By Shuli Carroll

As scary as it is to send an email to so many people like this, I have a few ideas about Naso, the 2nd parasha in the book of Bamidbar.

The beginning of this longest parashah in the Torah continues what started last week, finishing the census of the Levites and their respective duties regarding the mishkan, or Tabernacle. The census counts men in the Levite tribes between the ages of 30 and 50, those who can do things for the ohel moed, or Tent of Meeting. This is particularly specific, not just counting everyone but focusing on men of certain ages. This quantifies people and singles them out, just as Miriam Michaels mentioned in last week’s d’var torah. The recent chultzot decision at veida allows all movement members to be counted, not just those who are older than MBI.

Next the ritual for a cheating wife is outlined, for a woman who dishonored herself with a man not her husband, or if her husband suspects her of doing so. The priest presents a curse that will take effect if she is guilty but leave her unharmed if innocent. Included in this is a sacrifice and a ceremony with a meal offering that ends with the woman drinking water containing the ink of the curse should she be guilty. Nazirites are not allowed to drink wine or intoxicants, cut their hair, or be near dead bodies. If a Nazirite is near a body there is a series of tasks to perform to resanctify himself, including cutting hair and bringing sacrifices to the ohel moed. This is followed by the priestly blessings, that are recited in various prayers and blessings of the children in contemporary practice.

The last, and possibly longest, section of Naso is the list of offerings to the mishkan from each tribe, brought on separate days to the mishkan by the head of the tribe. All gifts are identical, yet described individually and in detail as if different.

These are silver dishes with meal offerings and various livestock as burnt, sin, and well-being sacrifices.

There is a lot going on here but I’ll only touch on one part of it. The offerings to the mishkan, in recognition of its anointment, are brought to Moses over 12 days (one day for each tribe). Each tribe is responsible for bringing the specific items listed, and even though they are the same they are separately listed—acknowledging each tribe’s donation to the mishkan as unique. This strikes me that these responsibilities have to be outlined when they are all the same—couldn’t the totals just be listed at the end, instead of mentioning each one? This is a way to recognize everyone’s contribution and treat them personally, making sure people feel wanted and needed in society and making things run. Groups organize to effectively motivate change, individuals start movements to support what they care about, even politicians form committees (think the va’adot throughout machaneh and the movement) to plan what to do and how. All of these roles participate in society’s development, as change progresses.

This extends to t’nuati relationships as well (obviously), where we all contribute to the greater thing we are creating. In thinking toward the summer we can see this as individuals contributing to the shichvah, which in turn contributes to the whole machaneh. Likewise being part of a kvutzah involves acknowledging each other, and each kvutzah does its part for the movement, just as each machaneh builds part of HDNA.

Just a thought going into the week ahead.