When you Choose Shabbat, you choose to learn that every Shabbat is different and special. This week we read from Parashat Naso (נָשֹׂא), the 35th weekly Torah portion in the annual cycle of Torah readings.
According to Wikipedia, Naso (נָשֹׂא), Numbers 4:41 to 7:89, contains 8,632 Hebrew letters, 2,264 words, 176 verses and makes up 311 lines of the Torah scroll.
Naso contains a plethora of information about the Priestly duties including the Priestly Blessing, camp purification, restitution for wrongs committed, the consecration of the Tabernacle and more.
Rabbi Michael D Klein of Temple Torat Emet offers his insights on this week’s Torah reading, Naso for Shabbat, June 7, 2025 aka 11 Sivan 5785:
“In the past week we celebrated Shavuot, Zman Mattan Toratenu – the time of receiving the gift of the Torah. In this week’s Sedra, Naso, Aaron the Kohen Gadol blesses the people of Israel with the threefold Priestly Benediction. He asks for G-d’s physical and spiritual sustenance and that G-d impart the blessing of peace upon his people.
Unfortunately, what transpires next is anything but peaceful. The people, fearful of the journey to come, begin to murmur and rebel against Moses and Aaron culminating in an eventual rebellion which leads G-d to decree that all, except for Joshua and Caleb, from the generation of the miraculous redemption from Egypt, will perish in the desert and only their children will enter the Promised Land.
Why, the commentators ask, did the People of Israel, even after having received the Torah and the Priestly Blessing, fail to achieve their goal and become sidetracked by the fear of the coming challenges?
Very often in life, when we are faced with seemingly monumental tasks, we lose perspective. We become so burdened by the morass of fear that we perceive everything in life as a great burden-an insurmountable mountain. We are surrounded by blessings but all we can perceive are restrictions .
The generation of Egypt could only perceive themselves as slaves and could not possibly imagine the wonderful goals that G-d had planned for them. That generation also was enmeshed in the inability to show gratitude for all they had witnessed and received. Too often we become overly engaged in the trivialities of daily existence and fail to perceive the bigger plans that G-d has empowered us to accomplish.
Our Sages teach, ours is not the task to complete the work but neither are we excused from continuing it. We must be ever cognizant of our role in healing the broken world which we have inherited and, like Caleb and Joshua, use G-d’s GPS to steer ourselves toward a life of Torah and Mitzvot. It is only then we can truly become cognizant and appreciative of the myriad gifts which G-d has given us and the tools for success which we possess.
Questions for Thought and Discussion:
- Describe the division of labor within the Tribe of Levi as enumerated in Sedra Naso.
- The negative murmuring that begins in Naso continues in succeeding Parshiyot. What Rabbinic adage does this illustrate?
- Why is it logical that the census of the Tribe of Levi is separated from the other Tribes?
- Why is the chapter dealing with marital jealousy included in this Sedra?
Rabbi Michael D. Klein attended Yeshiva College of South Florida and served as Torah Reader, Hebrew teacher, Chazzan and spiritual leader of various synagogues throughout South Florida. In January 2015 he became Ritual Director, Bnai/Bnot Mitzvah instructor and 7th grade Hebrew instructor for Temple Torat Emet of Boynton Beach. In October 2019 he was accepted into an accelerated track and received his smicha from Yeshiva Adath Wolkowisk and has been the Rabbinic leadership of Temple Torat Emet since August 2020. In September of 2022 he was appointed Rabbinic and Spiritual Advisor of the Florida Region of FJMC.
Choose Shabbat; choose to celebrate, to light candles, sing songs and learn a little Torah.
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