A lone traveler in the desert cannot even begin to compare his experience with that of the monk secluded in his monastery or that of a person locked away in a dungeon. The latter was deprived of his freedom by mankind. The former freely chose to become a recluse. The desert wanderer is intrinsically different: "O to be in the desert, at an encampment for wayfarers"(Jeremiah 9:1) laments the prophet Jeremiah, as he expresses his pain over the betrayal of his people.

The Desert Exists Beyond Place and Time.
The desert is comprised of vast, unending expanses, void of plants, animals and human beings; traveling through the desert is totally unlike wandering through a primordial forest, for there the rambler is only brought to the point of despair, touched by hope. The forest contains dangers, but also pleasant surprises. Behind the murky forest's thick blanket of trees, there may lurk either a fearsome predator or a human being - the forest ranger, eager to lend a hand; not to mention, the abundance of fruit hanging from the trees. A person cast in a dungeon is also not entirely alone. He lives the bustling life outside the prison walls, full of hope and pain that his nightmare will at some point end. These individuals still have a sense of place and time; a sensation lost to the desert wanderer. It was not for nothing that the children of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years.

Another Group of Voluntary Recluses:
By choice. The diligent Torah scholar glued to his books. The artist, secluded with his creations. These recluses are wrapped up in clouds of glory. The dimensions of time and space have been chosen, formed by them. They do not suffer, for their seclusion is an expression of their relationship with place and time. That is to say, in the previous cases, the dimensions of time and space also existed and confined the individuals. Herein, the voluntary recluses have created their own way of relating to time and space within the existing reality. Both of these cases are in absolute contradistinction to the desert recluse whose existence is not measured by time and space at all because he does not exist in an environment where they come into play.

Of all places, the Holy One, blessed be He, chose to give the Torah to the nation of Israel in a place, which was not a place, at a time, which was not a time. Thus, creating a supernal dimension, outside the earthly dimensions of place and time. Parshat Bamidbar, however, endowed the nation of Israel with a uniquely personal dimension, setting it apart from the human collective: a dimension of depth, of origin, which provided it with enough of a grasp upon reality; a point of origin, granting the individual Jew a sense of self-worth.

The Torah discusses the net worth of the individual in Parshat Bechukotai, the last parsha in Sefer Vayikra. Man, at the height of his prime (between the ages of twenty and sixty), is worth no more than fifty shekels. He is worth even less when younger or older. Presumably, the lone individual needs to understand his place in the universe. Before relating to his place in space and time, he needs to relate to other human beings like himself. Searching for his point of origin is not simply a biological quest, the community and family he comes from reflect the value of existence far more than his place in time and space alone does. For the latter are merely superficial, technical expressions of who he is; they may disrupt his sense of self, without adding anything to his unique value.

Our Parsha Deals with Relationships of Depth, of Harkening Back to the Origin
From this parsha we learn the tremendous value of identifying with the edah (congregation), a value far outstripping the importance of relating to any other dimension. From this parsha we learn that the value of public prayer is so great that individual prayers are accepted when recited with the congregation even if they are lacking in proper intent. From this parsha, we learn the value of the individual who is worthy of gaining attention because he is part of the group. From this parsha, we learn the need to relate to and identify with the congregation, with the community, with the nation.

The post-modern tendency towards empty individualism is not a manifestation of emancipation; but, rather is an expression of the throwing off the yoke [of responsibility to G-d and man] and of lawlessness. This tendency does not serve the Self or its quality, even though the Self long ago patented the copyright on isolation appropriate and fitting to its needs. Individualism, in its modern incarnation, simply grants freedom to the Ego- driven urges and selfish needs of the individual. This individualism expresses man's alienation, not the return home of the prodigal son.

Relating spiritually also requires the two dimensions that endow spirituality with a concrete existence in space and time. In this manner, experiencing existence becomes a three-dimensional process – incorporating the spiritual, space, and time, endowing man with a sense of qualitative value, concretely expressed.