Voices of WRJ: Naso

Along with most of you, I am sheltered at home. Despite quite a number of Zoom meetings, happy hours, and educational opportunities, I probably have more extra time in my life than usual.  So, it is fitting that I would choose to write about the longest Torah portion – Naso (lift up)! This is the second portion in the Book of Numbers or B’midbar (wilderness).   There is much to study in this parashah. There are rules dealing with impurity, laws of the Nazarites, instructions for a wife accused of adultery (the sotah), and a passage that we are probably most familiar with – the Priestly Blessing. Yet, there are also passages of enormous detail about the gifts that each tribe brought for the dedication of the altar. Did I mention that this is the longest portion? There are nearly 80 verses that describe the gifts that each tribe brought and how each chieftain presented their offerings on a separate day. And to add to the drama, each tribe brought more than 25 gifts and each day every respective chieftain presented the exact same gifts as the previous chieftain! Seriously made re-gifting a problem!

Our tradition teaches us that Torah has no wasted words, consequently there must be a reason why all 12 tribes gave the same gifts. Commentators have suggested that although the gifts were described as identical, each tribe’s gift had special symbolism and was therefore unique. I can seriously understand this as I own many pairs of black shoes that are unique and have special symbolism! Alternatively, each leader might have had a different motivation and experience, thus offering a special interpretation to the same gifts.

In these most unusual months and days of 2020, what lessons can we learn from this parashah? 

Although it may seem a bit sardonic, we can all certainly envision many days in a row that appear to be exactly the same. Were the Levites feeling that sense of dèja vu each time the same gifts were delivered by different people? Or were they able to look at each new day and experience it as distinctive, productive and special? Could they appreciate the unique sense of gratitude in both the receiving and the bestowing of gifts?    

And further, what about the individuals in the tribes who theoretically witnessed this repetition of giving? Did they feel diminished when offerings were repeated? Or did they realize that in thinking about how, when and why we share our gifts with others, we recognize our common humanity?

What are your personal gifts that you can bring to the community during these challenging and stressful days during our global pandemic? And I assure you that if we each bring these same gifts; it would not be a problem!

• Can you show caring by communicating with a friend, relative or acquaintance?
• Can you make face masks or donate to those who are making them?
• Can you share cooking or food delivery tasks or donate to those who do?

Surely our ‘tribes’ are bringing gifts every day as well.

• Our tribe of family, whether it be biological or chosen, offers support and strength. Clearly for me, daily repetition of this can never be overrated!
• Our congregations offer companionship, education and spirituality.
• Our WRJ community continues to raise the bar for giving! WRJ still makes much needed gifts from our YES Fund. WRJ still enables us to speak with one voice on the moral and social issues of our day. And WRJ is creating new and powerful ways of connecting us to one another.

We are all together on this journey through our current B’midbar. Wilderness by definition is a place or time without orienting landmarks, and not a place in which most of us enjoy being. Yet as Torah teaches us, it is often in the wilderness that sacred and transforming moments occur.

It is my hope and prayer that we each find our way through this unknown place and that as we lift each other up, we encounter those blessings and sacred moments.

Lynn Magid Lazar is a Past President of Women of Reform Judaism. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA where she is a proud member of Temple Sinai and an honorary lifetime trustee of Women of Temple Sinai. She serves on the board of URJ and is an officer of WUPJ. Lynn is a flexible person who totally enjoys being a Bubbe!