Rashi Studies (Advanced)
The Sequence of Parshas Naso

Classic Questions

Why are the laws of the nazirite recorded here? (v. 6:2)?

Rashi: Why is the section dealing with the nazirite placed next to the section of the sotah? To teach you that whoever sees a sotah in her disgrace will make a nazirite vow to abstain from wine, for [drinking wine] leads a person to adultery.

The Rebbe's Teachings

The Sequence of Parshas Naso

In his commentary to verse 2, Rashi poses the question, “Why is the section dealing with the nazirite placed next to the section of the sotah?” and proceeds to offer a solution.

This however begs the question: Parshas Naso contains numerous seemingly unrelated passages, many of which are recorded out of chronological sequence. Why then does Rashi only explain why “the section dealing with the nazirite was placed next to the section of the sotah,” and offer no explanation for the juxtaposition of the other passages in the parshah?

The Explanation

Rashi considered that the juxtaposition of all the passages in our parsha (besides the topics of the sotah and the nazirite) could be understood by the reader, unaided, with simple logic and a knowledge of Rashi’s other comments:

1. The appointment and census of the Levites at the beginning of the parshah—a direct continuation from Parshas Bamidbar—was for the purpose of assisting the priests: “You should give over the Levites to Aharon and his sons [to help them).”1 One of the main tasks in which the Levites were to assist the priests was “to safeguard their priesthood—any unauthorized person who approaches [to perform the priestly service] must be put to death,”2 i.e., to prevent unauthorized people from entering the Tabernacle.
   
   

   The appointment of the Levites took place “on the first [day] of the second month,”3 i.e., the first of Iyar, a full month after the Tabernacle began functioning, on the first of Nisan.4 So on completing the passage concerning the appointment of the Levites at the opening of our parsha, the reader is left with a question: How did the priests manage to “safeguard their priesthood” and prevent unauthorized people from entering the Tabernacle for an entire month without the assistance of the Levites?

   To answer this question, Rashi writes that the following passage, where all ritually impure individuals are required to be sent out of the camp,5 “was said on the day the Tabernacle was erected.”6 From this the reader will understand that even before the Levites were appointed, the Jewish people were responsible to ensure that no unauthorized person should enter the Tabernacle (as the verse states, “Command the children of Israel to send out from the camp...”7), from the very day on which the Tabernacle was erected. And this explains why the passage about the sanctity of the camp was recorded immediately after the passage of the appointment of the Levites: to clarify that the Jewish people were responsible for preventing unauthorized entry to the Tabernacle before the Levites were appointed.

   
   
2. The Torah’s instructions concerning the sanctity of the camp conclude with the words, “Send them outside the camp so that they do not defile their camps, where I dwell among them.”8 This suggests that the command is to prevent a “personal” offense against G-d, so to speak. Consequently, the Torah continues with a discussion of the guilt-offering for dishonesty, for this too is described as “acting treacherously against G-d.”9
   
   
3. This is then followed by the laws of the sotah, who also “acted treacherously”10 against G-d.
   
   
4. We are then left with the question, “Why is the section dealing with the nazirite placed next to the section of the sotah?” which does not appear to have a simple explanation at the literal level that the reader can fathom for himself. So Rashi was forced to comment that this is “to teach you that whoever sees a sotah in her disgrace will make a nazirite vow to abstain from wine, for [drinking wine] leads a person to adultery.”
   
   
5. The reason why the Priestly Blessing follows the laws of the nazirite was not addressed directly by Rashi as it can be understood from one of his earlier comments, on 5:12. There, Rashi explains why the laws of the sotah are immediately preceded by a discussion of gifts to the priests:
   
   “What is written before this subject? ‘[But] whatever a man gives to the priest is then [the priest’s].’11 [This juxtaposition teaches us that] if you withhold the priests’ gifts, then—by your life!—you will have to come to him to bring an unfaithful wife.”

So the reader already knows that by failing to give gifts to the priests, a person will eventually be caused pain by a priest. What, though, is the reward for fulfilling this precept of priestly gifts? To answer this question, the Torah follows with the passage about the Priestly Blessing, to demonstrate that the priests are not only a source of potential suffering for the Jewish people, they are also a source of blessing.12,13