Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89)

A weekly Torah exploration for families by Michael S. Raileanu, M.A.Ed.

A weekly Torah exploration for families by Michael S. Raileanu, M.A.Ed.

As the school year winds down, the book of Bamidbar (Numbers) is just heating up. We are now in the second parasha, Naso, Numbers 4:21 - 7:89. The parasha opens with assignments for who is supposed to do what and then moves on to some civil law. This is followed by the laws of the Nazerites (you know, like Samson - - - he comes later, though). Finally, the tabernacle is finished and so the people bring their first official sacrifices. By the way, have a great Shavuot and enjoy that cheesecake!

Nazerites, people who do not cut their hair, drink wine or vinegar, eat anything made of grapes or get anywhere near dead people are a group that no longer exists within the Jewish people. Why would someone want to live like this? Why have they disappeared? Would you want to be one? If you only had to do it for a short period of time, would you do it? Why or why not? What might people be trying to learn about themselves by living like this for a little while?
Even if the mom or dad of the Nazerite dies they cannot come close to them. Why not? What does Judaism generally think about the purity or impurity of dead bodies? What do we think about it today? What special things do Jewish people do for the dead?
When a Nazerite is finished with their time of being a Nazerite they have to bring a whole bunch of sacrifes to the Tabernacle. Why would they have to bring the sacrifices if they have just spent a ton of time as a Nazerite? They have been very careful about what they have and have not done for a long time and before they can re-enter the regular people they have to sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. Why is that? Wasn't it enough that they had restricted themselves so much?
Nachshon ben Aminadav was the first to offer a sacrifice in the Tabernacle (Num 7:12). When else has he gone first? What does this say about ol' Nachshon?
All of the sacrifices listed are exactly the same. Why do we need to read the whole long list, name by name, if all of the sacrifices are the same? What do we learn from the list? If everyone donated the same amount to your shul how might they be listed? What does it teach us that all of the tribe, large and small all brought the exact same thing? What might you have expected?