When It's Cloudy

Parshat B'haalotkha 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

In a few instances, the Torah describes the very specific role clouds play within the Israelite encampment.

 In the last four verses of Shmot Chapter 24, as Moshe is receiving the complete instructions of the Torah, he ascends a cloud-covered mountain for 40 days. Of course, no one else is allowed to “enter” the mountain during this time.

 Skip to the end of Shmot. In Chapter 40, the Glory of God shifts from a one time location at Sinai to its more permanent location as it fills the Mishkan, and the cloud moves into the tent of meeting (‘ohel mo’ed’). Not even Moshe may enter at this time – he must wait until the cloud rises – and the people will not travel, we are told, until the cloud lifts. The cloud of God is present during the day, and the evening is illuminated by fire.

 The rules seem pretty clear. If the cloud is visible on top of the Mishkan, no one may enter the Mishkan and there is no traveling. When the cloud lifts, Moshe may enter, and traveling can resume. As a result, the passage in our portion (9:15-23) seems out of place.

As a matter of fact, perhaps it should not appear in the Torah at all. In a seemingly repetitive string of verses, the Torah lays out the rules again, saying that the terms of travel are dictated by the cloud, which is controlled, of course, by God.

 Sometimes the people will remain for a few days or a lengthier period of time, and sometimes they will travel the morning after they unload and seemingly get settled.

 A critical reader of these verses might declare the Bible Critic’s mantra: “The Torah has multiple authors who couldn’t get it right, so they all needed to set the record straight.” As this is not an assumption we like to employ, we must find an alternative answer, to deal with the issue of why people are assumed to be unintelligent, failing to grasp the concept that “cloud present = no travel” while “cloud removed = you may use the mishkan and/or today’s a travel day.”

 The Seforno on 9:23 shares a profound comment, one which is perhaps difficult for us, who write and dictate our own schedules, to comprehend. He says all is done based on God’s declarations, paying no heed to whether people haven’t even had a chance to take a breather, or whether they’ve settled down in the new resting spot and are quite comfortable.

 To bring a practical example, anytime I’ve ever had car trouble, whether from a break-in, dead battery, flat tire, or fender bender, it has never been “a good time for this to happen.” While I am generally grateful that all of these scrapes have never involved personal injury to anyone, the inconvenience of hours lost somehow never take place on days in which I had nothing better to do. 

How many times have we gotten into a groove, whether it is in a new job, a new school year, or the like, only to have something completely throw us out of our rhythm and make us have to start over again?

 I recall the month of Elul in yeshiva in Israel as being a particularly challenging time to “get into learning.” After a couple of weeks, however, as things begin to fall into place and become routine, the Sukkot break would send us out of yeshiva only to have to begin again after the holidays.

 Perhaps the lesson we are meant to take is that as much as we plan and think we are in control, we are not the One pulling the strings. Sometimes we need a reminder to this effect – a reminder which can come in a very noticeable cloud or in an enlightening pillar of fire. And sometimes we’ll miss it completely. After all, when it’s cloudy “the sun don’t shine.”

 But repetition is a good breeding ground for getting the message.

 Whether we like our home, our community, our country, there may come a time when the signs are dictating it’s time to move on. Hopefully we’ll be able to see the signs and the timing will be “good for all of us.”