Parashat B’midbar/Shavuot/Naso
Numbers 1:1 – 4:20 (B’midbar)
Numbers 4:21 – 7:89 (Naso)
The first two portions of the fourth book of the Torah – B’midbar and Naso – describe the setting up of the structure and rules for maintenance of the Israelite camp as it was to travel through the wilderness, away from Mount Sinai, and toward the Promised Land. These two portions are always read in close proximity to the holiday of Shavuot, the anniversary of the gift of the Torah at Mount Sinai. B’midbar is read either right before Shavuot – as happens this year – with Naso following the holiday, or else Naso is read right before Shavuot. Thus the significance of Mount Sinai is always recalled in relation to these readings.
It is therefore appropriate that we find in Naso a text that has been chosen to stand for the entire Torah. It is a very short text, comprising only 15 Hebrew words. It is the Priestly Three-fold Blessing: “May the Eternal bless you and care for you; May the Eternal’s Face shine upon you and be gracious to you; May the Eternal’s Face lift up to you and grant you peace.” (Num. 6:24 – 26)
These words were chosen by our tradition to be the first words of Torah that the Jew studies every morning after reciting the blessings thanking God for the gift of the Torah. It is remarkable that the section of Torah chosen by the tradition was not the Ten Commandments, say, or the Sh’ma. It was these three verses.
As we approach the holiday of the giving and receiving of the Torah, when we think about what the Torah means to us, we may become overwhelmed by its complexity, density and sheer volume of content. We struggle with embracing its many demands, its challenging stories, its ancient concepts and language. The Torah means many things to many people. And, honestly, often we are not really sure what it means to us at all. In choosing to highlight these three verses of blessing, the tradition seeks to give us a lens through which to see the Torah in its entirety:
“Here, in these 15 words, is the whole Torah,” says the Tradition. “Whatever else is in the Torah and whatever else the Torah may be saying, know that its essence is to be oriented to the future, as a hope for blessing and caring, for light, grace, uplift and peace.”
All the rest is commentary.
Shabbat Shalom v’Hag Same`ah
Rabbi David Greenstein
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Image: “Sunset in the Dessert” by Sebastian Schulz is licensed under CC BY 2.0, image has been altered and is used with permission.
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