This year, as in most years, we read Parshas Bamidbar before the yom tov of Shavous. This is found in Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 428:4) which teaches "manu v'atzru" - count and celebrate the holiday of Shavous. The Gemara (at the end of Megillah) teaches that we should have a buffer, a separation, between the curses that were read in Parshas Bechukosai and the holiday of Shavous.
I'd like to suggest another reason. Bamidbar, which literally means "in the desert", represents the sheer sense of dependency that the Jewish people had on Hashem during their forty-year trek in the desert. Devarim (8:15) describes the midbar as "The great and awesome wilderness- of snake, fiery serpent, and scorpion, and thirst where there was no water - Who brings forth water for you from the rock of flint, Who feeds you manna in the wilderness, which you forefathers knew not."
The Gemara (Yoma 76a) relates that the students of R' Shimon bar Yochai asked him, given there were so many miracles associated with the manna, why did Hashem not give them their allocation of manna once a year and it would have stayed fresh the entire year? He answered with a parable: the king who supported his son by giving him an annual stipend was visited by the prince, but once a year. When he changed his allocation and provided for his son on a daily basis, his son would then visit his father every day. Similarly, Hashem allocated manna daily in order to internalize within the millions of recipients their total reliance on Him. This feeling of total reliance is a prerequisite for our accepting His Torah.
The Mechilta (in Parshas Yisro) describes in detail the events that took place on the days preceding the revelation at Sinai. On the fifth of Sivan the nation experienced an inaugural ceremony as a prerequisite for Matan Torah. Moshe wrote and read to the people Sefer Habris -the Torah starting from Bereshis until Sinai. The Jewish people who underwent conversion at Sinai pronounced their acceptance of mitzvos with the declaration of "naasah v'nishma - we will do and we will listen". Offerings were brought; blood was sprinkled on the people. Moshe then declared, "behold you are inextricably bound to Hashem, tomorrow come and receive the entirety of His Torah."
How does one become bound to Hashem? The Gemara (Yevomos 64a) teaches in the name R' Yitzchak, "why were each of the Avos and Imahos barren? Because Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous." The Maharal, in his commentary on this Gemara, teaches that prayer was the great connector which created the constant bond between the barren matriarchs and patriarchs, and Hashem.
One week after we left Egypt we experienced the miraculous splitting of the Sea. The Medrash (Shemos Raba 21:5) teaches in the name of R' Yehoshua Ben Levi, to what may it be compared? To a king who was traveling and heard the cries of a princess begging for help from robbers. The king heard and saved her from them. A short time later, the king was interested in having a relationship with her, but she was not interested. The wise king created the situation again that she would be in danger, and once again he responded to her cries. Similarly, when the Jewish nation were severely persecuted by the Egyptians, the Torah tells us (at the end of chapter 2 in Shemos), "the Children of Israel groaned because of the work, and they cried out; their outcry went up to G-d". Hashem heard their deep-felt pain and suffering. Thereupon, He brought ten miraculous plagues, punitive to the Egyptians and establishing a relationship with the fledgling Jewish nation. When they left Egypt, Hashem desired to again hear their voices in praise and thanksgiving. Unfortunately, this did not come. Hashem therefore orchestrated that Pharoh and the Egyptians should pursue them so that He would deliver the Jewish nation from the ensuing danger. Miraculously splitting the sea, He evoked from them the song of Thanksgiving, expressed with the same enthusiasm that they had prior demonstrated in Egypt.
Prayer, as the Maharal teaches, creates a bond. During the difficult months of COVID, experiencing the death of many (and especially gedolim) and many seriously sick individuals, we davened with great fervor and emotion. The verse (Shemos 12:30) "for there was not a house where there was no corpse" was acutely felt. Now that we are privileged to have a vaccine, our prayers are not the same. Unfortunately, there is a mindset of "getting back to normal". What each individual will personally learn from COVID is something that they must grapple with by themselves. However, I'd like to suggest that collectively, one lesson that we can all learn is to attempt to keep the strong connection to Hashem through prayer. When one, G-d forbid, survives a car accident, they recite Birkas haGomel and Nishmas. Think about it: if one was not in a car accident, should they not thank Hashem all the more?!
As we are emerging from COVID and our teffilos are "getting back to normal", perhaps one reason Klal Yisroel has experienced the tragedy in Meron and a war in Israel is to remind us about the need for, and importance of, constantly upgrading of our teffilos.
I'd like to strongly recommend that we daven more slowly. Having those additional minutes will give us the opportunity to focus on the meaning and understanding of our prayers. What a different connection there is if one actually understands what he is asking for in each of the nineteen blessing of the Shemone Esrei. I believe that it is most reasonable to allocate no less than fifteen minutes from the beginning of berachos to Yishtabach, enabling the tzibur to actually appreciate the praises being offered to Hashem, reminding us of the privilege it is to pray before Whom we are praying. The Shulchan Aruch (51:8) teaches that "one should not say the Pesukei D'Zimrah verses rapidly, but at a leisurely pace". The Mishneh Berurah (20) teaches that one should recite the words as if he were counting money. Ask yourself: are you counting small change, so that if you miss a few it is relatively inconsequential, or are you counting hundred-dollar bills? He heard our voices in COVID, may we be privileged to maintain the connection and the fervor.