Chapter 4

22 The clan of Gershon: There are two steps in preparing a palace for an esteemed guest. First, the rooms are scrubbed clean, and then they are decorated with beautiful furniture and objets d'art. The first step logically precedes the second.

The same two steps apply to how we make our lives and ourselves into a home or sanctuary for God. We refrain from what is wrong and actively do good. The names and respective missions of the families of Gershon and Kehat reflect these two steps.1

The name Gershon is derived from the verb "to banish" (le-garesh), signifying the necessity to banish evil. Their main load was the outer coverings of the Tabernacle, which protected it from undesirable elements. This corresponds to our job of avoiding harmful activities and influences.

The name Kehat, on the other hand, signifies "gathering" or "collection" (yikah).2 Their mission was carrying the furnishings of the Tabernacle, each of which corresponds to a particular positive endeavor. This family thus embodied the task of actively pursuing positive energy.

Just as Gershon was born before Kehat, it is necessary to first remove oneself from evil in order to be able to properly pursue good. Nonetheless, Kehat was counted before Gershon, for removing oneself from evil is only a preparation for the true work, that of pursuing good.3

Chapter 5

7 And confesses the sin he committed: Repentance consists of three steps:

  • regret for the past,
  • positive resolution for the future, and
  • verbal confession of the sin to God.

The need for the first two aspects is clear, but why the need for a verbal confession?

Every sin creates a negative energy that has a "body" and a "soul." The "body" of this energy is created by the sinful deed, while its "soul" is created by the lust that precipitated and accompanies the sin. When one feels regret for a sin, the life and soul of the negative energy is destroyed; the verbal confession, a physical deed, destroys its body.4

9 Every first fruit offering…which they shall bring to the priest…shall be his: The first fruits to ripen are the pride and joy of every farmer, the first return for all the effort he invested. Understandably, it is very difficult for him to part with them. He may therefore argue, "I understand that I should donate my first and foremost produce to charitable causes. But why can I not allocate it to public concerns— from which I, too, will benefit? I, too, am needy. Why should my hard work become the priest's personal property?"

The Torah therefore tells us to bring our first fruits "to the house of God."5 In essence, this means to abandon the perception that they are ours. The first fruits are not our money in the first place: God simply appoints us as a trustee over charity's funds.

Once we realize that our first fruits belong to God, it is easier to give them to the priest. We will not seek ways to benefit from them personally, just as we do not seek to benefit from other people's donations.6

12 Go astray and commit a trespass: The phonetic relationship between the words for "go astray" (sisteh) and "foolishness" (shtut) led our sages to declare, "A person does not commit a sin unless he has been overcome by a spirit of folly."7

As has been explained,8 the Jew's connection to God precludes him from transgressing God's express will. "A Jew is by nature neither capable of sinning, nor does he desire to do so," said Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The prerequisite for sin, therefore, is the spirit of folly that convinces us that the sin will not in any way harm that connection. This is true regarding any deviation from God's will, be it major or minor.

Why does the Torah choose to stress the folly behind evil specifically in connection with the laws of a suspected adulteress? Using the suspected adulteress for this message could lead one to think that it is only severe crimes such as adultery that are precipitated by foolishness, when in fact this is the case with any deviation from proper behavior.

Committing a sin is a terrible thing because the Jewish people are "married" to God. Were an adulteress not married, her dallying would not be judged so harshly. It is the fact that she betrayed a relationship that makes her deserve punishment. The same is true of the Jewish people. A sin—of any severity—is not merely a technical transgression; it is a personal affront to our beloved Divine Spouse.

In view of the cosmic significance of our relationship with God, such a rejection does not make any sense; no one possessed of his reason would ever commit a sin. Sin must be predicated by an "attack" of foolishness.9

14 If a spirit of suspicion: If the husband withdraws his warning immediately after he issues it, the wife's seclusion does not render her a suspected adulteress. But once the scroll used in the rite of trial has been erased, it is too late: the husband cannot withdraw his warning and annul his wife's status as a suspected adulteress.

The particulars of the rite of the suspected adulteress have their correlations in the cosmic marriage of God and the Jewish people. The equivalent of the husband's warning is God's command, "Do not have any other gods before Me."10 But this is problematic: God is everywhere, so how can it be said that one has secluded oneself or hidden from God?

The answer is that through sin, we create a virtual concealment from God. The motivation behind sin is egocentricity: the individual puts his own concerns and desires before God's. He temporarily shuts God out of his life. Therefore, the sages state that God says of an arrogant person, "He and I cannot dwell in the same place."11

Even if a person does a good deed for selfish motives, he distances himself from God. The prophet Jeremiah asks, " 'Can a person conceal himself in hiding places and I, will I not see him?' declares God."12 The Ba'al Shem Tov interprets this as follows:

Can a person conceal himself: If a person chooses to ensconce himself in the study of Torah and prayer in order to transcend the material world and experience a revelation of God,

And I: however, this is for selfish motives and produces an inflated sense of self ("I")

I will not see him, declares God: God will not reveal Himself to him, for God does not dwell with the haughty.

The arrogant person, full of himself, has no room for God in his life, so God obligingly withdraws. Thus, arrogance causes us to be "hidden" from God.

Nevertheless, this concealment is not "real," but rather artificially imposed by God because He abhors conceit.13 Therefore, just as a husband can annul his wife's implication in crime when her "sin," so to speak, is of his own making, so can God always forgive our implication in sin, without the need for pursuing the trial of the bitter waters any further.

If, however, "the scroll has already been erased"—i.e., it becomes clear that our connection to God when we sinned was like that between ink and parchment, which can be separated from each other—then we have the status of a suspected adulteress. We must therefore bring an offering of barley—animal feed. This means that we have to realize that our approach to life until now has been lacking both qualitatively and quantitatively: we have not been thinking enough about life, and whatever thinking we have been doing has been based on self-awareness and self-orientation; we have been focused on our animal needs.

Bringing this "offering" serves to subdue our arrogance, making us once again proper vessels for Divine consciousness and God's attendant blessings.14

15-17 Then the man shall bring his wife: Following the metaphor of the suspected adulteress as anyone who has strayed from God, these verses can be explained as follows:

To the priest: When a person sins, he must bring his animal soul to the priest. The "priest" is not necessarily a kohen, but anyone whose life is devoted to God and His Torah.15 And just as we are taught that we should ask a sage to intercede on behalf of a sick person,16 so are we taught that we should approach a man of God to seek healing for someone who is spiritually sick.17

Sacred waters: In order to rehabilitate the spiritually sick, the priest takes "sacred water." Water in general is a metaphor for the Torah;18 sacred water connotes the inner dimension of Torah. The nature of water is to descend,19 whereas sacred means "detached" and "aloof," something that does not descend and mingle. These opposing characteristics coexist in the inner dimension of Torah. On the one hand, the secrets of the Torah are too sublime to be grasped by the human mind. On the other hand, the inner dimension of the Torah can reach, inspire, touch, and move people more than the exoteric aspect of Torah can.20 Therefore, a person is encouraged to study the Torah even for selfish reasons, since we are sure that the inner dimension of the Torah will ultimately inspire him to learn for the proper motives.21 The priest must take these "sacred waters" and place them—

In an earthen vessel, which is the crudest type of vessel,

And the priest shall take some of the earth, which is not even a vessel at all,

and put it into the water: making the water dirty and repulsive. This means that the "priest" must ensure that the inner dimension of Torah is expressed in such a way that it speaks to the lowest rungs on the ladder of Divine consciousness, in order that it raise and purify the fallen soul.22

23 The priest shall write these curses: These curses contained God's holy Name, and it is ordinarily absolutely forbidden to erase God's holy Name.23 However, God permitted this desecration of His Name in order to bring peace between man and wife.24

The person being helped is primarily the woman, who is being cleared of suspicion. The fact that an altruistic husband could even entertain such vile suspicions of her implies that she had already evinced some moral deficiency; this is why she is dealt with so harshly—at least until her innocence or guilt is proven. So, the woman in this episode is not a paragon of moral behavior, even if she is innocent of adultery. And yet, even for such a person, God is willing to have His Name erased in order to clear hers.

The lesson is clear. We must be prepared to act selflessly on another's behalf, not only when doing so comes easily or when it is for a person truly deserving of our sacrifice. Even when it is for a person of questionable morality and it involves personal physical or spiritual hardships, we must be prepared to follow God's example.25

28 She shall be cleansed: If the suspected adulteress did not in fact commit adultery, the waters not only did not harm her—they improved her future childbearing. If she previously gave birth in pain, she would now give birth in ease. According to one opinion, a previously barren woman would become fertile.26

Allegorically, as we have seen, the Jewish people are the suspected wife and God is the possibly betrayed Husband. In the case of the suspected adulteress, as long as she did not actually commit adultery—even if she had acted improperly, making her forbidden to her husband temporarily—she could return to her full marital status. Similarly, when we sin against God, we should not think that we are lost and cannot return. We should not say, as the Jewish people erroneously did after the destruction of the first Temple, "God has forsaken me; God has forgotten me."27 Rather, we must remember that even when we sinned, the Divine soul within us remained faithful to God. Our temporary indiscretion was only an act of our animal soul, and through proper repentance, which restores the Divine soul's control over the animal soul, our relationship with God can be reinstated.

Furthermore, our relationship with God will even improve. We will now be able to "bear children": if before the sin, our spiritual efforts did not seem to bear permanent fruit— i.e., we were unable to sustain our love and awe for God28— they will now. Our renewed and deepened commitment to God will enable us to sustain Divine consciousness and feel God's presence with greater depth and permanence.29

Chapter 6

2 If a man or woman utters a Nazirite vow: In the messianic age, the fear of the harm that wine can lead to30 will have faded together with sin, and "on that day, the mountains shall drip with sweet wine."31 Wine, and the unrestricted joy it symbolizes, will abound. Nevertheless, the institution of Naziriteship will be relevant then, too.

Beyond abstinence and asceticism, becoming a Nazirite means striving for a higher caliber of holiness, a transcendence of worldliness, as the Torah proclaims,32 "he is holy unto God." This transcendence also characterizes the messianic age, in which "the sole ambition of all mankind will be to perceive God…and the earth shall be full of the perception of God as the waters cover the ocean bed."33 In this sense, we will then all be Nazirites.

Because of this association between the Nazirite and the messianic age— the latter achieving the purest and most consummate state of the former— the halachic source for the possibility that the Messiah will indeed come on any given day is found in the laws of the Nazirite. One who says, "I proclaim myself a Nazirite on the day that the Messiah will come" becomes a Nazirite immediately and remains so forever after,34 since the Messiah realistically can— and perhaps will— arrive any day.35

INNER DIMENSIONS

[5] His hair shall be sacred, and he shall allow the growth of the hair of his head to grow wild: The central feature of the Nazirite vow is the prohibition of cutting the hair. Hair embodies a low-grade form of life-force: on the one hand, it is always growing, indicating that it is alive, but on the other hand, it is "dead" enough so that cutting it does not hurt (the same is true of the finger- and toenails). Allegorically, the flow of life-force from the soul into and throughout the body mirrors the flow of Divine energy from God into and throughout creation. In this context, hair's low-grade life-force mirrors the contraction (tzimtzum) or quantum leap that God's transcendent, infinite Divine energy (sovev kol almin) must undergo in order to create and sustain finite reality.

Refraining from cutting the head-hair therefore reflects the Nazirite's aspiration to allow transcendent Divine energy and holiness to flow unhindered into creation.

Under normal circumstances, Jewish law considers it "unkempt" for a man to let his head-hair grow too long and even requires the king to cut his hair daily. Similarly, it is considered "wild" for married women to show their hair altogether (and unmarried women, although not required to cover their hair, are advised to keep it tied back or short). This is because those of us who have not undertaken to be Nazirites must be careful not to allow the downward flow of transcendent Divine energy to overflow into unwanted realms of life; we must keep this Divine energy within bounds, lest it inadvertently power pursuits contrary to holiness. (This is particularly true of those of us who are intently focused on the exigencies of making the material world into God's home: the king and married women. Indeed, both the king and women personify the sefirah of malchut, the interface between the pristine world of Atzilut and the lower worlds of increasing material consciousness.)

These considerations do not apply to the Nazirite, however, since his vow has expressed his desire to separate himself from this world to a degree. But because his spiritual orientation is so intense, we must forbid him to drink wine: in his case, wine could lead him to Divine rapture so intense that it could prove fatal, as was indeed the case with Nadav and Avihu.

On the other hand, the Nazirite's prohibition of becoming defiled by contact with death is simply an expression of his aspiration to transcend the ephemeral nature of this world; it is not an essential facet of Naziriteship. This is why it is possible to be only a partial Nazirite, as Samson was, by undertaking to abstain from haircutting and wine but not from contact with the dead.36

23 This is how you shall bless the Israelites: Our sages teach us that each person's fate for the coming year is decided on the Rosh Hashanah of that year.37 Why, then, do we pray each day? And what can the blessings of the priests help if our fate has been decided?

The answer can be found in another saying of our sages: "each person is judged every day."38 Even though our yearly allotment of Divine beneficence has been determined on Rosh Hashanah, this beneficence must descend through the many levels of spiritual reality before it reaches the physical plane. At each "station" on the way "down," we are judged anew as to whether we deserve to have the beneficence "processed" to the next level.

In contrast, the priestly blessing causes each Jew's allotted measure of Divine kindness to descend swiftly through the myriad levels of reality, bypassing the roadblocks of judgment. We will see later on that after Korach's revolt,39 God demonstrated His choice of the tribe of Levi for the Temple service by causing Aaron's staff to sprout almonds.40 The significance of almonds is that they blossom swiftly, alluding to this property of the priestly blessing.41

24 May God bless you with abundance and watch over you so that no one steals your wealth: Allegorically, this means: May God bless and grant success to our efforts to refine ourselves and serve Him wholeheartedly. And may He guard our successes so that the forces of evil not hijack the spiritual excitement we generate in prayer and transform it afterwards into righteous indignation or an awakening of physical desire. By doing so, they "steal" our ecstasy and appropriate it for their own purposes. Instead, it should be properly focused and channeled into pure and wholesome directions.42

Chapter 7

3 A wagon for each two leaders and an ox for each: The leaders chose to be the first to bring offerings to the Tabernacle specifically in order to be able to donate lavishly and without limitations. Furthermore, everything involved in the Temple service was performed in a wealthy, even opulent manner, with no considerations for cost. So why did the leaders scrimp on the wagons and oxen, sharing in their cost and donating exactly the bare minimum of wagons to be able to carry the load? The Levites certainly could have used more wagons to transport the Tabernacle. In fact, because there were only six wagons, the Levites were forced to stack the beams of the Tabernacle on top of each other and remain near the wagons during transport to catch falling beams!43

The leaders did this because they understood that everything exists in the world for a purpose. Despite the opulence displayed in the Temple, there was no extravagance—there was nothing that was unnecessary and did not serve a purpose. Since it was possible to carry the Tabernacle with six wagons, a seventh one was not needed and therefore could not be given. In fact, extra wagons would have been counterproductive: the Levites were required to be constantly involved with the transportation; the Tabernacle had to be transported by them with the help of the wagons and oxen—not by the wagons and oxen themselves. Thus, the minimum of wagons had to be used, so that the Levites would have to be constantly involved in the transport.

The concept is true not only in the Tabernacle, but also in the entire world and in the personal Tabernacle we make of our lives. Everything that God created, He created for a purpose. If anything is being wasted, its purpose is not being fulfilled. If a person does not fully utilize his potential, or even completely apply any one of his faculties, he is frustrating the purpose of creation and delaying the construction of his "personal Tabernacle."

By fully utilizing everything at our disposal and fully living up to our own potential, we indeed build the Tabernacle God wants us to, fulfill the Divine plan and act as proper vehicles for spreading Godly light throughout the world.44

Before the princes could begin bringing their individual offerings, which expressed their respective tribes' unique contribution to the Temple service, they first had to stress the unity of the entire Jewish people. This they did by all participating in one general offering.

Analogously, we, too, must first be aware of the connection we all share as part of the Jewish nation and express this awareness in action. Only then can we proceed to fulfill our personal missions in our own way.45

Furthermore, the princes' prefatory offering expressed the essential unity of the Jewish people, that is, the fact that in our spiritual source, we are all one essence. Each prince donated half a wagon, and the ox that he donated was only useful when paired with another of the twelve oxen. This demonstrated how no tribe, no individual, is complete by themselves, but rather each of us is—in our source—part of one indivisible essence.46

(This essential unity is contrasted with the intrinsic and complementary unity expressed by the princes' individual dedication offerings, as we shall explain later.47)

12 The one who brought: As we have seen, the Torah uses words sparingly, informing us of many important rules and laws with just a few words or even only by allusion. Yet, the sacrifices brought by the leaders are repeated in their entirety all twelve times. Why does the Torah not enumerate the details of the offering only once and simply state that this same offering was brought by all twelve leaders?

As we have seen previously,48 the twelve tribes personify the twelve archetypal approaches to forging a Jewish relationship with God and fulfilling our purpose on earth; twelve variations on the general theme. As we have also seen,49 the purpose of sacrifices is to bring the offerer closer to God and to elicit spiritual and material beneficence from heaven. The altar's inauguration was thus its "initiation" into elevating the twelve spiritual pathways represented by the twelve tribes as well as eliciting the unique spiritual and material nourishment required by each. This is why the princes of the twelve tribes had to inaugurate the altar, and it was not sufficient for Moses and Aaron to do so by themselves.

Therefore, each prince had different intentions when he brought his offerings.50 Each leader initiated the altar into a different way of elevating reality and drew a different "hue" of spiritual energy into the physical world, corresponding to the spiritual nature of his specific tribe. Similarly, nowadays, when the description of their offerings is read from the Torah in the synagogue, each tribe ascends via its unique path to heaven and receives the spiritual nourishment that pertains to it.51

The question remains, however: If each leader was attempting to accomplish something different from the others, why did they all bring the same exact offering? How could they express their individuality through conformity?

That, of course, is exactly the point. Their offerings represented two opposite but complementary aspects of our relationship with God: First and foremost, they expressed the collective relationship between God and the people as a whole, the common denominator shared by every Jew. The essence of the Jewish soul, the experience of serving God as a Jew—all this they shared, and for this reason the offerings they brought were all the same.

(It is for this reason also that God told Moses to have the princes give their offerings in an uninterrupted sequence of twelve days, even though this meant that the prince of the tribe of Ephraim gave his offering on the Sabbath. Since the princes' offerings expressed the collective relationship of the people as a whole with God, they had the status of communal offerings rather than private offerings, and could therefore be offered on the Sabbath.52)

At the same time, however, each leader represented a unique tribe. Despite conforming outwardly and following the same procedure, each one maintained the individual intentions behind their actions and thus distinguished themselves from the others. Therefore, although the physical offering may have been the same, the Torah lists each one separately.

This dynamic is replayed in countless aspects of Jewish life. We are bidden to conform in many ways: we recite the same words in our prayers and even pray together as a public unit, and we perform more or less the same commandments, all in the same way. Yet, at the same time, we are individuals. We are not only permitted to express our own individual feelings and intent in our prayers and deeds—we are required to do so. In this way, we retain our individual identity while at the same time acting as a part of the greater unit.53

Furthermore, just as the Torah repeats the same words again and again but the inner meaning is different each time, we are intended to bring new meaning to the actions and words that we repeat daily. Every day's prayers and deeds should have their own special meaning and reflect the unique spiritual accomplishments we have made since the last time we prayed or performed them.54

These offerings were brought to inaugurate the altar. It follows, then, that they reflect—more so than other offerings—the essence of the altar and the sacrifices.

By building the Tabernacle, the Jewish people created a holy place where God's presence was manifestly revealed. This consummated what began with the giving of the Torah, when God removed the barrier that separated heaven and earth and empowered man to synthesize the physical and the spiritual, transforming the mundane into holiness.

The altar was where this end was most fully accomplished. On the altar, we were able to take an ordinary animal—a mundane thing—and turn it into a sacrifice for God. This transformation from mundane to holy was visible to the human eye as the heavenly fire consumed the offering.

To express this concept, the leaders brought two types of offerings:

  • lifeless objects, including the various vessels, the flour, and incense. These were not noticeably transformed in any way by the sacrificial process; they were not consumed on the altar. Because no visible change occurred with these objects, they symbolize the pre-Sinai era, when physicality could not be changed. Since these objects show no sign of life, they express the "lifelessness" of reality before the revelation of the Torah.
  • the animals. In contrast to the vessels, flour, and incense, the offerings of live creaturess were noticeably changed on the altar—by being entirely or partially consumed by the heavenly fire. Their transformation to holiness signifies the post-Sinai era, when physicality can be transformed to holiness. The vitality of animal life expresses the revelation of the source of life—Godliness—in the material world, through the Tabernacle in general and the altar in particular.55

Following the above theme, we can show how the allegorical significance of the sacrifices reflect the change in reality that is being effected by the Tabernacle.

The allusions inherent in these offerings begin with creation and progress through history with a list of its major players: Adam, Noah, the seventy nations, the patriarchs, Joseph, Moses and Aaron, the Jewish People, and the Torah. The inanimate objects allude to pre-Sinai history, the "inanimate" period when physicality could not be animated with holiness. The animals—signifying perceivable life—represent history from the patriarchs and on, since, beginning with Abraham, the light of the Torah and its ability to reveal the Divine vitality and holiness of physicality began to shine in the world.56

The Princes' Allusions in their Installation Offerings57

[12] The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nachshon the son of Aminadav of the tribe of Judah. Judah was the progenitor of the royal Davidic line. In his offering, Nachshon alluded to the concepts of authority and kingship; to King Solomon; and to the Messiah, the king who will rule over the whole world. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to Solomon's and the Messiah's dominion over the sea, which surrounds the dry land like a bowl. Weighing 130 shekels: The numerical value of the word for "seas" (yamim) is 100 and Solomon's sea was 30 cubits in circumference.58 One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to their dominion over the world, which is shaped like a ball that can be thrown (nizrak) from hand to hand. Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to their dominion over the 70 nations of the world. Both were filled, alluding to the gifts the nations will bring to Solomon and the Messiah. With fine flour, indicating their gifts will be of the highest quality. Mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how their good name will spread throughout the world, for oil is a metaphor for a good name.59 Both the bowl and the jug were made of silver to symbolize the righteousness of Solomon and the Messiah.60 One gold spoon, indicating their unity of purpose. Weighing ten shekels, alluding to the ten generations from Peretz to David.61 Filled with incense, for their deeds were as pleasing as the smell of incense. One young bull, alluding to Abraham, the root of the royal lineage, for Abraham ran to fetch a cow for his angelic guests.62 One ram, alluding to Isaac, in whose place Abraham offered a ram.63 One lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to Jacob, who separated his lambs from Laban's.64 One young he-goat for a sin-offering to atone for Judah, who brought Joseph's coat dipped in the blood of a he-goat to Jacob.65 For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to David and Solomon, who began the Davidic dynasty. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, alluding to the 15 kings from Rechavam (the first king after Solomon) to Tzidkiahu, the last king to rule. This was the offering of Nachshon the son of Aminadav.

[18] On the second day, Netanel the son of Tzu'ar, the prince of Issachar brought his offering. In his offering, Netanel alluded to the Torah, for his tribe excelled in its study. He brought his offering of one silver bowl, alluding to the Torah, for the showbread was prepared in bowls,66 and bread is a metaphor for the Torah.67 The number "one" is stated explicitly because there is only one Torah. Weighing 130 shekels, 130 being the sum of the number of books in the Bible (24) plus the numerical value of the first letter (mem) and last letter (also mem) of the Mishnah (80) plus the number of generations from Adam to Moses (26). One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to the Torah, for wine is a metaphor for the Torah68 and wine is drunk from a jug.69 The number "one" is stated explicitly because both the Written and Oral Torah were given by the one God. Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, for the numerical value of the word for "wine" (yayin) is 70 and there are 70 ways of interpreting the Torah. Both the bowl and the jug were silver, for the Torah is pure as purified silver. Both were filled, alluding to how the Written Torah and Oral Torah complement each other. With fine flour, indicating how the Torah is perfect, like finely-sifted flour. Mixed with olive oil, alluding to how the study of the Torah must be mixed with good deeds. For a grain-offering, alluding to how when a person studies the Torah and performs good deeds, he is pleasing to God. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to the Tablets of the Covenant, which were written with the palm (kaf) of God's hand. Weighing ten shekels, alluding to the Ten Commandments. Filled with incense, for the 613 commandments are included in the Ten Commandments. One young bull, alluding to the priests. One ram, alluding to the Levites. One lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the lay Israelites; all three groups accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai. One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to the future converts. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the Written Torah and Oral Torah, which, when observed, bring peace in heaven and on earth. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, alluding to the three verses in Psalm 19 that describe the Oral Torah,70 for these 3 verses contain 6 half-verses (corresponding to the 6 orders of the Mishnah) of 5 words each (indicating that the 5 books of the Written Torah are the essence of the Oral Torah). This was the offering of Netanel the son of Tzu'ar.

[24] On the third day, the prince was from the tribe of Zebulun, Eliav the son of Chelon. In his offering, Eliav alluded to how his tribe financially supported the tribe of Issachar so they could study the Torah. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to the sea, which Zebulun sailed to conduct business,71 and the bread72 Zebulun provided Issachar with. One silver sprinkling-jug, alluding to the land, which is round like a ball73 and was settled by Issachar, and the wine Zebulun provided Issachar with. Weighing 130 shekels…weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel: 130 plus 70 equals 200, alluding to the 200 heads of the Sanhedrin who would be members of the tribe of Issachar.74 Both were of silver, indicating that Zebulun also provided Issachar with money. Both were filled with fine flour, indicating how Issachar and Zebulun shared Issachar's reward for their study of the Torah and helped each other materially. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding phonetically to the shore (chof) of the sea. Weighing ten shekels filled with incense, alluding to the ten words in Jacob's blessing of Zebulun.75 One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the sacrifices Zebulun and Issachar offered together. One young he-goat for a sin-offering. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the Mediterranean Sea, which Zebulun would sail, and Lake Kineret, which was in his territory. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals referring to the three natural resources Moses would bless them with—"hidden things" (the chilazon), "treasures" (pickled fish), and "sand" (glass).76 The five animals of each type alluded to the five words in Moses' blessing of their partnership.77 This was the offering of Eliav the son of Chelon.

[30] On the fourth day, the prince was from the tribe of Reuben, Elitzur the son of Shede'ur. In his offering, Elitzur alluded to Reuben's role in delivering Joseph. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to how Reuben thwarted the brothers' plan to kill Joseph, since the word for "bowl" (ka'arah) permutes to spell "principle" (akeret), alluding to his central role in saving Joseph, and to spell "uprooted" (akrah), alluding to how he uprooted their plan to kill him. "Silver" alludes to the righteousness of his words.78 Weighing 130 shekels: The initials of the first three words he spoke to them79 add up to 130. One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak] symbolized how he convinced them to throw [lizrok] him into the pit rather than kill him. "Silver" alludes again to the righteousness of his words. Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to his secret plan to save him, for the numerical value of the word for "secret" (sod) is 70. Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how his intention was to save him, both when he convinced them not to kill him and when he convinced them to cast him into the pit. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to how he told them not to lay any hand (kaf) on him. It was gold because the color of gold is reddish like the color of blood. Weighing ten shekels, alluding to how he saved himself and his nine brothers from shedding blood. Filled with incense, alluding to how the brothers were entirely righteous and betraying Joseph was their only sin, except for Reuben's sin in the incident with Bilhah, which he was repenting for when his brothers sold Joseph. One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, one young he-goat for a sin-offering, all alluding to the repentance with which Reuben was occupied when Joseph was sold. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the two ways in which Reuben sought to reinstate himself before God after the incident with Bilhah: by repenting and by saving Joseph. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, alluding to the three times Reuben is mentioned in the account of the sale of Joseph.80 The number five alludes to the five words in the phrase "And the sons of Jacob were twelve,"81 by which Reuben's penitence was accepted and he was reinstated as one of the sons of Jacob. This was the offering of Elitzur the son of Shede'ur.

[36] On the fifth day, the prince was from the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Tzurishadai. In his offering, Shelumiel alluded to details of the construction of the Tabernacle. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to the courtyard, which encompassed the Tabernacle as the sea surrounds the dry land like a bowl. Weighing 130 shekels: The length of the courtyard was 100 cubits82 and the length of the Tabernacle was 30 cubits.83 One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak] weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to the length of the courtyard (100 cubits) minus the length of the Tabernacle within it (30 cubits); and to the fact that the area of the courtyard (50 x 100 = 5000 square cubits) was approximately that of a square 70 cubits long (70 x 70 = 4900 square cubits); and to the 69 pillars84 plus the pillar of cloud. Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to the courtyard and the Tabernacle, for in the courtyard grain-offerings mixed with oil were offered on the altar, and inside the Tabernacle the showbread (which was made of fine flour), the menorah (which was lit with olive oil), and the table (on which was placed frankincense, which was also used in grain-offerings) were placed. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to the Torah scroll next to the ark; the five fingers of the hand (kaf) alluding to the five books of the Torah. Weighing ten shekels filled with incense, alluding to the Ten Commandments engraved on the tablets in the ark and the ten usages of the verb "to make" in God's instructions to construct the Tabernacle.85 One young bull, alluding to the various colors of the hangings of the Tabernacle, since the word for "bull" (par) is similar to the word for "hanging" (apirion). One ram, alluding to the covering of ram-skins. One lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the covering of tachash-skins. One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to the covering of goat-skins. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to Betzalel and Ohaliav, who completed the work of the Tabernacle, and to the two partition veils at the entrance to the Tabernacle and the entrance to the courtyard. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, alluding to the hangings of the courtyard on the south, north, and west. There were five of each animal to allude to the height of the hangings, which was 5 cubits,86 and because 3 x 5 = 15, the length of the hangings on the wing of the east side.87 This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Tzurishadai.

[42] On the sixth day, the prince was from the tribe of Gad, Eliasaf the son of De'uel. In his offering Eliasaf alluded to the Exodus from Egypt, when the Jews first became an army, since Gad would eventually lead the troops crossing the Jordan. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to Yocheved, because (a) the word for "bowl" (ka'arat) can be permuted to spell the word for "torn" (kara'at), alluding to her divorce from Amram; (b) the word for "one" (achat) can be read as "sister" (achot), alluding to the fact that it was Moses' sister Miriam who encouraged Amram to remarry her; and (c) the word for "silver" (kesef) alludes to Amram's desire (kisuf) for her. Weighing 130 shekels: Yocheved was 130 years old when Moses was born. One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to Moses, who was thrown (nizrak) into the Nile when he was a baby and thrown out of Egypt when he was a youth. Weighing 70 shekels, alluding to the seventy elders Moses appointed.88 According to the holy shekel, alluding to the fact that they all became prophets. Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil, alluding to how both he and they were filled with the prophetic spirit. For a grain-offering [minchah], referring to how the spirit "descended" [keno'ach] on them. Also: both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil alludes to Eldad and Meidad;89 for a grain-offering [minchah] refers to how the spirit "descended" [vatanach] upon them. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to how the Egyptians were smitten by the plagues administered by Moses' hand [kaf]. Weighing ten shekels, alluding to the ten plagues. The first two vessels were made of silver and this one of gold to allude to the fact that the spoils of the Sea of Reeds were greater than those the Jews took earlier, in Egypt itself. Filled with incense, to allude to how the Israelites were laden with silver, gold, and spices from the spoils of the plagues and the Sea. The 130 shekels of the bowl, 70 of the jug, and 10 of the spoon total 210, the number of years the Jews spent in Egypt. One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the three leaders who took them out of Egypt: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, and to the three things the Jews did not change during their exile and in whose merit they were redeemed: their names, their language, and their carnal mores. One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to the Pesach sacrifice, which atoned for the idolatry they practiced in Egypt. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to Jacob and Joseph, in whose merit the Jews were redeemed from Egypt,90 and to Moses and Aaron, who performed all the miracles. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals alluding to the three patriarchs, for God redeemed the Jews from Egypt in fulfillment of the covenants He had made with them. 15 alludes to the 3 patriarchs plus the 12 progenitors of the tribes, and to the 15th of Nisan, the day on which they left Egypt. This was the offering of Eliasaf the son of De'uel.

[48] On the seventh day, the prince was from the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Amihud. In his offering, Elishama alluded to the patriarch Jacob, who gave his tribe preeminence over Manasseh and blessed Joseph. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to Jacob, because the word for "bowl" (ka'arat) can be permuted to spell the word for "torn" (kara'at), alluding to how he removed his hand from Manasseh's head and placed it on Ephraim's.91 The word for "silver" alludes to the rightness of Jacob's response to Joseph's protest when Jacob gave Ephraim the greater blessing.92 Weighing 130 shekels, alluding to the 130 words in the passage describing this blessing.93 One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to Joseph, who was cast away (nizrak) from his father and sold into Egypt, and who became the sole administrative authority in Egypt. The word for "silver" alludes to the quality and truth of his words,94 in whose merit he was made viceroy of Egypt. Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to the seventy languages the angel Gabriel taught Joseph, for without this knowledge the Egyptians would not have made him their viceroy.95 Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how both Jacob and Joseph were righteous, and how their lives were similar. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to Jacob's right hand (kaf), which he placed on Ephraim's head. Weighing ten shekels, alluding to the ten words describing how he did so.96 Filled with incense, alluding to how Jacob was imbued with prophetic spirit when he did this. One young bull, alluding to Abraham; one ram, alluding to Isaac; one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to Jacob,97 for Jacob included Abraham and Isaac in his blessing to Joseph's sons. One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to Joseph—whom Jacob also included in this blessing—for his brothers stained Joseph's coat with the blood of a he-goat when they brought it to Jacob.98 For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the two parts of Jacob's blessing to Joseph's sons.99 Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals alluding to the three generations of Ephraim that Joseph saw,100 and who became clan heads.101 There were 5 of each to allude to the 5 words in the passage in which Jacob gave Ephraim preeminence over Manasseh.102 This was the offering of Elishama the son of Amihud.

[54] On the eighth day, the prince was from the tribe of Manasseh, Gamliel the son of Pedahtzur. In his offering, Gamliel alluded to his ancestors, Jacob and Manasseh. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to Jacob, because the word for "bowl" (ka'arat) can be permuted to spell the word for "torn" (kara'at), alluding to how he took the birthright from Reuben and gave it to Joseph. The word for "silver" alluded to the rightness of Jacob's pronouncement that Joseph would become two tribes.103 Weighing 130 shekels, alluding to Jacob's age when he came to Egypt to see Joseph.104 One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to Joseph, who was cast away (nizrak) from his father and sold into Egypt. The word for "silver" alludes to the quality and truth of his words, when he tried to put Jacob's hand back on Manasseh's head.105 Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to the seventy members of Jacob's household that Joseph arranged to live in Egypt.106 Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how both Jacob and Joseph were righteous, and how both of them fathered progenitors of tribes. One gold spoon weighing ten shekels filled with incense, alluding to the ten portions of the Land of Israel given to the tribe of Manasseh.107 One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the three generations of Manasseh who were contemporary with Joseph108 and who became clan heads,109 and the descendants of Machir, Manasseh's son, who took a land inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.110 One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to Manasseh's great grandson, Yair, who also took a land inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, but had no sons to bequeath it to.111 For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the two parts of the tribe of Manasseh, who inherited on the two sides of the Jordan. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals alluding to the three ways in which Joseph tried to give Manasseh preeminence over Ephraim: by placing him to Jacob's right, by lifting up Jacob's hand, and by verbally protesting Jacob's preference for Ephraim.112 There were 5 of each to allude to the 5 daughters of Tzelofechad, who received an inheritance in the Land of Israel,113 and to allude to how Jacob blessed Joseph's sons to multiply like fish,114 which were created on the fifth day.115 This was the offering of Gamliel the son of Pedahtzur.

[60] On the ninth day, the prince was from the tribe of Benjamin, Avidan the son of Gidoni. In his offering, Avidan alluded to his ancestress, the matriarch Rachel, and to her sons. His offering was one silver bowl, alluding to Rachel, because the word for "bowl" (ka'arat) can be permuted to spell the word for "matron" (ikeret), alluding to how she was Jacob's main wife. The word for "silver" alludes to the effectiveness of her prayer for a second son, who was Benjamin.116 Weighing 130 shekels, alluding to Jacob's age when Benjamin was born (100) plus Benjamin's age when he came to Egypt (30). One silver sprinkling-jug, alluding to how Joseph tested the righteousness of his brothers by means of his goblet.117 Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to the wine Joseph drank from this goblet, since the numerical value of the word for "wine" (yayin) is 70. Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how the Tabernacle was erected both in the territory of Joseph, at Shiloh,118 and in the territory of Benjamin, in Jerusalem.119 One gold spoon weighing ten shekels filled with incense, alluding to Benjamin's ten sons,120 who were all righteous. One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the three times the Temple would be built in Benjamin's territory: the first time by Solomon, the second time after the Babylonian exile, and the third time in the messianic era. One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to the Temple built by Herod, who was a sinful king and who rebuilt the Second Temple to atone for his sins. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the two kings who descended from Benjamin: Saul and Ishboshet, and to the two redeemers who descended from Benjamin: Mordechai and Esther. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals of five each alluding to the three ways in which Benjamin was superior to his brothers by the number five: (a) Joseph gave him five times as great a portion than he did the other brothers,121 (b) Joseph gave the other brothers one change of clothing and Benjamin five changes of clothing,122 and (c) Benjamin's descendant Mordechai was privileged to wear five royal garments.123 This was the offering of Avidan the son of Gidoni.

[66] On the tenth day, the prince was from the tribe of Dan, Achiezer the son of Amishadai. In his offering Achiezer alluded prophetically to his descendant, Samson124 the Nazirite.125 His offering was one silver bowl [ke'arah], alluding to the bread of the Nazirite's offering,126 which is baked in a mold (ke'arah). Weighing 130 shekels, alluding to the 130 words in the passage concerning conclusion of the Nazirite vow.127 One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to how the Nazirite is permitted to drink wine from such a jug once the period of his vow is concluded; to how Samson was spurned (nizrak) by his countrymen because he married a gentile woman; to how Jacob compared Dan to the snake,128 who God cast down (zarak) to the ground after the primordial sin; to how Samson was like a snake, in that he was lame in both feet;129 and to how Jacob blessed Dan to conquer the Jews' enemies the way a snake's bite makes the horse rider fall (nizrak) backward. Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to the numerical value of the word for "wine" (yayin), 70, and the 70 words in the passage concerning the defilement of the Nazirite,130 and to the 70 letters in Jacob's blessing of Dan.131 Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how both a defiled Nazirite and one who has successfully completed his Nazirite term must offer a bread offering at the end of the Nazirite period, and to how Samson became defiled before he cut his hair (by marrying a gentile woman) and after he cut his hair (by slaughtering the Philistines). One gold spoon weighing ten shekels, alluding to the ten prohibitions concerning wine incumbent on a Nazirite.132 It was gold because gold is reddish, like the color of wine. Filled with incense, alluding to the fact that whoever undertakes to be a Nazirite must do so for the sake of heaven, just as incense is offered for the sake of heaven. One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the three prohibitions incumbent upon the Nazirite: not to drink wine, not to eat grapes, and not to be defiled by the dead; and to the three prohibitions the angel gave to Samson's mother.133 One young he-goat [se'ir] for a sin-offering, alluding to the Nazirite's hair (sei'ar), which he must not cut. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the two types of serpent to which Jacob compared Dan: a snake and a viper,134 and to the fact that Jacob compared him to a snake and Moses compared him to a lion cub,135 and to the two times it is written that Samson judged the Jewish people for twenty years,136 and to the two pillars he toppled.137 Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals alluding to the three types of sacrifices a defiled Nazirite was required to offer,138 and to the three times that Samson smote the Philistines.139 There were five of each to allude to the five offerings a Nazirite was required to offer at the end of his Nazirite term.140 Three times five is 15, alluding to the 15 letters in the passage describing the miracle God performed for Samson with the jaw-bone.141 This was the offering of Achiezer the son of Amishadai.

[72] On the eleventh day, the prince was from the tribe of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran. In his offering, Pagiel alluded to God's choice of the Jewish people, this being the source of their happiness (osher). His offering was one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels, alluding to the 70 nations descended from Noah142 and the 60 descendants of Abraham who did not become part of the Jewish lineage: the 16 descendants of Keturah,143 Ishmael and his 12 sons,144 Esau and his 16 sons and grandsons,145 the 11 Edomite chiefs,146 and the first 3 Edomite kings (for the others were not descendants of Edom).147 They were alluded to by bowls (ke'arot) because God rejected them, just as someone suffering from tzara'at—a symptom of which is greenish streaks (shka'arurot)—is rejected from society. The fact that the bowls were silver (kesef) alluded to their shame (kisufa). One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to how God chose the Jews for His mission and cast off (zarak) the other nations from it. Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to the 70 members of Jacob's household that entered Egypt.148 Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering [minchah], alluding to how God sent prophets—upon whom His prophetic spirit rested (nachah)—both to the Jews and to the gentiles, bidding them to accept the Torah. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to how only one nation—the Jews—heeded God's call and accepted the Torah. The spoon (kaf) alludes to the Torah, whose five books are alluded to by the five fingers of the hand (kaf). Weighing ten shekels, alluding to how they accepted the Ten Commandments. Filled with incense, alluding to how they were filled with enthusiasm for God's cause, as they demonstrated when they said, "We will do and listen to all that God has said."149 One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, alluding to the three "crowns" that God gave them as a reward for this enthusiasm: the crown of the Torah (alluded to by the coronet around the Ark of the Covenant150), the crown of priesthood (alluded to by the coronet around the golden altar151), and the crown of royalty (alluded to by the coronet around the table152). One young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding to the fourth crown, that of a good name,153 which a person earns by doing good deeds, which in turn atone for his sins. For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals alluding to the three classes of Jews: priests, Levites, and laymen, and to the three terms of distinction with which God described the Jews when giving them the Torah: "a special treasure," "a kingdom of priests," and "a holy nation."154 There were 5 of each offering, totaling 15, alluding to the five books of the Torah, the five commandments on one tablet, and the five commandments on the second tablet; and to the 3 patriarchs plus the 12 progenitors of the tribes. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

[78] On the twelfth day, the prince was from the tribe of Naphtali, Achira the son of Einan. In his offering, Achira alluded to the patriarchs and matriarchs. His offering was one silver bowl [ka'arat], alluding to Sarah—who was barren and the chief of the matriarchs—since the word for "bowl" (ka'arat) can be permuted to spell the words for "barren" (akeret) and "chief" (ikeret). The fact that only one was offered alluded to how she was the single righteous woman in her generation. The fact that it was silver alluded to the righteousness of her words. Weighing 130 shekels, alluding to how she lived almost 130 years.155 One silver sprinkling-jug [mizrak], alluding to Abraham, who was cast away (nizrak) from his homeland. The fact that only one was offered alluded to the uniqueness of Abraham.156 The fact that it was silver alluded to the righteousness of his words.157 Weighing 70 shekels according to the holy shekel, alluding to Abraham's age at the Covenant between the Parts.158 Both were filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain-offering, alluding to how both Abraham and Sarah were full of good deeds. One gold spoon [kaf], alluding to how Abraham subdued (kafaf) his animal nature and passed the ten tests God subjected him to.159 Weighing ten shekels, alluding to how they accepted the Ten Commandments. Filled with incense, alluding to how his deeds were as pleasing to God as the smell of incense. One young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year for an ascent-offering, one young he-goat for a sin-offering, alluding respectively to the sacrifices he offered in the Covenant Between the Parts: the cow, the ram, the dove and pigeon,160 and the she-goat.161 For the peace-offering: two oxen, alluding to Isaac and Rebecca. Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year, these three types of animals alluding to Jacob, Leah and Rachel. The total of 15 animals alluded to Jacob, Leah, Rachel and the 12 progenitors of the tribes. This was the offering of Achira the son of Einan.

84 This was the dedication offering of the altar: Unlike the rest of the tribes, Levi did not participate in the offerings. This is because the Levites are the legion of the Divine King, the servants of the Tabernacle. Just as a king does not bring presents to himself for the inauguration of his own palace, so the Levites did not bring presents to the Tabernacle, their home.

In another sense, however, the Levites are alluded to by the total given after the detailed account of each prince's offering. Whereas each prince, the representative of his tribe, personified a different aspect of our relationship with God, the tribe of Levi personifies our overall, total connection with God, just as the name Levi means "to connect" or "to accompany."162

The collective tally of the princes' dedication offerings is framed by two summary statements: "This was the dedication offering of the altar presented by the princes on the day it was anointed" and "This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed."163 These two statements indicate that although God had each prince give his offering on a different day, He considered it as if they had all brought their offerings on the first day and on the last day. This was because they were all selflessly united in purpose, as evidenced by the fact that they did in fact suggest giving their offerings together on the first day164 and that they decided to bring the same sacrifices, none of them seeking to outdo the others.165

God's point in considering it as if each prince gave his offering on the first day was to show that He did not give preeminence to any one of them over the others—they were all first

in importance and the first to inaugurate the altar, "activating" it on behalf of the entire Jewish people. God told Moses to have them present their offerings one each day only in order to illustrate that each tribe personifies a unique path within the framework of the Torah.

God also made it a point to consider it as if all the princes had given their offerings on the last day because only on the last day, after all the inaugural sacrifices had actually been offered, could the altar indeed begin to function as the altar for the whole Jewish people. It was therefore also important to show that each prince was considered the last to offer, that he was the one who could give the finishing touch.

Each prince was able to act on behalf of all the tribes only because each individual Jew does in fact comprise within himself every other Jew, and each tribe comprises in essence all the other tribes. Thus, each prince could in essence inaugurate the altar not only for his own tribe, but for the whole Jewish people, as well.

Through their offerings, then, the princes initiated the altar into its function of connecting us with God not only as individuals but also as individuals who together form a collective whole. There are three aspects of this unity:

  • Complementary unity: We each have our own strengths, and in order to succeed in our mission in life we must join forces with our fellow Jews, so that our individual strengths can combine and complement each other, each of us filling in what the other lacks and being completed by the other's assets. In this, we are conscious of ourselves as discrete individuals; this unity-of-parts was expressed by the fact that each prince brought his offering on a separate day.
  • Intrinsic unity: We all form one, collective entity, sharing one, common goal. This is our basic consciousness of ourselves as Jews, and was expressed by the fact that each prince brought the same offering and that God considered each of their offerings to have been brought on the first and last days.

Our complementary unity is possible only because of our more basic, intrinsic unity. Since, in our spiritual source, we are all one entity, our individuality consists not of our being truly distinct entities but of expressing a unique aspect of this common essence. Since each of us only expresses one aspect of our collective essence, we each need the rest of us in order to fulfill our collective and individual purposes.

Each aspect of unity has its advantage: intrinsic unity is a more sweeping, powerful unity, but complementary unity, although less basic, pervades our lives as private individuals.

Experientially, these two facets of unity are mutually exclusive: we live either as individuals (seeking to fulfill our individual goals through cooperation) or as parts of a whole (whose individuality has been submerged in the common identity of the group). In order to combine these two aspects of unity, we must be aware of a higher, third level:

  • Essential unity: We are all one, undifferentiated essence. In this, there is no consciousness of independent individuality whatsoever. The princes expressed this unity in their prefatory offering of wagons and oxen.166 As we pointed out, in this offering, all twelve princes acted as one person and acted individually only as parts of the whole.

In this consciousness, we do not view our individual lives and goals as divergent paths that distinguish us one from another. Rather, we see them as they are reduced to their bare essence: the Divine imperative to make the world into God's home.

Since we, our lives, and our goals are essentially all one, this essential unity enables us to live simultaneously with the consciousness of our intrinsic unity and our complementary unity. We can be aware of ourselves as forming one whole even while involved in our individual lives.167

The virtual group-offering of the princes on the first day is analogous to our general, overall connection to God, which serves as the basis of our individual endeavors in the path of Godliness. This is true both conceptually and temporally: we are all required to begin each day more or less the same way, by acknowledging our basic connection to God when we first wake up and unfolding this awareness into full consciousness in our morning prayers. Only then do we go our separate ways to pursue our particular tasks in life.

The virtual group-offering of the princes on the last day teaches us that even while engaged

in our individual tasks in the scheme of creation, we should bear in mind that the overall enhancement of our connection with God is not only the foundation of our day's work but its purpose and goal, as well.168

85 The weight of each silver bowl was 130 shekels: Even though the Torah is here focusing on the sum total of all the princes' offerings together, it nonetheless repeats the unit weight of a single bowl, basin, and spoon. This teaches us that by joining together to form a collective totality, the unique, individual aspects of the princes' offerings were also enhanced. Becoming part of the greater whole did not undermine their individuality; it enriched it.

In light of our previous remarks, this means that our individual goals and lives are enhanced when they form part of the greater, collective purpose of the Jewish people. By taking its part in the totality of our efforts to make the world into God's home, our individual roles in this process become consummately significant. Analogously, the unity of purpose behind all our disparate efforts throughout the day can only combine into a whole after the day's work is done. And in a larger sense, all our individual efforts throughout our exile are only becoming fully manifest as parts of the greater whole now, as we stand on the threshold of the messianic future.169

89 God's voice could not be heard outside the Tent. Miraculously, the same loud voice that spoke to Moses at Sinai stopped short at the door of the Tent and did not travel further.170 Thus, both at Sinai and in the Tent, God's voice was stopped. At Sinai, it stopped in time: after the revelation, a horn was sounded signaling the departure of God's presence and voice.171 In the Tent, it stopped in space: the voice reached a certain point and went no further.

Much as we would wish it, we cannot be allowed to hear God's voice everywhere and always. If we could, we would be robbed of our freedom of choice. A world where God's voice is constantly heard does not challenge its citizens. It was God's desire to create a world of Divine silence, where through our efforts we can uncover God's concealed voice. It is our task to take what we heard during that short period at Sinai and in that small space of the Tent—and each of us has heard God's voice somewhere and at some time, however fleetingly—and transmit it to the rest of time and space.172