RAV KOOK BaMidbar PART 2: The Holiness of Sinai

Transient Holiness Our sense of holiness and closeness to God is not constant; there are times when we experience a heightened spiritual awareness. These moments reflect a transient holiness — kedushat sha'ah. Also in the life of the nation, there are special times of kedushat sha'ah. This is the central theme of Sefer Bamidbar (the Book of Numbers), which recounts Israel's unique experiences during their forty-year sojourn in the Sinai desert - a time when bread fell from the heavens and water spouted from rocks, a time of Divine protection and unparalleled prophetic revelation. The book of Bamidbar opens with the words: "God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert in the Communion Tent." (Num. 1:1) The terms 'Sinai Desert' and 'Ohel Mo'ed' (Communion Tent) are motifs repeated throughout Sefer Bamidbar. They call our attention to the special kedushat sha'ah of that generation.