Nasso – Once Upon a Week

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Yehuda Bachana.

Parashat Nasso is the longest Torah portion. Its length comes from the list of gifts and sacrifices offered by the tribal leaders, which is repeated twelve times.

In addition to the leader’s offerings, our Torah portion tells us about the Levite census. We learn about the different tasks and responsibilities given to Levites in the Tabernacle, including its assembly and transportation. The Torah also deals with the sanctity of the camp, commanding every leper or unclean person to stay outside the camp. Our portion continues with the test of the ‘bitter water’, given to women suspected of infidelity by their husbands. Furthermore, instructions concerning both the Nazirite vows and the Aaronic blessing are presented.

The Word of God speaks much about family, because it is the first unit created by God. The family unit is a vital foundation for every society and every nation. The world we live in is full of anger, pain, jealousy and victimhood. How can we deal with these difficulties?

Much like the Torah, the New Testament also addresses family and the complicated relationships it creates. The New Testament provides us with all kinds of solutions, and actually instructs a unique way of life, built on mutual respect, partnership and trust in God. Our trust in God is the foundation of our confidence as believers.

He is the source of everything, and we are required to thank Him in all circumstances. Our prayer for every situation in life is that ‘Your will be done’. When we utter this prayer with intention, we accept the will of God in our lives, rather than our own desires. We understand that we do not always know what is best for us, and that we often get lost at the crossroads of life: shall I change my job or career? Shall I buy the house here or there? We put these questions before the Lord, saying ‘may Your will be done’.

It is important to clarify, that I am not talking about some psychological exercise. Rather, we aim for true obedience to God, making Him the center of our lives and putting Him first. When a person removes himself from the center, he will start to feel less angry, hurt and vengeful and he is no longer a victim. Instead, the desire to help, build and compromise alongside the willingness to let go, arises. If the person across from you is willing to come your way, to build and compromise –success is certain!

James asks a rhetorical question:

James also gives us an answer: all of it comes from selfishness: I want it, I want to be in the center and everything is about me. At the end, such attitude will damage us, because we cannot satisfy all our desires and inclinations without hurting others. Sometimes this viscous cycle can even backfire at us, being unable to stop, which could lead to the addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling or victimhood. Eventually causing us to distance ourselves from those around us.

The Messianic attitude - that of a believer - is that God is in the center, and everything is about Him. This changes our question to: how can we collaborate with others in order to serve Him? How can we cooperate and fulfill our own calling? Such an approach is very different from a self-centered attitude, because you are also important, and we want to find a way to mutual respect.

In real life, the ideal is not always possible. As people, we tend to get jealous, angry and suspicious. Parashat Naso portrays a suspicious husband and the test of the bitter water. We see a family with damaged personal relationships, where trust is lost. It begins with the description of the wife’s transgression.

However, soon we discover that there is no certainty of her guilt. Possibly, the husband got severely jealous. He distrusts and imagines things. The sages of Israel mostly see this section of the Torah in light of restoring family peace, mutual trust, and with it, the restoration of the family relationships.

Our Sages see this verse as proof of the sanctity of the family. The preparation of the bitter water includes washing off the text, which - in addition to the ceremony rules - also included God’s holy name. Nevertheless, for the sake of family peace and the restoration of trust, the name of God written on the parchment dissolves or washes off in the water. Our Rabbis see this as proof of the importance and the sanctity of the family. Yeshua grants the same level of holiness concerning the family unit:

Returning to the story of the unfaithful wife, the Mishnah states that husband also has to undergo the test of the bitter water in order to restore peace and trust in the family:

And if the accusations are baseless,

The Midrash says that if the woman were barren before, now she would not be barren anymore. Also, if she would give birth in pain and suffering, from now on she would not suffer any more. This specific couple went through a marriage crisis, and the goal is not to continue to get hurt and fight about the lack of trust or the false accusations. This interpretation encourages us to move forward to a better place. It gives the couple a gesture of goodwill, saying: ‘Yes, you went through a humiliating, embarrassing and hurtful experience; but, if you choose so, you have an opportunity to live a happy and fruitful life, filled with God’s blessings!’

After the bitter water, Parashat Nasso continues with the Nazirite vows. As with every topic, the opinions are divided. Some praise the Nazirites, while others express concern towards this idea. After the days of the vow, the Nazirite is commanded to offer a sin sacrifice, as if he sinned. Some commentators say this is because the Nazirite abstained from receiving God’s blessing of His pleasures to the people. Preventing this blessing requires a sacrifice.

The discussion about the Nazirite leads us to the question whether Nazirite asceticism can be seen as an ideal way. Should we strife to take such vows upon ourselves? I personally believe in the middle way and a balanced attitude.

The Nazirite did not choose the middle way, but rather an extreme one. Therefore, if the Nazirite vow takes too long, it is bound to bring more damage than benefit. It is easy to lose our balance quite quickly; then, instead of rising above, we would crash quickly to the mud of lust and desires.

A Nazirite can give up his money and property and donate his belongings to charity, but what about his family? He ought to oppose violence, such as serving in a combat unit and holding a weapon, but who will defend the country? He can forgive those who hurt him, but without pressing criminal charges, no one will stop the perpetrator, who would continue to hurt the innocent.

A Nazirite can spend all his time in prayer and Bible study; but, who will produce goods and cause the economy to grow?

As we see, it is impossible to build a functioning society, when most of its members are Nazirites. However, we can refuse certain things, people or foods that are standing in the way of achieving our goal.

Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians:

Professional athletes take care of their body and abstains from foods and habits that are bad for their performance, because they want to be the best and win. Apostle Paul tells us, that if a sportsman protects his body and prepares his body and soul for a competition and victory, to win temporary honor or a medal; then, how much more must we watch our bodies and souls and stay away from sin, in order to win eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Here Paul encourages us to refuse sin, bad habits and influences that will hurt our surroundings and us. If we know we are inclined to a certain addiction, we need to refrain from the environment or friends that will pull us to that direction. Paul urges us to stay away from temptation.

The topic of the Nazirite vow has many points of view, for example addressing it as a time-off. One could take some time of prayer and holy contemplation upon himself. The Nazirite laws are mentioned in this week’s portion:

The ‘time of their vow’, ‘until the period (…) is over’, addresses a certain time limit. Paul connects this vow to married couples:

Paul says that it is fine to take a certain period of time, dedicated to God to fast, pray and reflect. However, he does emphasize that it should be done in agreement. Far be it from us to take on such a vow one-sidedly. Such a decision could actually harm the family. The vows cannot come at cost of our loved ones. Even when decided together, as a family, a time limit is necessary.

After the rules for the Nazirites comes the priestly blessing. As a child, I used to visit the local synagogue with my father on Shabbat. The priestly blessing was one my strongest memories and impressive experiences.

The Cohenim (priests) would take off their shoes, completely wrap themselves in their prayer shawl, and then walk forward in holiness and awe. The powerful feeling must have been very tangible. In front of the Ark of the Covenant, the priests would recite the Aaronic blessing aloud. I can truly understand and feel the excitement and the special atmosphere during the priestly blessing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, which happens twice a year until today, namely during the Feast of Tabernacles, and the middle of Passover.

At the beginning of the Shabbat dinner we bless our children with the priestly blessing which is one of our oldest blessings. In the 1980’s, two silver amulets dating from the first Temple period were found during the excavations above the Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem. They dated from before the Babylonian exile and before the days of Jeremiah the prophet. The amulets were inscribed with the priestly blessing. This makes the Aaronic blessing the oldest Biblical text found until now.

Many commentators see this as a spiritual blessing, meaning

If we live by the spirit of God, His blessing and His protection will be upon us. Yet, at the same time it will not estrange us from others. On the contrary, those around us will see His light shining through our lives, improving our surroundings, and wanting to be part of it. This is exactly what Yeshua asks us to do.

Meaning, this blessing or request is that God will fill us with His spirit of wisdom to understand the Word of God, the prophesies, the promised Messiah, and that we may live accordingly. As Messianic believers, we point to Messiah, promised to the people of Israel. He is the same Messiah our prophets pointed towards and prophesied about. This person, this Messiah is:

Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of the living God!