A frozen landscape stretches out before
you, empty in every direction. You feel like crying in despair but don’t dare
because your tears would freeze as soon as they were formed. The cold claws of
the Antarctic winter grip your throat in an unmerciful vice, trapping your
voice with its silent strength.
Although this
scenario is both literally and figuratively the polar opposite of the scorching
Sahara, they have one thing in common: they are both deserts.
A desert is
defined as any region that receives less than 10 inches of rainfall per year,
which means that the continent of Antarctica is actually the world’s largest
desert. Both hot desserts, such as the Sonoran and Mojave, as well as cold ones,
like the Atacama and Gobi, are included in this category.
Even the searing
sands themselves are not as typical as people think. After enduring the blazing
daytime sun, anyone still out in the desert at night would suffer from freezing
conditions. This intense temperature reversal happens because of extremely low
humidity (something we Baltimoreans wouldn’t understand). In most places,
moisture in the air traps heat close to the surface, like snuggling under a
warm, insulated blanket. (In Baltimore, you’re smothered by the blanket since it’s August and the real feel is 96°
F, and you need to change your shirt after just walking to your car!) Without
moisture, the desert air can’t hold its heat. Sand is extremely poor at
retaining heat, as well, and the temperature drops drastically each night – up to
75 degrees! The next morning, it will rapidly rise again as the sun bakes the
land to a crisp. (Maybe, having high humidity isn’t so bad; at least it’s
consistent.)
Desertification:
It Sounds Better Than It Is
Deserts cover more
than 20% of the world’s land. Unfortunately, due to Earth’s rising
temperatures, deforestation, and drought, these areas are growing larger every
year. Desertification is the process by which land is transformed into a
desert. In China, for example, approximately 1,000 square miles turn into
desert annually, increasing the frequency and severity of devastating dust
storms.
The northeast
United States recently experienced the orange-tinged outdoors caused by
Canada’s wildfires, making us all too aware of how paralyzing poor air quality
can be. Dust also causes catastrophes. Tragically, a 72-car pileup in Illinois
caused by a dust storm left seven dead in May. In March, China was blasted by a
dust storm that impacted 560 million people and was linked to premature deaths
from breathing the tainted air.
In order to
combat this recurring natural disaster, China has embarked on an incredible
tree-planting campaign called the Great Green Wall. More than 66 million trees
have already been planted, and the dust storms in northern China have decreased
as a result.
The Sahara is
similarly creeping southward, increasing hunger and fueling war. Africa has
begun a Green Wall of its own but faces many setbacks since it spans 11
different countries and runs through some militant areas. In both China and
Africa, progress has been made, and new world wonders are being built. The
choice to take action to improve their situation rather than just complain
about it is truly admirable.
The Life
in the Desert
Surprisingly, these
arid areas are home to hundreds of creatures that have been given the gift of
living in unlivable places. With surface temperatures reaching 125 degrees Fahrenheit,
most cannot venture outside during the day. Instead, they find comfort beneath
the surface, emerging once the blistering sun sinks below the horizon.
The desert
tortoise is the perfect example of an animal designed for its environment. It
can effectively burrow to escape the hottest hours and can go up to a year
without drinking water. (It still needs water to survive but gets it from the
food it eats.) The animals that thrive in those barren regions are deeply
inspiring; they just count their blessings and find ways to make the best of
their situation.
The Ships
of the Desert
Camels are crafted
to survive the harsh desert climate. In order to keep the sand out of their
eyes and nose, they have three sets of eyelids, two rows of eyelashes, and can
completely shut their nostrils. Thanks to the thick pads of skin on their chest
and knees, they can sit on the scorching sand without any discomfort. While
their signature gate is a slow plod, they can also run as fast as a racehorse –
40 miles per hour! Contrary to what some people think, their humps are not
filled with water; rather, they are made of up to 80 pounds of fat, from which
the camel can survive for weeks and even months! When camels do find water,
they can drink up to 40 gallons at once. With this in mind, the chesed that Rivka Imeinu did is even
more impressive than it first appears.
The Tricks
of the Desert
Appearances are
deceiving in general, all the more so when the heat is shimmering in front of
you. Deserts are characterized not only by what is found there but also by what
is not. Many travelers are certain they see water in the distance when, in
reality, there is none. (This is different from hallucinations caused by
prolonged dehydration, in which case people can think they see practically
anything.)
Desert mirages
materialize when light particles bend to pass through warmer, less dense air.
With the hottest air being closest to the ground, the light refracts downward,
causing an image of the smooth blue sky to be mirrored on the ground as a
mirage of smooth, blue water. A similar illusion occurs when hot pavement in
the distance appears wet when it is really dry. In this case, the light is bent
in the same way, bringing the reflection of the sky onto the street.
The Song
of the Desert
Every aspect of
creation longs to sing shira in
praise of Hashem. The desert will also rejoice, even though it is so parched
and desolate. One might wonder how such an inhospitable place can sing shira? At the end of the day, what does
it really have to sing about? As related by Rabbi Yehoshua Sova, Rav Kanievsky
explains that all of the deserts will eventually become fruitful and bountiful.
So if they will bloom in the future, why create them as deserts in the first
place? What is the purpose of transitioning them from dry to delightful, when Hashem
could have just made them full of vegetation from the beginning?
The secret buried
in those shifting sands is simply breathtaking. Rabbi Sova continues, if those
regions had always been green and full of life, we would have taken them for
granted. We will only appreciate them because they started out empty. It is
specifically because they began as deserts that our eyes will be opened to the
miracle of life, and we will thank Hashem for what He has given us.
The Gift
from the Desert
Although Matan Torah has become synonymous with Midbar Sinai, there are many question as
to why Hashem chose a desert as the perfect place to give the Torah to the
Jewish people. It seems like it would have been more appropriate to have such a
holy event take place in the Land of Israel. Why not wait until the Jews
entered the holy land to give them this most precious gift?
Matan Torah is often compared
to a wedding between Hashem and His chosen people. If it had occurred in the
land of Israel, we would have been too distracted by all of our
responsibilities taking care of the land to really get to know one another.
Only in the desert, which is free from interruptions, were we able to spend
some quality time with Hashem, learning Torah, and strengthening our bond as
His beloved. The desert offered us a “shana
rishona,” where we could focus on
developing our love.
Deserts remind us
of the value of setting aside time to remove the distractions from our lives in
order to clearly see ourselves as connected to our Source.
The Oasis
in the Desert
In many deserts,
life is tied to the oases. An oasis is created when an underground aquifer has
enough pressure to push through to the surface. In these extraordinary places,
plants flourish, their seeds deposited by birds riding the hot air currents,
and animal life thrives. Oases were (and still are) essential locations for
traders traveling across the desert to rest their caravans and replenish their
supplies.
What is truly
amazing is that trees grow there because, for this miracle to happen, the seeds
must travel across the burning sands, carried by wind and hope, to finally
reach a place to grow. Instead of giving up midway, they finish their journey
and reach their potential. Occasionally, we feel “burned out” and ready to
admit defeat in the face of endless tasks set before us. At these moments, the
image of an oasis, adorned with trees and plants, alive with birdsong, calls us
to refresh ourselves, invites us to partake of its sweet waters, and encourages
us to continue our journey with renewed strength and spirit.
Debbie
Glazer lives in Pikesville with her husband and seven children and teaches
Language Arts in Bnos Yisroel High School. She can often be found either
writing or reading and loves to share her passion for the written word with
others.
