know what you stand for, navigating change becomes a matter of direction, not identity. Adaptability isn’t about compromise; it’s about reorienting toward your deepest truths.
- Harness Flexibility: Rigidity breaks; flexibility bends and rebounds. Adaptable people can let go of what no longer serves them and recalibrate when the environment shifts—just as the desert demanded of Bnei Yisrael.
Parshat Bamidbar reminds us that the desert, with all its harshness, was the crucible in which the Bnei Yisrael received the Torah and transformed. By embracing adaptability, we too can navigate our own deserts, emerging stronger and more resilient. Let us learn from the wilderness—to be humble, grounded in values, and ready to shift with life’s winds. In doing so, we make ourselves ready vessels for Torah, no matter the terrain.