Parashat: Bamidbar en Inglés 5786.

"And HaShem spoke to Moshé in the Wilderness of Sinai." Why the Wilderness of Sinai? From this, the Sages taught that the Torah was given through three things: water, fire, and the wilderness. The Midrash draws upon three elements associated with Sinai: fire (which burned upon the mountain just before the Revelation), water (based on a verse from the Song of Deborah), and the wilderness (as mentioned at the beginning of our parashá, as well as in Shemot 19:1–2). It connects them by teaching that they are "freely available to all the inhabitants of the world." Fire is associated with warmth, passion, and energy. Water is associated with quenching thirst and bringing forth growth. The wilderness is the in-between place—not the point of departure nor the destination, but the place where we need signposts and a sense of direction. Together, these three elements form a beautiful metaphor for the Torah. It brings warmth and strength. It satisfies spiritual thirst. It gives direction. However, this is not the emphasis of the Sages. What matters to them is that all three are freely given. Israel received three crowns: The Crown of the Torah The Crown of the Kehuná The Crown of Kingship The Crown of the Kehuná was given to Aharón, and the Crown of Kingship was given to David. But the Crown of the Torah belongs to all Israel—to anyone who desires it and comes to receive it.