This week, we begin a new book of the Torah—Bemidbar (Numbers), which means “in the wilderness” in Hebrew. Sefer Bemidbar opens with a census of the people. This census includes the men aged twenty and above—the age fit for military service. Each tribe had its own nasi (prince), a leader over thousands and hundreds, down to every minyan. Additionally, each tribe of Yisrael had its own insignia or banner to represent it.
What is the importance of bearing an insignia or banner? Charged with deep emotional meaning, the word “flag” refers not only to a physical object—usually made of cloth—but also to a shared identity that transcends the material. A flag is a symbol meant to unify people around a common cause or essence. It is one of the most important and recognizable emblems of a nation or region.
In times of war, soldiers feel pride and honor for their nation through their flag. In fact, when a people declares independence, they raise their flag high, so that all may share the same spirit. Today, many Jews live without pride, without dignity, and without a sense of self-respect. What has happened to them? Tragically, many have lost sight of the vision and mission of what it means to be Jewish.
During the time of the Inquisition, the Ḥakham Shemu’el Palache z’’l carried a flag on his ship as he sailed the Caribbean, waging battle against the Spanish. The symbol on his banner was later brought to the Netherlands and shared among the Spanish-Portuguese Jewish community. Upon seeing the phoenix emblazoned on it, they held on to hope—to rise again during a time of devastation.
In recent years, many of us Sepharadim have asked: “What has happened to our own, who do not help themselves?” The root of the problem is the absence of a clear identity. After the Second World War, Sepharadim were often educated in Eastern or Ashkenazi (Polish) institutions. To make matters worse, when the modern state of Israel was founded, it adopted a symbol that had never been historically chosen by Jews themselves.
Trace A. Meyer once said:
“You must know where you came from yesterday, understand where you are today, in order to know where you are going tomorrow.”
May it be the will of Heaven that we lift up the phoenix high once more and become guiding lights for our people.