The Beauty & Meaning of Organization -- and Introducing Kavana's new Strategic Plan!
As we roll into the Book of Numbers this week, Parashat Bamidbar opens with a census of the Israelites. One leader per tribe is designated to help in enumerating the number of military-aged men in each tribe. The bulk of the Torah portion then goes on to explain, systematically, the layout of the Israelites' camp around the Mishkan (Tabernacle), as well as the divisions and leadership responsibilities of the Levite tribe.
There's not a lot of narrative in this parasha, which is why Bamidbar has the reputation of being a little dry; after all, from within the weeds, it really reads like a set of lists: of names, of statistics, of locations, and of duties. But, if we step back and try to take a bird's-eye view on the Israelites' camp that's being described, the real beauty of its organizational structure emerges.
Picture the Israelite tribes encamped in the wilderness -- in a precise, rectangular formation, with the Mishkan at the center. On the east side would have been the tribe of Judah under its standard, together with Issachar and Zebulun; on the south side: the tribe of Reuben, with Simeon and Gad; on the west, the tribe of Ephraim under its standard, together with Manasseh and Benjamin; on the north side, the tribe of Dan, along with Asher and Naphtali (see Numbers chapter 2). The Levite tribe -- subdivided into clans of Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites -- would have been camped immediately around the Tabernacle in order to perform their sacred duties (see Numbers chapters 3 & 4).
This geometric tribe-by-tribe arrangement was purposeful, and conveyed great meaning. The twelve tribes, clustered into teams of three, were camped around the perimeter, all equidistant from the center, signifying an egalitarian ethos. The Levites' closer location allowed them to perform their specific duties. And the Mishkan, stationed at the center of the camp, indicated that God's presence and the human aspiration to connect with the Divine stood at the very heart of the Israelite community.
Rabbinic commentaries expound on this idea, that the structure of the Israelite camp was an expression of the community's core values. Thus we find, in Legends of the Jews (a hefty compilation of aggadic midrashim from across many centuries, published in 1909 in German by Louis Ginzberg and then translated into English in 1913 by Henrietta Szold):
"'The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath God established the heavens.' The division of the tribes of Israel according to four standards, as well as their subdivision at each standard, is not arbitrary and accidental, it corresponds to the same plan and direction as that of which God made use in heaven. The celestial Throne is surrounded by four angels: to the right Michael, in front Gabriel, to the left Uriel, and to the rear Raphael. To these four angels corresponded the four tribes of Reuben, Judah, Dan and Ephraim, the standard bearers...' (p. 685).
As we see here, the arrangement of the tribes around the Mishkan is not just a satisfyingly symmetrical design, but a reflection of the heavenly order itself! Other midrashim cited in the work connect the colors of the four standards (banners) to the colors of the stones on the High Priest's breastplate, and the symbols on each standard to the images and letters associated with each tribe. In other words, the midrashic understanding is that nothing about this arrangement is random; every detail matters and symbolizes connection to parallel realms both larger and smaller, like a fractal.
Continuing further through this section of Legends of the Jews, we also find:
"For, over the Holy Ark, God let a pillar of cloud rest, and in this were visible the letters Yod and He, spelling the name Yah, by means of which God had created the world. This pillar of cloud shed sunlight by day and moonlight by night, so that Israel, who were surrounded by clouds, might distinguish between night and day. These two sacred letters, Yod, He, would on weekdays fly about in the air over the four standards, hovering now upon this, now upon that. But as soon as Friday was over and the Sabbath began, these letters stood immovable on the spot where they chanced to be at that moment, and remained in this rigid position from the first moment of the Sabbath to the last..." (p. 686).
Not only is the organizational structure of the camp intense and symbolic, but everything about it is designed around specific Hebrew letters, which hovered like drones over the center of the camp such that they were visible at all times. These letters -- reminders of God as "being" itself -- represent the highest values and aspirations of the Israelite community, always in view.
Switching gears to reflect on our own community, I would offer that we here in Seattle, too, seek to build a holy community. We are obviously not the Israelite tribes encamped in the wilderness, and we don't have a physical Mishkan to stand at our center, nor magical divine letters to hover over each of our communal gatherings. And yet, the organizational model of the Israelite camp in Parashat Bamidbar still feels like a valuable paradigm for us to consider today. Coming together effectively still requires organization and structure, leadership and role clarity, and the ability to articulate and agree upon our core purpose and values.
Over the past year, as you hopefully know, Kavana has undertaken a comprehensive Strategic Planning process. This is something we do approximately every five years -- and the process allows us to understand where we are at a specific moment in time, what we're doing well and where there are opportunities for growth, and where we want to focus our energies next. A Kavana community survey last summer provided lots of data and helped us hone in on some key questions and themes we wanted to understand better; focus groups conducted this winter brought more than 70 partner voices into conversation with one another and provided deeper input. Meanwhile, throughout the whole year, the Kavana Board, staff, and a Strategic Planning Committee have been meeting and trying to translate these ideas into clear words and plans.
What has emerged from this process are several documents that we are happy to be able to share now with our broader community. First, this Who/What/Why/How document explains exactly that -- who we are, what we do, why we do it, and how it happens. (This is our Kavana version of what, at another organization, might be labeled a "Mission/Vision/Values statement," and will replace our previous Purpose statement.) In drafting this new language, the aim was in no way to reinvent Kavana, but to illuminate who we already are and what we already do - clearly, authentically, and with intention. You'll soon see this language on our website, and we hope that these words will resonate with each of you in a personal way. This document will sit at the heart of our sacred community -- in much the same way that the Mishkan was set at the center of the Israelite camp, keeping our entire community oriented around a shared identity and purpose.
A second document I'm pleased to share contains the Core Priorities and Strategies of our new Strategic Plan. In this diagram, four priorities appear as pillars, mirroring the four standards of the Israelite tribes that stood around the Mishkan. These pillars represent the most important buckets of work that we want to focus on over the coming handful of years.
Finally, I am delighted to be able to share Kavana's full Strategic Plan as well -- in both abbreviated (5-page) and full (16-page) versions. For some people, it might feel easy to get lost in the weeds of lots of words, in much the same way that it's possible to feel lost in the many lists of Parashat Bamidbar. But, for those of you who have an interest in wading into the whole document and then stepping back from it to reflect on its broader meaning, I hope you will be able to see that -- like the Israelites' camp -- this Strategic Plan is intentional in design and speaks volumes about who we want to be as a community and how we want to function together.
I am very proud of all of these new Strategic Plan documents -- and even more proud of the processes behind them, and of the work that we do, day in and day out, to build a community that knows how to function together, has clear direction and a healthy organizational structure, and shares a vision for what sacred community looks like. I look forward to seeing those of you who are Kavana partners this Sunday afternoon at our Annual Partner Meeting, where we can dig into these plans further and digest them together.
As we read this Shabbat about the architecture of our Israelite ancestors' community, I will be celebrating the value of organization, administration, and well-designed communal structures. I am grateful that each and every one of you plays a role in making Kavana such a magical and holy place in which to experience Jewish community; this work truly matters.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
