Parsha Naso
In this cycle, through the Torah, we will be taking a mystical journey. Our guide will be Rabbi Larry Tabick’s book, The Aura of Torah, published in 2014 by the Jewish Publication Society and the University of Nebraska. Translations of kabbalistic texts are by Rabbi Larry Tabick. Translations of the Torah and other commentaries are from Sefaria, except where otherwise noted. Translations of the Talmud are the Steinsaltz, William Davidson Talmud, on Sefaria.
Naso continues from Parsha Bamidbar with additional Levite roles. It then continues themes found in Leviticus, going over priestly rituals — the Sotah, the Nazarite, and the Priestly Blessing.
Bamidbar 4:46-47
All the Levites whom Moses, Aaron, and the chieftains of Israel recorded by the clans of their ancestral houses, from the age of thirty years up to the age of fifty, all who were subject to duties of service [literally, service of the service עֲבֹדַ֧ת עֲבֹדָ֛ה] and porterage relating to the Tent of Meeting.
For Thursday
Arakhin 11a:6-11b:1
- The Sages taughtin a baraita: The song that the Levites sing while a communal offering is being sacrificed is an indispensable component of the offering, which means that if the Levites did not sing, the offering is invalid. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: It is not indispensable.
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Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: From where is it derived that the basic requirement to accompany communal offerings with song applies by Torah law? As it is stated with regard to a Levite who serves in the Temple: “Then he shall serve with the name of the Lord his God” (Deuteronomy 18:7). What is this service that is performed with the name of God? You must say that this is the song, in which the Levites mention and praise the name of God.
The Gemara objects: But you can say that this service with the name of God is referring to the lifting of the hands for the Priestly Benediction, which also includes the mention of the name of God. If so, the verse is referring to priests, not ordinary Levites. The Gemara responds: From the fact that it is written: “At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi…to serve Him, and to bless in His name” (Deuteronomy 10:8), it can be derived by inference that the Priestly Benediction is not considered service, as the verse mentions service and the Priestly Benediction as distinct rituals.
Rav Mattana said that the source for the requirement to accompany the Temple offerings with song is derived from here: “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness, and with goodness of heart” (Deuteronomy 28:47). What is this service of God that is performed with joyfulness and with goodness of heart? You must say that this is song. The Gemara objects: But you can say that this service is studying the words of Torah, as it is written: “The precepts of the Lord are upright, rejoicing the heart” (Psalms 19:9). The Gemara explains: Torah is indeed called a matter that rejoices the heart, but it is not called “goodness.”
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The Gemara presents another source for the requirement that the song of the Levites must accompany the sacrificial service in the Temple. Ḥizkiyya says that this obligation is derived from here: “And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites…he was master of lifting, because he was skillful” (I Chronicles 15:22). Do not read it as “he was master [yasor] of lifting,” but as: He shall sing [yashir] with the lifting of his voice.
The Sage named Balvatei said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said that the requirement for the Levites to accompany the Temple offerings with song is derived from here: The verse states with regard to the Levites: “Every one that entered in to do the work of service” (Numbers 4:47). What is work that must be performed in conjunction with another service? You must say that this is song.
Rabbi Yitzḥak says that the requirement to accompany the Temple offerings with song is derived from here: “Sing aloud to God…Take up the melody, and sound the timbrel, the sweet harp with the lyre” (Psalms 81:2–3). Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said that the obligation is derived from here: “Those yonder lift up their voice, they sing for joy; for the majesty of the Lord they shout from the sea” (Isaiah 24:14).
And a tanna cites a derivation for the requirement for the Levites to accompany the Temple offerings with song from here: “But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the holy things belonged to them: They bore them [yisa’u] upon their shoulders” (Numbers 7:9). By inference from that which is stated, “upon their shoulders,” don’t I know that they bore them? Why must the verse state “yisa’u”? The term “yisa’u” is not stated here in its meaning of “they bore them,” but rather as an expression of song. And similarly, the verse states: “Take up [se’u] the melody, and sound the timbrel,” and another verse states: “They lift up [yisu] their voice, they sing for joy.”
Ḥananya, son of Rabbi Yehoshua’s brother, says that the requirement for the Levites to sing in the Temple is derived from here: “Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice” (Exodus 19:19).
The Sage named Balvatei said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said that the requirement for the Levites to accompany the Temple offerings with song is derived from here: The verse states with regard to the Levites: “Every one that entered in to do the work of service” (Numbers 4:47). What is work that must be performed in conjunction with another service? You must say that this is song.
This indicates that God responded to Moses, who was a Levite, by commanding him about matters pertaining to the voice, i.e., that the Levites must accompany the sacrifices with song.
For Saturday
Rabbenu Bachya, 13th century, Spain
“Joy to the righteous is the doing of justice” (Proverbs 21[:15]….lKing] Solomon intends by this to teach us that a person should be happy when performing the commandments or when seeing others perform them. Hence, it says “the doing of justice” and not “when he does justice.” It is known that the joy at the performance of a commandment is a commandment in its own right; and just as the commandment is service to God, so too is the joy at the commandment called service. Thus it is written, “[All these curses will befall you …] because you did not serve the Eternal your God with joy” (Deuteronomy 28[:46-47]), and “Serve the Eternal with joy” (Psalm 100[:2]), meaning that joy is the perfection of service.
It was for this reason that there was a song in the Temple and the Tabernacle. With singing and instruments, one conveys the human soul toward joy. And thus Scriptures says of the Levites that they had “to do the service of the service,” which our sages have interpreted [as follows]: “What is this ‘service’ for ‘the service’? You must say that this is song.” For the Levites were warned and commanded to sing and to stimulate joy at the [performance of] the commandment of sacrifice.
Bamidbar 6:23-27
Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:
The LORD bless you and protect you!
The LORD deal kindly and graciously with you!
The LORD bestow HIs favor upon you and grant you peace!
Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
For Thursday
Berakhot 20b:15
After citing the halakha that one who eats a quantity of food that does not satisfy his hunger is obligated by rabbinic law to recite Grace after Meals, the Gemara cites a related homiletic interpretation. Rav Avira taught, sometimes he said it in the name of Rabbi Ami, and sometimes he said it in the name of Rabbi Asi: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, in Your Torah it is written: “The great, mighty and awesome God who favors no one and takes no bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17), yet You, nevertheless, show favor to Israel, as it is written: “The Lord shall show favor to you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:26). He replied to them: And how can I not show favor to Israel, as I wrote for them in the Torah: “And you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:10), meaning that there is no obligation to bless the Lord until one is satiated; yet they are exacting with themselves to recite Grace after Meals even if they have eaten as much as an olive-bulk or an egg-bulk. Since they go beyond the requirements of the law, they are worthy of favor.
Rosh Hashanah 17b:17-18a:11
Beloreya the convert once asked Rabban Gamliel: It is written in your Torah: “The great, mighty, and awesome God who favors no one” (Deuteronomy 10:17), and elsewhere it is written: “The Lord shall show favor to you and give you peace” (Numbers 6: 26). How can this contradiction be resolved?
Rabbi Yosei the priest joined the conversation with her and said: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? To a person who lent his friend one hundred dinars and fixed a time for repayment of the loan before the king, and the borrower took an oath by the life of the king that he would repay the money. The time arrived, and he did not repay the loan. The delinquent borrower came to appease the king for not fulfilling the oath that he had sworn by the life of the king, and the king said to him: For my insult I forgive you, but you must still go and appease your friend. Here also the same is true: Here, the verse that states: “The Lord shall show favor to you,” is referring to sins committed between man and God, which God will forgive; there, the verse that states: “God favors no one,” is referring to sins committed between a person and another, which God will not forgive until the offender appeases the one he hurt.
For Saturday
Simcha Bunim, 19th century, Poland
In the Midrash Rabbah [it says]: “‘May the Eternal bestow divine favor upon you’- but does the Holy One show favor? Hasn’t [Scripture] already said: ‘Who does not show favor’ (Deuteronomy 10:17). The Holy One says: If they show me favor, I will show them favor. How? I have written in My Torah: ‘And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless’ [Deuteronomy 8:10]. If the Israelites sit down with their children and their household, but do not have enough to satisfy [their hunger], yet they show Me favor and recite the blessing, and they take care even with regard to an olive- or egg-sized [morsel], then ‘May the Eternal bestow divine favor upon you.'”
This statement is wondrous to the understanding. Thus, it seems that its meaning is that if an ordinary person gives an insignificant gift to a friend, the one who receives it does not consider it important at all. This is not the case if the king gives him a gift, even though it might be an insignificant one. It will nevertheless be of great importance because it is the king who gave it. And so the one who receives it gets greater pleasure from it than if he had received a substantial gift from an ordinary person.
The image applies also to the “Grace after Meals,” for even though it says in the Torah that we have to eat until we are satisfied [before saying the grace], this is from the side of those who receive. But when we realize that it is the Sovereign beyond all sovereigns who gives bread to all flesh and who prepares for each creature what it needs and what sustains it, then even if we have eaten only an olive-sized morsel, we consider it very important and gain very great pleasure from it since it comes from the Eternal, according to the analogy above.
And this is the meaning of the midrash: “How? […] If the Israelites sit down with their children and their household, but do not have enough to satisfy [their hunger], yet they show Me favor and recite the blessing”– that is to say that they contemplate from who the food has come and recite the blessing, and because of the greatness and importance of the One who gave it, they have pleasure from a small amount, and from this do they derive satisfaction and so recite the blessing. This is the meaning of the notion that they show God favor. Understand!
This is an attribute [of God] too, for the Holy One shows them favor and enjoys the insignificant service that they have performed before God, because God contemplates from whom this service comes, [appreciating] that we are [merely] human and of limited intellect, but serve God just the same. This is the explanation of “May the Eternal bestow divine favor upon you.” Understand, because it is profound.