This Torah reading includes the verse "And G-d said to
Moses, 'They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the
dedicating of the altar.'" (Num. 7:11) The Zohar comments, teaching that each
of the offerings brought by the respective tribes was meant to invoke a specific
spiritual force in the higher worlds, relating to the 12 permutations the Name
of G-d. Rebbe Shimon taught that if these 12 princes hadn't brought up their
offerings the world would not have been able to stand up against the 12 princes
of Ishmael, as it is written: "These are the sons of Ishmael…12 princes
according to their nations." (Gen. 25:16) When these princes of Israel brought
their offerings they took the power of dominion from each of them.
In this Torah portion, G-d gives the laws of the Nazirite. One
of the laws regarding this type of vow is that the Nazirite not cut his hair as
long as his vow is in effect. Kabbalah teaches that the Nazirite alludes to
level of Creation called Arich Anpin, likened to a merciful grandfather
figure. Described as straight and white, the hair of this partzuf
manifests compassion and loving-kindness. Because of this principle, the
Nazirite himself must grow the hair of his head, thus increasing divine
beneficence in the lower worlds.
G-d 's original plan was to give the
Torah to Adam ,
the "firstborn" of all humanity. Israel is also called "firstborn". However, the
rank of the
Levites as firstborn outranks that of Israel as a whole, since the
Levites represent the Ruach Adam,
"spirit of man", whereas the remainder of the tribes of Israel only represents
Nefesh Adam, "soul of man."
Nonetheless, the spiritual Torah is the true "firstborn", having preceded
the entire universe by two thousand years; this is the Torah alluded to on the
tablets that the clan of Kehot carried in the Holy Ark, thus awarding them
likewise with the title of the true firstborn.
This parasha presents the concept of the
Nazir , the consecrated one who vows not
to partake of grape products, cut his hair, or voluntarily become defiled for
the dead. The
Sefas Emmes explains
that a man must learn "…to be detached from the desires of the physical world,
yet at the same time live a worldly existence". A person must eat drink sleep
and attend to the rest of his physical requirements. Nevertheless he must
understand that his essence is his Torah learning and his prayer.
When we sin against G-d, we should not think that we are lost and cannot return or that G-d has forsaken us. Rather, we must remember that even when we sinned, the Divine soul within us remained faithful to God. Our relationship with God can be reinstated and will even improve. Our renewed and deepened commitment to G-d will enable us to sustain Divine consciousness and feel G-d’s presence with greater depth and permanence.
The contributions of the tribal princes upon the dedication of the altar in the Tabernacle is described in the Torah portion Naso. Interestingly, this is the second set of offerings made by the princes; the first set, contributed upon the dedication of the Tabernacle, was tallied up in one sentence, as opposed to the second set, at the dedication of the altar, where each prince's contribution is individually described in a series of verses despite the fact that each donation was identical.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains how from this we learn two components of the Jewish people. On the one hand are the qualities every Jew shares - we are all G-d's children, have a divine soul, etc. This is exemplified in the donations made at the Tabernacle's dedication, in which the gifts are totaled in one sentence. On the other hand, the contributions made at the altar's dedication represent the uniqueness of each tribe and each Jew; while each prince performed the same deed, the spiritual factors and intentions involved behind the act were very different.
So too, every Jew performs mitzvahs. Millions of Jews go through the same motions and recite the same words in daily service of G-d. Nonetheless, each Jew has a different make-up, spiritual purpose and directions and his spiritual intent is individual to him.
After greeting him warmly, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev said, "I will tell you three things, but for each you must pay well."
"G-d made five possessions His very own in His world…"
These five possessions are rooted in five sefirot. Abraham - in
chesed ; the
Torah -
gevura ;
Israel - tiferet; Heaven and Earth -
yesod ; the Temple - malchut.
The main function and purpose of these five possessions is connected with the revelation of divinity to the Jewish people, and to the world in general.
Shabbat Shalom.
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