Parshat Naso; Leviticus 4:21-7:89

One of the highlights of this week’s portion, Naso, is the Priestly Benediction. The three fold blessing given by the priest to the people. Poetic in nature, the blessing is used during the worship service as well as at special occasions. The parents bless the children with these words at the Shabbat table and these sacred words can be heard at B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies, weddings and baby namings. It is an all purpose blessing and a very ancient one.

During holy days in an Orthodox synagogue, it is traditional for the descendants of priests to gather in front of the congregation to offer this blessing. Often called duchening—for the platform used in ancient days was the duchen. The blessing also has unique hand signs that are used by the priest or Kohen. The hand is spread in the shape of the Hebrew letter shin, the first letter of one of God’s names—Shaddai, Almighty. The kohen stands in front of the congregation. Sometimes the kohen drapes the tallit over the head and it has become traditional for the congregation not to look at the priest while the blessing is being intoned. As is taught in the Zohar -“It matters that the Divine Name is reflected in the fingers of the priests’ hands so although people cannot see the Shekinah they out not to look towards the hands of the priests, as that would indicate irreverence towards the Shekinah.” The hand sign of the priest was the model for Leonard Nimoy’s Spock character in Star Trek when Mr. Spock would say, “Live Long and Prosper”.

The blessing:
May God bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon you and be smile upon you.
May God’s face be lifted toward you and grant you peace.

These words clearly ask for God’s Divine presence and graciousness and divine gifts of peace to be bestowed upon the one who is being blessed.

In Torah it is only Moses who meets God face to face and whose face radiates after the encounter. And in this blessing the descendants of Aaron now invite the people of Israel to that same encounter of the Holy One. No intermediary. But the blessing wishes for the one is being blessed that same immediate experience of God’s glory.

Clearly to have that kind of intimate knowledge of God is unique. And to ask for that intimate knowledge of God requires one to have a special nature. The blessing calls out to us to live up to that goodness and that prophetic quality.

Bamidbar; Numbers 1:1-4:20

With this week’s parasha the fourth book of the Torah begins. After the instructions in ways of the priesthood that filled Leviticus, Bamidbar, the book of Numbers will return to the narrative of the experience of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. The Hebrew name of this book of the Torah conveys just that—in the desert or in the wilderness.

However, this week’s parasha begins with instructions to Moses by God to “take a census” of the community and household of Israel. Hence the English name—Numbers. For that is what Moses does—he counts the numbers of the clans, tribes, and each and every household listing the names of every male. The portion records names and tribes of those who will help in this undertaking and also records the numbers of men in each grouping.

There is strength in numbers goes the saying. And this portion supports that idea. How can you prepare to enter the promise land and meet the natives there without knowing your strength or without knowing how strong an army you will have? Hence, the tribes are counted, especially those able bodied men who will become the Israelite army ready to enter the promise land and take possession of it as promised by God.

The tribes are also assigned their place and order in the encampment. With the Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting and the Ark of the Covenant at the center. The tribes then take their ceremonial place surrounding the Tabernacle with the Levites forming the encampment closest to the Tent of Meeting. On the South Side closest to the tabernacle is the Kohathites (part of the Levites) and the Division of Reuben made up of the tribes of Gad, Reuben and Simeon. On the East side closest to the tabernacle is Moses, Aaron and his sons and the Division of Judah made up of Issachar Judah and Zebulun. On the North side closest to the tabernacle is the Merarites (part of the Levites) and the Division of Dan made up of the tribes of Asher Dan and Naphtali and finally on the west side of the Tabernacle is first the Gershonites (Part of the Levites) and the Division of Ephraim made up of the tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim and Benjamin.

The Levites are not counted. They have a special calling already and will not be a part of the conquering army that will eventually be led by Joshua. The Levites also will not be given a portion in the Promised Land. The tribe of Levi will not have land holdings. Instead the priesthood has been given the unique task of nurturing the relationship between the Israelites and the Children of Israel. This is their portion. But towards the end of the Parasha—the Levites and the line of the priesthood is delineated and their duties are recounted. Further the different clans of the Levites, the Cohanim, the Merarite, Kohathites and Gershonites each have a unique responsibility in dismantling and rebuilding the portable tabernacle through the desert. While the parasha only describes the duties of the Cohanim and the Kohathites, next week’s parasha picks up and describes the Merarite and Gershonite duties and responsibilities in detail.

Ironically, while in the wilderness, there the Children of Israel find order. They find their place, their clan and tribe. In the unpredictable, open expanse of the wilderness, the Children of Israel through their relationship with the Divine find community, purpose, a calendar, rituals and even laws. They create the basis for a society that is honed in the wild, to be made ready for Promised Land. Out of seeming chaos comes more than just a random expression of civilization, out of chaos, out of the wilderness comes a society.

Expressed here is a theology of faith and belief and creation. Just as we read in the book of Genesis in the account of creation—out of the tohu v’vohu, the chaos and void, God created an order and saw that it was good. So too this is a similar creation story. First the universe writ large, then our Jewish universe created in the wilderness of Sinai.

God sees this as good – because the Promised land is waiting as ultimate fulfillment of creation—just as humanity was the ultimate promise of creation in Genesis.

May we learn from this parasha to take the wilderness that we all often find ourselves in and turn it into a laboratory not for wandering, but rather for learning, discovery and yes, preparation for entering each of our own Promised Lands.

Behar-Behukotai; Leviticus 25:1-Leviticus 27:34

With this week’s double portion we come to the end of the book of Leviticus. These portions really connect us to the importance of the land of Israel and the holy earth that the Promised Land is for the Israelites. Behar opens with a discussion of the sabbatical year of rest for the land. Observed to this day in the land of Israel, the shmitta year, or seventh year allows the sacred ground of Eretz Yisrael to rest and renew itself just as on each Shabbat, we human beings are to rest and renew ourselves for the coming week. The Sabbatical year is as we know good farming technique but this elevates it to a sacred obligation to care for the land.

The land and the passage of years and time continue to be a theme as the Jubilee year is described. The fiftieth year of the cycle, the Jubilee is both a sabbatical in terms of planting and harvesting but also in ownership. The property that had been previously sold must revert to its original owners. These were the tribes and clans that had been given it when the land was distributed after the conquest of the Promised Land. Further the Jublilee year releases any slaves as well. Slaves go free.

These verses in Leviticus are quite amazing because they contain in them a unique theology. The sanctity of the land is emphasized through the institutions of the sabbatical year and the Jubilee year. These mitzvot remind us that we do not really ever own the land; instead we must be stewards of the land. God is the ultimate land owner and while we are able to utilize the fruits of the land through our labor, we human beings are reminded through the sabbatical year and Jubilee year observances that there is indeed a Higher Authority at work in the miracle of creation and ownership too!

This is a good reminder in our overly –commercial world where money and acquisitions seem to form the core of our society, that there is more to life than acquiring the most cars, clothes, money, property, and things. While our capitalistic culture emphasizes happiness through shopping and ownership, these ancient verses from Leviticus remind us that perhaps there is another way to think about ownership. That God is the ultimate owner and we are but lent the materials. Further the mitzvot as described in Leviticus helps to equalize society—by redistributing both property and power relationships. It certainly causes us to take a moment to reflect upon the ways in which money and property can cause us to be distracted from leading a life, which puts God and spirituality at the center. This holds true with the ideals of giving tzedakah, which further emphasizes our obligation to care for those in our society who have less. The theology is the money we have must in part be redistributed to the poor because ultimately the money is not ours but all belongs to God.

These verses from Leviticus also hint at the possibility that perhaps, we might use the tools of money and property to create positive relationships with our neighbors and fellow citizens. It emphasizes fair business dealings and admonishes us to not exact an advance or accrued interest. If only those at Mastercard and Visa would read the Torah!

This view puts taking care of basic human needs ahead of profit. Caring for each other in a society is not only the mark of a civilized society but of a spiritual one. These verses in Leviticus help us to honor our fellow neighbors even when the power differential might be explicit. But it admonishes us too, because the ultimate power differential is that God is above us all.

May we read these verses from Leviticus as a humble reminder that all we prize is but lent to us by God. May we be good stewards while it is briefly in our possession.

Emor; Leviticus 21:1- 24:23

Jewish holidays and holy days give a unique and special rhythm to the year. We know this from the basic description of the Shabbat. Shabbat and its observance have its own rhythm and lend a unique flow to the week. We look forward all week long to Shabbat and savor its presence and are wistful as she leaves us. We know this from the intensity of the fall holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah that takes us from the heights of introspection and forgiveness to the joy and celebration of the harvest. It is matched by the spring holidays of Pesach and its emphasis and reminder of our liberation experience linked to the 50-day period of the counting of the omer that leads to Shavuot, which celebrates the revelation at Sinai. Each holiday not only acknowledges the seasons of the year, but often seasons of life and in particular the seasons of life of the Jewish people: rest and renewal, redemption and revelation, liberation and celebration. Each of these holiday and holy days also describe a unique connection with our God and has a unique set of observances connected with it.

While the modern Jewish calendar has some non-Torah additions such as Chanukah, Purim, Tisha B’Av, Yom Hashoa and Yom Haatzmaut, the core of our holiday cycle is described in this week’s Torah portion, Emor. The yearly calendar is described in detail including a brief reminder of Shabbat.

The Torah portion describes the set times and season of sacred gathering and dedication to God. As they are described in this week’s portion they are amazingly recognizable—the Feast of Unleavened Bread—of course Pesach. You shall count off seven weeks—the counting of the omer; The Day of blowing of the Shofar and The Day of Atonement, The Fesast of Booths—Sukkot and the eighth day of Shemini Atzeret. While today our holiday celebrations have additional observances added through the years and adapted to a non-sacrificial Judaism that we have now, we can see in the Torah portion the core of our holiday calendar.

Each of these holy days and holidays helps us to appreciate our world and our relationship to God in the world. The holidays serve as reminders of the gifts that the Jewish people have received be it the harvest, freedom or Torah on Mt. Sinai, or a weekly respite from work that we call Shabbat. The holidays and holy days make also remind us that our relationship with God is a special partnership. We offer thanksgiving for the bounty of our lives, or ask for forgiveness and God provides and heals. A special partnership that we call our covenant is fulfilled by the rhythm of the year.

Dan Millman a speaker and writer, stated: By expanding our deepest beliefs about what is possible we change our experience of life.

Our holiday cycle does just that—it helps us expand our deepest beliefs and ritualize them. And thus we change our experience of our life and the life of our people. It helps us examine our place in the world and our potential. It gives a voice to our fears and our hopes. The holiday observances help us to put into a unique perspective our interaction with others and yes, with God.