The Autistic Parashah | Bamidbar
This week, we begin reading the Book of Numbers with Parashat Bamidbar. As we delve into this Torah portion, we encounter themes and narratives that have historically been used to justify the exclusion of disabled people and women from the full life of the community. Bamidbar, which means "in the wilderness," opens with a census of the Israelite men eligible for military service, excluding women and, by implication, those who are disabled or otherwise deemed unfit for battle. While the narrative leaves those of us on the margins in the wilderness, we today are striving to take ourselves to the Promised Land of inclusion and strength.
The census described in Bamidbar (Numbers 1:2-3) is focused solely on counting "all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army." This focus on able-bodied men as the primary participants in the communal enterprise effectively marginalizes women and disabled individuals. The implicit message is clear: only those who can fight are valued and counted. This exclusionary principle is troubling and stands in stark contrast to the values of inclusivity and equal dignity that we strive to uphold today.
