B'midbar
Bill Cloud
The fourth book of the Torah is B'midbar (במדבר), which means "In the wilderness." In this portion, we see how the tribes were numbered and assigned into four different camps. These camps with their respective standards are seen as the equivalent of the four living creatures who surround the Throne of God. We also see how the Levitical families served as a “bodyguard” to the palace (mishkan) of the King.