NUM53 "to shine" -- This refers to the light of Torah, as it is written (Proverbs 6:23):"For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah, light" (Sifrei)

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NUM54 See [[NUM55]] Numbers 6:27 bless BOROJMV 237-8

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NUM55 Shalom--what a beautiful word. We use it when we greet one another, as if to say, "Come in peace." It always carries Sabbath overtones, for our doubly meaningful greeting on the day of rest is "Shabbat Shalom." We use it when we leave one another, as if to say, "Go in peace until we meet again." But this is not a simplistic, passive statement. The root sh-l-m conveys the meanings "complete," "whole," or even "perfect." So to say "shalom" is to breathe the air of Jewish hope and human aspiration, wishing that the day will come soon when we are all fulfilled. No wonder, then, that loving peace, as the Psalmist puts it, or living to create peace, as the rabbis glorify it, is a climactic Jewish ideal, the outcome of worthy living, the chief virtue of Jewish character. The talmudic sages share this view and give shalom important mention in Jewish observance. Insisting that the whole purpose of the Torah is to create peace, they have directed that each time we complete our Torah reading, we return this precious scroll to the ark and chant: "Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are shalom" (Proverbs 3:17). We learn from those who compiled our traditional liturgy: "What was their reason for calling the morning petition for peace, sim shalom? Because it is written, 'So the priests shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and then I shall bless them' [this verse]. And the truest blessing of the Holy One is peace'" (Meg. 18a). The rabbis also made the prayer for peace the climax of our daily services, as a request for peace concludes the threefold priestly benediction: "May Adonai lift up His countenance to you and give shalom" [Numbers 6:26). Today many worship services end with a petition from Psalms, affirming this paramount virtue in our tradition: "The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (Ps. 29:11).

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NUM56 Perhaps the greatest display of the negation of competition in the Torah is not obvious from the text itself and is only brought to light by piecing together the remarks of the commentaries. The competition to donate the materials needed for building the Tabernacle (especially after the sin of the Golden Calf) had been very spirited. The people all rushed to donate. Rashi explains that the Nesi'im, the leaders of each tribe, intentionally waited until the people would finish bringing their donations, thinking that they would "top" the people by donating whatever that was missing (Rashi commentary on Numbers 12:3). However, the masses brought so much and so quickly that Moses had to actually tell them to stop, and the Nesi'im were left with nothing to bring (Exodus 36:5-7). Thus, Moses told them that each tribal leader would bring his own set of sacrifices during the twelve days of the dedication of the Tabernacle. The competition between the tribal leaders was on! The first Nasi, prince, to bring a sacrifice on the first day, the eminent Nachson, was a proven leader within the leadership tribe of Judah, and he brought a silver dish and silver bowl, both filled with fine flour and oil, a spoon made of gold full of incense, a bull, ram, and lamb as burnt offerings, a kid goat as a sin offering, and two oxen, five goats and five lambs as peace offerings (Numbers 7:12-17). This was quite a display and quite an offering. Now everyone was waiting for the next day's offering to see what the next leader would bring in his natural effort to try to top what Nachson had contributed. Who was to be second in line after Nachson? The Midrash, after citing the initial story about how the Nesi'im missed out in the original donations (the basis of Rashi's commentary), explains that there was great competition between the Nesi'im to be second, and Netanel was chosen by God to bring his sacrifice on the second day because he was a great Torah scholar, as the entire tribe of Yissachar was known as Torah scholars (Midrash, Tanchuma, Naso 14). Another Midrash affirms that Netanel was not only smart in Torah learning, but altogether very intelligent (Midrash, Beraishit Rabbah 72:5). This is very important to know because of Netanel's decision of what to bring. In fact, one commentary states that Netanel gave advice to all the other tribes about what was the proper sacrifice to bring (Ba'al HaTurim commentary on Numbers 7:18). What precisely did Netanel do and what did he bring as his sacrifice? Instead of joining the competition of what today has become known as the "Bar Mitzvah syndrome" mentality, where Jews often try to outdo each other in how special, unique, and expensive their Simcha (celebration) will be, Netanel, with his Torah and innate wisdom, decided to bring the identical sacrifices brought by Nachson, down to the last detail (Numbers 7:18-19). This way, he set the tone for the Nesi'im that followed during the next ten days. After two identical sacrifices one day after the next, each Nasi then fell in line and also brought the exact same sacrifice as the leaders from the first two days. Thus, Netanel created a situation in which the potential competition between these leaders was eliminated. Netanel's special "sacrifice" and advice are alluded to in Rashi. Rashi says that the verse says "he sacrificed" twice-only by his offering-in order to teach us that not only was he more deserving than the others because of his vast Torah scholarship, but also because he gave special advice to all the princes of each tribe to bring the sacrifices specifically in this manner (the same has he did, imitating the first offering of Nachson) (Rashi commentary on Numbers 7:19). These twelve sacrifices, brought in a non-competitive spirit, taught the entire Jewish people that there need not be the normal competition between tribes, and that everyone could work together without the need to be the "best" and outdo the other tribes. In fact, when these leaders brought all the sacrifices to the Tabernacle, the Torah records that the sacrifices were brought altogether, not in twelve separate wagons, but together in six wagons with two sacrifices in each wagon [this verse].

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NUM57 See [[NUM56]] Numbers 7:3 cart AMJV 76-7

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NUM58 See [[NUM56]] Numbers 7:3 cart AMJV 76-7

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NUM59 See [[NUM56]] Numbers 7:3 cart AMJV 76-7

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NUM60 Plato described the human body as a "living tomb," as a prison. Plato, Phaedrus 250. Jewish tradition compares the human body to the Temple, to a house of God. See e.g., Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 25:40, in standard editions of Hebrew Scriptures with commentary. But, to compare the body to the Temple assumes a prior vision of the Temple. At the center of the Temple was the Holy of Holies, the most sacred spot in the world. There one found the cherubs. What were the cherubs doing? "Rabbi Kattina said, 'Whenever Israel came up to [the Temple for] the Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the cherubs were shown to them. Their bodies were intertwined with one another and they were thus addressed: Look! You are beloved before God as the love between man and woman." On this text, Rashi comments, "They [i.e., the cherubs] cleaved one to the other, holding and embracing each other as the male embraces the female." Yoma 54a and Rashi there. These texts depict the Holy of Holies as a bedroom where the cherubs engage in the procreative act. And where does God dwell? Between the cherubs (this verse, and discussion in Abraham J. Heschel, Torah min ha-Shamayim, vol 1 (London: Soncino, 192), pp. 59-64. In this view, the most physical act can have the most spiritual meaning. As the Iggeret ha-Kodesh -- The Holy Letter, states: "If you comprehend the mystery of the cherubim, you will understand what the sages of blessed memory meant in saying that when a man cleaves to his wife in holiness, the divine presence is manifested. In the mystery of man and woman, there is God. ... Proper sexual union can be a means of spiritual elevation when it is properly practiced." The Holy Letter, Seymour J. Cohen, trans. (New York: Ktav, 1976), pp. 50, 48. Sexuality represents a stance of pro-creation and re-creation that aligns the individual with the rest of humanity as well as with the Divine image implanted within each human person. Already in Scripture, sexual experience is described as "knowing." See e.g. Genesis 4:1, I Samuel 1:19; Iggeret ha-Kodesh, p. 142. Sexual experience, coupled with love, desire, and will, can penetrate not only the mystery of sexuality, but the mysteries of knowledge of the world, of the divine, and of the self. (On desire love, and will, see Iggeret ha-Kodesh, p. 142. On love, and love of God, see this volume, chap. 3).

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NUM61 [Judah b. Tema] used to say: … the man of fifty is [of the age] to [give] counsel; Pirkei Avot, Perek V, mishnah 24. This too is implied in Scripture: The Levites were to start their training for sacred service at twenty-five, and actual work at thirty. But "from the age of fifty years," says Scripture, "he [the Levite] shall withdraw from the corps of the work and serve no more, but shall minister to his brethren…" [this verse]. How shall he minister to them? – – by giving them his wise counsel how they can best do their work, and so on. For (R. Bahya remarks) as the flesh grows too weak to bear the burden of physical labor as before, the intelligence grows clearer to foresee consequences accurately; then is he eminently suited to give counsel. And, says M'iri, "his advice will be sound; for good advice requires two things--human intelligence, and experience gathered in the course of time; as the ethical philosophers have said, the days must bring wisdoms." (Musare haPhilosofim, Frankfurt-am-Main 1896, I 10, 22 quotes in the name of Aristotle, "The days will teach you wisdom.") At fifty a man has already experienced a great deal, and his mental powers are yet in full strength… Thus his counsel is purified wisdom…" (A reverse interpretation has also been suggested: even at fifty a person should still have the good sense to seek advice when he needs it.)

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NUM62 Those who must bring the Pesach Sheni offering on the fourteenth of Iyar eat it on the night of the fifteenth with matzah and maror. See above, Parashas Bo, about the Pesach offering. As to the mitzvah of eating the Pesach offering with maror, several vegetables fall into the category of maror, but one enhances the mitzvah by using חסה (chasah), lettuce, because the term חסה very much resembles the word חס (chas), which means “pity.” By eating חסה (chasah) together with matzah and the meat of the Pesach, one is reminded how Hashem had pity on us when He redeemed us from the cruel Egyptians. Our hearts are awakened to reflect upon the many miracles that were done for us then, and we will speak of them at length and give praise and thanks for them.

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