Naso 5785

Every individual in a community or a congregation is unique. Each individual has an important role to play in that community. Our Torah reading for this Shabbat, Parashat Naso, shares with us a message about community and the power of belonging.

If one were to peruse the longest parasha in the Torah, one would most probably sense that there was a patchwork of topics throughout it --  a census of the Levites; the laws related to the Nazirite - who takes upon him or herself a certain extreme form of piety; the Sotah, or the man who distrusts his wife’s faith in him and accuses her of adultery; the Priestly blessings; and the offerings of the tribal leaders for each of the twelve tribes as the Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting, is finally consecrated and worship begins.

The parasha opens with the census of the Levitical tribe. Each one was given a specific role related to the transportation of the Mishkan, when the Children of Israel traveled through the desert. Some carried holy vessels; others curtain and beams. Others had less visible roles.  Yet the Torah does not make one role more important than the other. Each one was essential not only in the transportation of the Mishkan, but also in its assembly, in its care and maintenance. Without the different roles and tasks completed, the Mishkan could not be. The same is true today in our shul. And as we prepare for our annual congregation meeting, the first message of this week’s Torah reading is quintessential: You are an important part of or shul, whether you sit on the board of directors, executive or any committee, whether you attend services or programs, whether you enjoy the company of others when you join together, YOU are an essential part of what makes our shul and our community. In the wilderness, the Mishkan only functioned when everyone took a role and everyone participated in his or her own way. The same is true here at Congregation Beth El.

The second section of the reading, deals with accountability. In our reading we deal with the husband who suspects his wife of not being true to their marriage. Could it be true? A test of the drinking of a potion, is the litmus test. If she has been faithful, then according to tradition, she will become pregnant and the family will be blessed. If she has not, then her innards will distend.

Often we find ourselves in heated discussions related to matters. We hold differing opinions on what we believe is true. This section of the Torah reminds us all that what is most important is that we respect one another during our dialogue and discussions. And unlike the Nazirite, who takes a vow to be holier than others in the community, the Torah reminds us that in taking such a position one is removing oneself from the community. Rather than being part of a community, one is actually physically or emotionally removing oneself from being an important element that makes the community whole.

I have been at many a meeting, in different congregations, where when one’s stance is not taken, one automatically becomes a Nazirite and a Sotah at the same time. While one assumes that such an act is sustainable, defensible and right, in fact the opposite is true. The Torah requires a sin offering as a result of such an action. And the Torah asks why should one choose to become a Nazirite? In community organizational life one may be a Nazirite and a Sotah, when one chooses to take his or her ball and play in another field, or when one chooses not to sustain the well-being of the organization, or choose not to attend because they don’t want to be in the presence of others who hold differing views, or choose to filibuster or speak in loud tones as an authority. The Torah dissuades us from acting in such a fashion.

The next section comes at the right moment in Naso. It now reminds us of the blessing of being part of a community, the power of belonging. Each individual is important and each individual should be blessed for their commitment to community or to what I call our shul family. It is the priestly blessing, which as a member of our “holy and spiritual community and family” is not only bestowed upon you, but is a reminder of how we should responsibly act with one another with God’s blessings upon us.

One online commentary suggests that the Priestly Blessings are not only “a personal blessing, but it’s given in a communal setting. That’s not an accident. The Torah is telling us: real blessing is found in community. We don’t just pray for peace in our own hearts, but peace among us—peace in our homes, in our shuls, in our circles of belonging.”

The last section of our reading is one where each tribal leader brings an offering to the newly dedicated Mishkan, on behalf of his tribe. Twelve tribal leaders, twelve offerings of sanctification. Each one precisely the same. And yet, the Torah doesn’t just name each leader. Each offering is recited fully, twelve times. For the reader of the Torah and for the listener, it may seem redundant. But the Torah thinks differently. Each leader didn’t just bring an offering. Each leader brought his own heart, his own perspective on what the offering meant for him. But as the leader he also had to concentrate on what it meant to the individuals in his tribe. The Torah affirms that each one of us matters and that each one of us has a responsibility to each other. And in that way we will all receive the beautiful blessing of Hashem, as we continue to build together a community  without walls, still in the Mishkan, yet filled with the glory of our shul family and that of our commitment to one another.

There is a common thread in our Torah reading for this Shabbat, making the patchwork of thoughts and topics into a beautiful quilt or a beautiful Mishkan. That  thread tying it all together is the message about community, the sacred role of each individual within it, and the blessings of being a part of our shul family, not only in words of prayer, but in words and action of mutual understanding, collegiality and friendship

Bring them home now!!!

Am Yisrael Chai!!!

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi K