The early part of Naso continues with the special duties of the tribe of Levi. The family of Gershon is given the task of carrying the curtains and tapestries of the Tabernacle, while the family of Merrari is commanded to carry the beams, poles, and sockets that comprised the walls of the Mishkan. A number of ritualistic laws follow: the sending out from the camp of certain people including those who had tzara'at (a skin disease) or who had come into contact with the dead. The process of atonement is described for a person who had stolen from another - which of course included full restitution! This is followed by the laws and procedures for the Sotah (the accused adulteress); and the Nazir.

Next comes one of the most familiar parts in the Torah: the commandment for the Kohanim to bless the people.

The Haftarah comes from the book of Judges, and deals with the appearance of an angel to a couple who were to be the parents of Samson. They were instructed to bring him up as a Nazir, a person who did not cut his hair, or consume grapes or their products. This is the connection with the sedra. There is a major difference, however: A regular Nazir took on the vows for a limited period of time, whereas Samson's condition was for life.

Points to Ponder
More than half the portion details the offerings brought by the princes of each tribe at the time of the dedication of the Tabernacle. These offerings were brought over a period of twelve days, one day for each tribe. As these offerings were identical, why does the Torah repeat the details of each one?

A careful reading of the first part of chapter seven shows that in fact all the princes brought their offerings on the day that the Tabernacle was dedicated and that it was Hashem instructed Moses that the offerings should in fact be spread over twelve days. Why was this so?

After the description of each day's offerings, the Torah then tells us of the grand total, again pointing out that they were all brought on the first day. Why the need for so much detail?

The answer to these questions is simple, yet powerful. The fact that each prince brought the same amount without trying to outdo each other, displayed a rare degree of unity, which was so remarkable, that the Torah finds it necessary to detail every single offering. This unity was so beautiful that Hashem wanted to draw it out over twelve days of dedication. However, they had actually all been equally enthusiastic and brought their offerings on the first day.

This section is preceded by the priestly blessings and followed by a statement that Hashem spoke to Moses from between the Keruvim - cherubs. This implies a return of G-d's presence among the Israelites, which had been absent since the Golden Calf. Unity of purpose meant that they were worthy of this and deserving of the priestly blessing.

Shabbat Shalom