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Numbers: The Wilderness Years
This collection makes Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' brilliant essays on the weekly Torah portion available in book form for the first time. Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under God's sovereignty.
534 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2017
118 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Sacks
231 books442 followersRabbi Lord Jonathan Henry Sacks was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name was Yaakov Zvi.
Serving as the chief rabbi in the United Kingdom from 1991 to 2013, Sacks gained fame both in the secular world and in Jewish circles. He was a sought-after voice on issues of war and peace, religious fundamentalism, ethics, and the relationship between science and religion, among other topics. Sacks wrote more than 20 books.
Rabbi Sacks died November 2020 after a short bout with cancer. He was 72.
Serving as the chief rabbi in the United Kingdom from 1991 to 2013, Sacks gained fame both in the secular world and in Jewish circles. He was a sought-after voice on issues of war and peace, religious fundamentalism, ethics, and the relationship between science and religion, among other topics. Sacks wrote more than 20 books.
Rabbi Sacks died November 2020 after a short bout with cancer. He was 72.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 25, 2024
This is my favorite of the Sacks parashah series. The Book of Numbers can be one of the more difficult sections to read, but Rabbi Sacks had so many things to say, more than his previous volumes (by quantity of essays).
I also might be biased because the content of these discussions often revolve around leadership. Sacks did a wonderful job pulling out all sorts of Jewish wisdom from the traditions of the sages and rabbis, all while putting it in his own words, and ties together some thoughts incredibly well. I learned what seemed like endless lessons about what it means to lead and how we often develop as collective groups.
I think this volume is a treasure trove of opportunities to grow as leaders (and as followers) and learn from the wisdom that’s in the Book of Numbers.
I also might be biased because the content of these discussions often revolve around leadership. Sacks did a wonderful job pulling out all sorts of Jewish wisdom from the traditions of the sages and rabbis, all while putting it in his own words, and ties together some thoughts incredibly well. I learned what seemed like endless lessons about what it means to lead and how we often develop as collective groups.
I think this volume is a treasure trove of opportunities to grow as leaders (and as followers) and learn from the wisdom that’s in the Book of Numbers.
September 25, 2017
As with all of Rabbi Sacks' books, there is insightful interpretation and profound wisdom contained within the pages of "Covenant & Conversation: Numbers: The Wilderness Years." His most consistent theme (and the primary theme of the Book of Numbers) is that the journey to freedom - either for a nation or a person - is long and hard. "For the journey is not just physical, a walk across the desert," he says, "it is psychological, moral, and spiritual. It takes as long as the time needed for human beings to change."
Particularly relevant to 21st century America, Sacks highlights the conflict between freedom and order that is at the heart of the Torah. "Can they coexist in the universes human beings create?" he asks. The answer at the heart of Numbers is yes and it serves as a great tutorial on the nature, consequences, and responsibilities of freedom. Freedom is not achieved simply by overthrowing tyrants. The 40 years of traveling in the desert, the book of Numbers implies, was not because of the great distance from Egypt to the "promised land". Instead, it was a reflection of the reality that a generation that had grown up in slavery simply was not ready for the responsibilities of freedom. A new generation needed to arise. A generation hardened by years of learning the responsibilities of a free society and life in the desert. A generation that recognized the necessity of balance between freedom and order and that with freedom of choice came responsibility.
Citing Alexis de Tocqueville, Sacks notes "there is nothing more arduous than the apprenticeship of liberty. It is generally established with difficulty in the midst of storms." (Sound familiar?).
Sacks also echoes a common theme in writing about Judaism and the Jewish people. While individualism is honored and celebrated, our faith is dependent on the actions of whole societies. We recognize, Sacks notes, "the mysterious yet benign way in which, though each of us may be concerned about our own narrow welfare, we are part of something larger than ourselves, in ways we cannot always understand. Our separate strands are part of a larger pattern." In fact, Sacks comments, a spirit of community is written into our liturgy. We do not ask God to listen to our individual prayers, but rather to the prayers of our people.
Sacks also talks, as he does in many of his books, about leadership. There is one particularly heart-wrenching moment in Numbers in which Moses, perhaps the greatest leader to have ever lived, is told by God that he will be denied entry into the promised land. Why this harsh punishment? What has Moses done to so offend God that he is denied the very thing for which his life has stood?
It is not a punishment, says Sacks. Rather it is the inevitable recognition that "the kind of leadership needed to lead a people out of slavery is not the same as that needed to lead them across the Jordan into the responsibilities of Freedom." A leader must recognize the call of the moment and understand that leadership must change with circumstances. It was simply time for new leadership from those who understood that the needs of the people had changed.
Sacks goes on to list a series of rules on leadership including that leaders respect difference and that leaders care about others, not themselves. As he does in many of his books, Sacks unveils powerful modern lessons about leadership and life in the words of this ancient religious text.
Whether you are Jewish or not, the lessons about life, leadership and community are abundant in Sacks' book about Numbers. Read it for the historical perspective and for the modern lessons that can be found if we look closely enough.
Particularly relevant to 21st century America, Sacks highlights the conflict between freedom and order that is at the heart of the Torah. "Can they coexist in the universes human beings create?" he asks. The answer at the heart of Numbers is yes and it serves as a great tutorial on the nature, consequences, and responsibilities of freedom. Freedom is not achieved simply by overthrowing tyrants. The 40 years of traveling in the desert, the book of Numbers implies, was not because of the great distance from Egypt to the "promised land". Instead, it was a reflection of the reality that a generation that had grown up in slavery simply was not ready for the responsibilities of freedom. A new generation needed to arise. A generation hardened by years of learning the responsibilities of a free society and life in the desert. A generation that recognized the necessity of balance between freedom and order and that with freedom of choice came responsibility.
Citing Alexis de Tocqueville, Sacks notes "there is nothing more arduous than the apprenticeship of liberty. It is generally established with difficulty in the midst of storms." (Sound familiar?).
Sacks also echoes a common theme in writing about Judaism and the Jewish people. While individualism is honored and celebrated, our faith is dependent on the actions of whole societies. We recognize, Sacks notes, "the mysterious yet benign way in which, though each of us may be concerned about our own narrow welfare, we are part of something larger than ourselves, in ways we cannot always understand. Our separate strands are part of a larger pattern." In fact, Sacks comments, a spirit of community is written into our liturgy. We do not ask God to listen to our individual prayers, but rather to the prayers of our people.
Sacks also talks, as he does in many of his books, about leadership. There is one particularly heart-wrenching moment in Numbers in which Moses, perhaps the greatest leader to have ever lived, is told by God that he will be denied entry into the promised land. Why this harsh punishment? What has Moses done to so offend God that he is denied the very thing for which his life has stood?
It is not a punishment, says Sacks. Rather it is the inevitable recognition that "the kind of leadership needed to lead a people out of slavery is not the same as that needed to lead them across the Jordan into the responsibilities of Freedom." A leader must recognize the call of the moment and understand that leadership must change with circumstances. It was simply time for new leadership from those who understood that the needs of the people had changed.
Sacks goes on to list a series of rules on leadership including that leaders respect difference and that leaders care about others, not themselves. As he does in many of his books, Sacks unveils powerful modern lessons about leadership and life in the words of this ancient religious text.
Whether you are Jewish or not, the lessons about life, leadership and community are abundant in Sacks' book about Numbers. Read it for the historical perspective and for the modern lessons that can be found if we look closely enough.
October 17, 2023
Each week, synagogues around the world read a section from the Torah (the five books of Moses). The cycle begins with Genesis and ends with the last verses of Deuteronomy 12 months later. The Covenant & Conversation series has essays commenting on each of the weekly readings.
These essays are by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who was the Chief Rabbi of the U.K. for some 20 years. I'd read his editorials occasionally in the Wall Street Journal and always found them insightful, inspirational, and down to earth. When I discovered he'd done this series I began at the beginning with Genesis. What I found was a work of genius.
These essays have the same easy style I remembered while giving in-depth, brilliant, compassionate commentary that often surprised me and sometimes changed my whole perspective on a Biblical person or their actions. Sacks is good at comparing ancient and modern world views. This not only clarifies Biblical context but often shows just how different our current ideas are. These are stories about people and Sacks never forgets that. He looks at what Torah is showing us that is the same not only in those ancient times, but in our own lives. After all, the word of God is eternal, applying to all time and all people.
This fourth in the series, focusing on the book of Numbers, is equally as wonderful as the previous three books. I should have remembered that if Sacks could make Leviticus riveting and relatable then he should be able to do the same for the Book of Numbers. After all, Numbers does have a lot of stories that continue the Book of Exodus in finally getting the people to the promised land. However, as Sacks' duly points out, it is also a bit of a mishmash. All mixed together we find census lists, laws, camp set up details, itineraries which just list one location after another — it's challenging to a modern reader. Sacks shows us how the entire book comes together as a narrative of the hard work to achieve freedom which is the ongoing task not only of the nation of Israel but of each one of us. It makes compelling reading.
These essays are by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who was the Chief Rabbi of the U.K. for some 20 years. I'd read his editorials occasionally in the Wall Street Journal and always found them insightful, inspirational, and down to earth. When I discovered he'd done this series I began at the beginning with Genesis. What I found was a work of genius.
These essays have the same easy style I remembered while giving in-depth, brilliant, compassionate commentary that often surprised me and sometimes changed my whole perspective on a Biblical person or their actions. Sacks is good at comparing ancient and modern world views. This not only clarifies Biblical context but often shows just how different our current ideas are. These are stories about people and Sacks never forgets that. He looks at what Torah is showing us that is the same not only in those ancient times, but in our own lives. After all, the word of God is eternal, applying to all time and all people.
This fourth in the series, focusing on the book of Numbers, is equally as wonderful as the previous three books. I should have remembered that if Sacks could make Leviticus riveting and relatable then he should be able to do the same for the Book of Numbers. After all, Numbers does have a lot of stories that continue the Book of Exodus in finally getting the people to the promised land. However, as Sacks' duly points out, it is also a bit of a mishmash. All mixed together we find census lists, laws, camp set up details, itineraries which just list one location after another — it's challenging to a modern reader. Sacks shows us how the entire book comes together as a narrative of the hard work to achieve freedom which is the ongoing task not only of the nation of Israel but of each one of us. It makes compelling reading.
May 30, 2017
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes highly respected and very readable books. He explains what the Bible is saying and draws relevant messages from the text from both classical and modern writings that are applicable today. He was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, and is one of the world’s leading Jewish intellectuals, and the author of over two dozen books.
This is the fourth volume in his “Covenant and Conversation” series in which he focuses on the ten weekly synagogue reading in the biblical book of Numbers. He devotes between four and six essays to each portion, fifty-five essays in all. His book won the National Jewish Book Award.
His essays explore the theme of the book as a whole and the messages in each portion, the fact that the founding drama of the Israelites is enacted in the wilderness, the connection between midbar, “wilderness,” and davar, “word,” and that the Israelites received the law before the land. The following is a description of some of the other fifty-five essays:
In one, he speaks about the distinction between sages and saints. Saints are people who go to extremes. A saint might give away all of his money to charity. Sages are not extremists. They recognize that they cannot leave social commitments behind to pursue a life of solitary virtue.
He speaks about Moses’ sister’s error: how she failed to understand her brother Moses. The episode teaches “how a casual remark made privately and without malicious intent, can still … have potentially negative consequences.”
Similarly, Rabbi Sacks addresses “Did Moses Sin?” and why did God not allow him to lead the Israelites into the promised land? He notes that the Bible does not reveal what wrong Moses committed. He tells us that while the Torah indicates he did one thing wrong, Bible commentators have listed “no less than twenty-five lines of approach,” a huge catalogue of possible misdeeds, and he tells readers about some of them.
In his essay on “What Made Joshua and Caleb Different?” he refers to a Stanford University psychologist and speaks about people who have a growth mindset who do not fear failure.
In short, Rabbi Sacks’ book is filled with material from many sources that readers will find entertaining, eye-opening, thought-provoking, and informative.
August 20, 2020
Who knew the book of Numbers could hold so many truths that are still relevant today. Thanks to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, my faith (Christianity) was challenged to use a different lens for reading these holy scriptures. Wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, taught the Israelites many foundational truths for family and society; the role of leaders and followers, and the challenges associated with being born a slave and learning to live in freedom. Sacks powerfully writes about the past and ties it to our world today. There are lessons to be learned through his writings about the book of Numbers for people of all faiths.
May 9, 2024
This is my fourth book in the Covenant & Conversations series and I continue to love these books. I will be continuing on to Deuteronomy as soon as I can get my hands on it and will likely read other books by Sacks.
His writing is excellent, he is so well-read and well-rounded, his love for the Bible is palpable. These books are wonderful.
"A prophet is entitled to criticize but only out of love for those he critiques"
"Yet the universal God is also the God who lives in particularity. That is the paradox. God is beyond time yet he is to be found within particular times"
And indeed, comes into a particular place in history.
His writing is excellent, he is so well-read and well-rounded, his love for the Bible is palpable. These books are wonderful.
"A prophet is entitled to criticize but only out of love for those he critiques"
"Yet the universal God is also the God who lives in particularity. That is the paradox. God is beyond time yet he is to be found within particular times"
And indeed, comes into a particular place in history.
February 28, 2023
This is a masterpiece by the late great rabbi of the British Ilses, this man taking a 2500+ years old text, and making it sound relevant again. I've heard the text of Numbers read, and I've heard people trying to make sense of the apparently garbled collection of stories, laws, census reports and opinion that make up the whole of it, but only this man can do that in this convincing way. Smart and wise and showing lateral thinking where only ancient stories and incomprehensible non sequiturs were before. reading this might help people move forward, and
August 3, 2017
Rabbi Sacks is a treasure and his essays are encouraging and challenging at the same time. It has been an enriching experience for me to read these books covering the books our two faiths have in common from a different perspective. I look forward to his book covering Deuteronomy.
May 20, 2021
Excelente.
July 26, 2025
Every essay is enlightening and enjoyable to read, but even more impressive is how Rabbi Sacks shows how what appears incohesive and random is actually totally cohesive and makes sense as a whole.
August 11, 2024
Made it to the end of Numbers just in time to start with Deuteronomy. The breadth of reference materials quoted could provide another several lifetimes of reading. So wise, so accessible.
July 20, 2023
A very good commentary on the weekly reading of the Jewish Bible.
This commentary is on the book of 'Numbers' - the 4th book in the Torah. Sacks breaks the book into a chapter for each of the Torah Portions of Numbers, with an overview of the portion, then 5 or 6 (roughly 7-10 page) essays about different aspects of that portion.
I thought it was well written, easy to read, and given the format, you could read the Torah Portion each week, then easily read an essay each day or so until the next Parasha.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there are a few places in Numbers which I find difficult to justify e.g. when Pinhas kills two people, but Sacks glosses over these without any critical analysis.
Rabbi Sacks has written commentaries for each book in the Torah, which if anything like this one, would also be well worth reading.
This commentary is on the book of 'Numbers' - the 4th book in the Torah. Sacks breaks the book into a chapter for each of the Torah Portions of Numbers, with an overview of the portion, then 5 or 6 (roughly 7-10 page) essays about different aspects of that portion.
I thought it was well written, easy to read, and given the format, you could read the Torah Portion each week, then easily read an essay each day or so until the next Parasha.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there are a few places in Numbers which I find difficult to justify e.g. when Pinhas kills two people, but Sacks glosses over these without any critical analysis.
Rabbi Sacks has written commentaries for each book in the Torah, which if anything like this one, would also be well worth reading.
October 14, 2024
I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Rabbi Sacks's Covenant & Conversation essays as a supplement to my Torah study, but for some reason, his commentary on Numbers has been exceptionally great. I don't doubt that I'm reading exactly what I need to be reading/hearing and thus applying at this time in my life. Baruch HaShem!
May 12, 2021
This is a good book, a collection of essays around the Torah portions for the book of Numbers. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks gives a lot insightful thoughts regarding the nuances around the tribes of Israel that are hard to understand for the twenty first century reader.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews