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5760
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In the end of our long Torah portion we find a strange thing the same paragraph is repeated twelve times!
At the inauguration of the Tabernacle in the dessert, each of leaders of the twelve tribes brought the same gifts, and the Torah repeats it over and over again… What could possibly be the reason for this repetition? |
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5761
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In the beginning of this week’s section, Moshe completes the commandment G-d gave him last week, counting the Jewish people.
Why was it necessary to count the Jews? Obviously G-d knew the number, why did He order Moshe to count them? |
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5762
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Most of the eighteen commandments in this week's section are only minimally practical nowadays such as "Sota" and "Nazir".
But one of them is very important and real; the commandment of Repentance. |
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5763
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(Due to one day of Shavuot in Israel, we will be reading Parshat Naso on Shabbat. Outside Israel this will only be read next week. From next week we will be keeping in sync with where the readings are holding outside Israel, so there will be an Dvar Torah on Naso next week as well)
This week's section contains the strange and complicated commandment of the Sota. |
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5764
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This week's section concludes the counting (NASO) of the Levites begun in the
end of last week's section.
But this is strange. |
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5765
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This week's section means 'Lift up' and it precedes the holiday of Shavuot, when G-d 'lifted up' the Jews and made them a 'Kingdom of priests and a holy nation' (Ex. 19:6)
The Talmud relates that when the Jews got the Torah, the entire world shook. The gentiles ran to the leading philosopher of the time; 'Bilam, for an explanation and he told them: |
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5766
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This coming Friday will be the holiday of Shavuot and the day after, on Shabbat (In Israel), we read the second Torah portion of the book of Numbers, Naso. (Outside of Israel, where there are two days of Shavuot, Naso is read next Shabbat.) |
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5767
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This week's Torah portion contains eleven negative and seven positive commandments, one of which is the 'Blessings of the Cohanim'.
The Cohanim are the priestly tribe; basically, all Jews who are direct descendents of Aaron (Moses' brother). And the blessing they give is: "May G-d bless and protect you. May G-d shine His face to you and grace you. May G-d raise His favor and give you peace." (11:24-26) |
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5768
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This week's Torah portion, called Naso (Elevate), precedes the Holiday of Shavuot which celebrates the giving of the Torah 3,320 years ago by G-d to the Jewish people.
The Talmud tells us that at Mt. Sinai the Jews not only received the Bible but the Creator actually revealed Himself to all (about 3 million) of them and .... the dead were raised. The revelation was so unbearably intense that they all died and had to be miraculously revived with the 'dew' that will raise all the dead (in the End of Days). |
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5769
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This week's Torah portion always occurs on or around the holiday of Shavuot when the Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah.
Interestingly, Shavuot is the only of the Three Holidays for which the Torah gives no reason and which contains no Commandments that are relevant today. |
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5770
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This week's Torah portion (incidentally, the longest in the book) contains eighteen commandments and one of them is confessing sins (if we have any) to G-d. (5:7) |
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