The Rabbi Sacks Legacy Law as Love (Rabbi Sacks on Bamidbar, Covenant & Conversation)
May 11, 2026
A reflective look at Torah as both law and a loving covenant. Stories range from Pepys’ surprise at Simchat Torah to the desert as a transformative, liminal space. Themes include law given before land, speech over nature, and the idea of a spiritual honeymoon binding people and God.
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Samuel Pepys Shocked By Simchat Torah
- Samuel Pepys visited the new London synagogue in 1663 and was scandalized by the Simchat Torah celebration he witnessed.
- He described dancing, laughing, and apparent disorder, calling the worship more like
Law Came Before Land
- In Judaism the law preceded the land because the Torah was given in the desert before entry into Canaan.
- This inversion allowed Jewish identity to survive exile since Torah, not territory, defined the people.
Desert Turns Religion Into Listening
- The desert links to the Hebrew word for word, emphasizing hearing over seeing as the primary religious experience.
- In empty silence of Midbar, Israel learned to listen to God's speech, making Torah a text-centered faith.