When she was a toddler, my niece took her blankie with her everywhere. It went to classes. It went to restaurants. It went on road trips. There was nowhere we could go without blankie, because it made her feel safe.
Since young children’s lives are almost entirely managed by their parents, asserting power over an inanimate object, such as a safety blanket, gives children a needed sense of power over their surroundings. Whether it offers companionship or protects them from monsters under the bed, the safety blanket gives our children a sense of control over what’s happening to them.
In this week’s Torah portion, B’ha’alot’cha – the third in the Book of Numbers, the Torah describes how the Israelites received a similar gesture of safety: “On the day the Tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered the tabernacle to the tent of testimony. In the evening, something like fire rested over the Tabernacle until morning.” (Numbers 9:15)
The physical manifestation of God’s presence appears; it is designed to provide the Israelites with a much-needed sense of assurance – a safety blanket for their tumultuous wanderings throughout the desert. We could be forgiven for envying our forebears’ safety blanket as we address the tumultuous circumstances facing our people today.
However, we need not rely upon the supernatural to enjoy a sense of assurance in these trying times. Though we have no pillar of cloud by day, or fire by night, we have a thriving community to remind us of the longevity and strength of our traditions and institutions. Visiting our campus for Shabbat or festival services, learning at one of our many engaging study opportunities, or making an impact through our tikkun olam programs for children and adults, are all great ways to remind us that we have Divine signs of reassurance. We simply need to look for them.
– Rabbi Josh Knobel