Parashas Nasso

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Nasso and starts out teaching us about Levi's Son Gershon's Tribal responsibilities , of what they are to " Nasso " " Carry . " In the previous Parsha , we discussed what the Kohathites ( Levi's other son' Tribe ) carried and so here in this Parsha , we mention what Levi's other son's Tribes ( Gershon and Merari ) " Nasso " - " Carried . " In this Parsha , we also discuss the Nazarite and so the Haftorah for this Parsha is in Shoftim - Judges 13 : 2 - 25 , which also talks about a son who will be born to the Tribe of Dan , who is to be a Nazarite , the famous Shimshon Samson .
In this Sedra , HaShem Tells Moshe to " Nasso " - " Take " a census of the sons of Gershon according to their Father's household and families from 30 years old and up to 50 years old and HaShem Tells Moshe what their task will be , to carry the curtains of the Tabernacle and The Tent of Meeting , It's Cover and the tachash ( unicorn ) cover , the Screen of the Entrance of The Tent of Meeting , the lace hangings of the Courtyard and Altar , their ropes and all utensils of their service and they shall be under the authority of Aharon's son Ithamar . Then HaShem Tells Of the count to be made of Merari's Tribal families , from 30 yeas of age and up till 50 , and their work will include the carrying of the planks of The Tabernacle , It's bars and pillars and sockets. , the pillars of the Courtyard all round and their sockets , pegs and ropes for all the utensils and work and the Tribal families of Merari , will also be under the authority of Aharon's son Ithamar . HaShem Then Commands the Children of Israel , that they shall remove from the Camp , all with tzaraas , all who had a zav emission and all that are contaminated by a human corpse , whether male or female , they are to be expelled to the outside of the Camp . The underlying essence within this Sedra is also one of Purity .
HaShem Then Commands That if a man or woman commits a sin , in reference here to theft , they are to confess their sin and make restitution for their guilt in it's principal amount and add also a fifth to it , and give it to the one they indebted . If the one they wronged , is not alive and has no kinsman , then the debt is paid to HaShem , by giving it to the Kohein .
HaShem Then Discusses the Laws of the Sotah , the wayward wife , who is unfaithful to her husband . The Law of the Sotah is so important to HaShem , that HaShem Will even have His Own Name erased , in order to ensure purity in our Nation . Purity and Tznius and Modesty and Family Purity and Faithfulness , between husband and wife , so important is faithfulness between couples , to HaShem . But what is the Law of the Sotah ? If any man has a wife that goes astray , and thus commits treachery against him , which is like committing treachery against HaShem , this man can bring this case up for judgement . In this case , the Testing of the Sotah , will only act , if the man himself has been pure and faithful himself and if he has treated his wife correctly as far as he not straying . The case can be brought against the wife , if the husband suspects his wife of being carnally with another man , where it was hidden from the husband , where she became secluded with the other man , and where , in this seclusion , she could have become defiled , but not forced , but there was no witness against her defilement , so that only HaShem Would Know . This negative action alone , would cause a spirit of jealousy to reach the husband . The husband has to first warn his wife about this man , for she should not seclude herself with any other man but her husband . The husband is to bring his wife near and stand her before HaShem , and thus before the Kohein . The husband is not to have any physical relations with her after he accuses her , before she is tested with the Waters of the Sotah . If he does so , she is not tested and he forfeits the test . The man is to bring his wife to the Kohein and an offering with his bringing her , the offering is to be the offering of jealousies , and so , frankincense is not to accompany the offering , for it is not a positive kind of occasion as an offering and is not to be sweetened with frankincense . The offering is to be a tenth - ephah of barley flour , a meal offering of remembrance and reminder of iniquity . The reason that barley flour was chosen , was that barley flour , is the lowest form of flour , and is usually used as animal - feed , and is thus representative of such a low and physical action of adultery , where animals don't engage for holy spiritual reasons , for adultery is totally unholy , and thus is a show of how she let her physical carnal animalistic desires come to the fore . 
She shall stand before the Kohein and he shall adjure her many times and try to persuade her to admit her guilt ,for if she does , the Sotah test does not need to be performed . She is dressed in a way that is low physically , for she let her physical desires rule her . Where before , she used her physicality to attract the other man , now she is dishevelled and made to look as unatractive as possible . The Kohein shall then take the Sacred Water in an earthenware vessel ( representative of her earthly unholy physical desires ) , and the Kohein shall take from the earth that is on the floor of the Tabernacle ( in Temple times , there was a specific tile in the Temple floor that could be lifted and earth taken from there ) and put it into the Sacred water , and the woman shall be stood before HaShem , and her hair uncovered , as she did for the other man that was not her husband , and upon her hands , that she used for cheating on her husband , shall be put the meal offering of remembrance - a meal offering of jealousies , while in the hand of the Kohein shall be the bitter waters that cause curse . 
The Kohein shall adjure the woman to try and have her confess , asking her the words pertaining to this stage of the test , that are written in the Torah . The Kohein shall then adjure the woman with the oath of the curse , and repeat the words that are written in the Torah that she shall be rendered a curse and oath to her people ( for her name will always be connected with her adulteress actions from then on ) , when HaShem Causes her thigh to collapse , that she lay with , near the other man , and her stomach to distend , that she used to eat delicacies and drink wine with the other man to entice him . The Kohein repeats this and she is to answer two Ameins . The reason that she answers two Ameins , is for the man she is standing accused of being with , and in case she was with any other man , that is not known of by the husband . 
The Kohein shall then inscribe these curses that are written in The Torah , on a scroll and erase it into the bitter waters . It is here , where HaShem Is Letting His Holy Name be erased , which shows how important is fidelity and faithfulness to HaShem , between husband and wife . The Kohein shall then take the meal offering of jealousies from the woman's hand , and wave it before HaShem , and he shall offer it on the Altar . The Kohein shall then scoop up from the meal offering , its remembrance and cause it to go up in smoke on the Altar . The woman is then to drink the bitter waters . If she has committed treachery against her husband , the waters will come into her for bitterness ( for the bitter action that she did ) and her stomach will distend and her thigh will collapse and this woman shall be a curse amid her people . But if she had not become defiled , she is pure and will be Blessed to Given seed - offspring . The man with whom whe was with , if she did commit adultery or was unfaithful to her husband , will get the same fate instantly as she gets , no matter where he might be . Even if she was innocent , the very fact that she isolated herself with another male , is not how the purity of our people are to be , and so , she brought upon herself , the test of the Sotah . It once happened that a woman had committed adultery and she had a twin sister . They thought they could trick the test , by swopping places , by the other twin sister who had not been involved in the Aveirah , taking the Sotah Test . She was obviously proved innocent . But when she went back to the city where her sister , who was the one that had committed the defilement and deceit against her husband , was waiting for in , when both sisters , in happiness for thinking they had gotten away with it , hugged and kissed each other , the waters of bitterness , passed from the twin sister , to the real wife , and she died with all the curses of this Test , at that very moment . After a time , when the Jews were living in later Temple times , the people became less and less holy , and so were not even worthy of this test , for so many were not pure as they should be , and so the test was stopped . HaShem Values , so very much , Purity within us . We Jews are to be a Pure peopIe , unto HaShem , and not engahge in the practices of the other nations that were in Canaan before we came into the land . We are to be a Holy people , Modest and always pure and holy unto HaShem . 
Unfaithfulness to one's spouse is unfaithfulness to HaShem , Who Blesses Couples with their partner . One who can be unfaithful to a partner , will be unfaithfull to HaShem . This fact , the Prophet Hosea talks of a lot in his Book in the Tanach . 
The Torah then discusses the Laws of the Nazarite , akin to the Haftorah of this Sedra . The Nazarite is one who chooses to live a holier life , abstaining from wine and grapes . All the days of his Nazarite vow , he is not to go near these products and he shall not cut his hair and not come near a dead person . Thus he chooses to take upon himself , so as to grow Spiritually in Holiness , the Laws like a Kohein Gadol . This portion of the Nazirite is mentioned in the Torah , after the Laws of the Sotah , for both deal with Purity and like a woman who used wine to entice her adulterer , the Nazirite does the opposite and abstains from wine . Should the Nazirite become contaminated during his Nazirus period , he shall perform the sacrificial offerings , and again begin the term of the Nazarite from the start . Torah also explains what the Nazarite is to do at the completion of the term . The idea of a sin offering also being brought by the Nazirite , has a specific purpose . Even though the Nazarite was trying to abstain for holy reasons . HaShem Gives us What He Does , even physically for enjoyment , that we consume , according to what is allowed , for us to partake of His Bounty . When we prevent ourselves by choice from partaking on what HaShem Has Allowed us , we are actually depriving ourselves from What HaShem Allowed us , and HaShem Knows Better . We Should thus be able to conrol ourselves and our desires in this World , no matter how we are tested . Holiness must always reign supreme . Also , as Ramban tells us , the Sin Offering , is for the return to physical not lasting pursuits in this World , which this person now returns to , after completeing the term .
Torah then Tells us of the Holy Priestly Blessings , which the Kohanim are to say , when they Bless the People . 
The Priestly Blessing is in three verses , which the Kohanim nowadays say on Yom Tovim , in the Shul . Originally the three verses were said as one long verse , by the Kohamim , and the people , whom the Kohanim are to face , with their hands raised and fingers split in the way Halacha teaches , originally was said with us saying a single Amein after the full Blessing was completed . Now we say an Amein after each verse . The hand positions of the Kohanim , were done so that there would be five openings between their fingers and two on the outside , making seven , like Moshiach and the holy number seven . HaShem's Shechinah Would Filter Through these gaps and thus , Through the Kohanim , who stand before us with no shoes out of respect , and so , we would thus be Blessed By HaShem . In days of old , the Kohamim would do this every day and then it became only on Shabboses and Yomim Tovim . Now we have it on only Yomim Tovim . 
Torah then continues with the offerings brought by each Tribe by their Leader , on the Day that Moshe finished erecting the Tabernacle and anointing It , Sanctifying It and all It's Utensils, and the Altar and all It's Utensils . Moshe had erected the Tabernacle and taken it down each day , but on this day it was set up as a permanence .
We note that each Tribe Miraculously brought the same things . This was a Miracle , for each Tribe thought at the same moment , to bring the same things , without knowing what the other Tribes would bring . Each Tribe had its common reason as well as it's own personal reason for bringing what it brought , in the numbers of each item that it brought , that had a common purpose with the whole of Israel , as well as a personal reason that had something to do with that particular Tribe , in It's history . Also , each Tribe's Offering was repeated , even though it was the same as each other Tribe , for HaShem Was Showing that each Tribe's Offering was special to HaShem . 
As an example , the weight of the one silver bowl was 130 shekels , which was , as Ramban tells us was the age of Adam ha rishon , when he had his child Seth Shais , in the Book of Bereishis . The one silver basin was 70 shekel in the sacred shekel , like the number of Moshiach and of the 70 nations in the World . The gold ladle of 10 shekels , was like the Ten Pronouncements that HaShem Pronounced In Creating Creation and also the Ten Commandments . As Ramban says , the word " Ka'arat Kesef " for the " Siver Bowl " comes to 930 in Gematriah , which was the age of Adam ha rishon , when he passed away . As Ramban tells us , the 5 rams , 5 he-goats and 5 sheep in their first year , as given by all the Tribes , and also given by the Tribe of Yehudah , comes to the number 15 , which were the number of Kings between Rehoboam and Zedekiah . 
So each and every thing in Torah , has its deep reason . At the end of the bringing , all is totalled , for the dedication of the Altar afer it was anointed .
When Moshe came to The Tent of Meeting , to speak to HaShem , Moshe heard HaShem's Voice Speaking to him from the top of the Cover , that was on The Ark of The Testimony , between the two K'ruvim - Cherubim , and HaShem Spoke to Moshe . Here , the Parsha ends .
The Parsha is called " Nasso " - " Take " but the word " Nasso " also means " Carry and Lift . " When we bring offerings to HaShem , or do HaShem's Mitzvos , we " Lift " ourselves up to HaShem and so HaShem " Carries " us To Him . We are in this Physical World to " Nasso " - " Raise " our Spiritual levels and be at one with HaShem . ln this World , we are here , to gain merit . We are not here to just waste our lives on empty Physical pursuits . This is what we can also learn from the Laws of the Sotah in this Sedra and also from the Laws of the Nazarite in this Sedra . Our lives are not just for a momentary value-less pleasure or lifetime of song and dance . We are here to gain HaShem's favor . We lost that when we were forced out of Gan Eiden , after the Aveirah , and HaShem , every day , Gives us the opportunity to Go Back Home . In Gan Eiden , HaShem " Nasso " - " Carried " For us , every need . Whatever we needed , was there for us to Be Gifted With From HaShem . That is HaShem's Love In Creation . We made the errors . We did the wrongs . We didn't listen to HaShem . And till today , we still disobey . We still want to do our own things , and don't appreciate , the Wonderful Miracles of HaShem's Laws , for our benefit , to be our pathway back into Gan Eiden , where HaShem " Nasso " - "Carries " us , In Love . We can see by HaShem's Abundant Creation , just how much , HaShem Loves us and Really Wants to Bless us with and Give us . All we need to do , is to listen to Him . He Asks this , for our sakes . HaShem So Desires , To Bless us With all His Goodness and Bounty Within Creation . The very word " Nasah " means " High and Lofty " ( Silverman's Dictionary ) . This is what the Mitzvos of HaShem Give us . To bring ourselves on high and be at one with HaShem . Every time we give of ourselves in doing what HaShem Wants , we " Nasso " - " Take " ourselves higher . HaShem Wants to Carry us . We need to Obey Him and Let Him " Nasso " - " Carry " us to Him . We need to be a part to completing the Beauty around us , by obeying HaShem Whole - heartedly and so take the final step into Gan Eiden . The Gematriah of the word " Nasso " is 50+300+1 = 351 and 3+5+1 = 9 , the number before 10 , where 10 is the number of completion . So , doing HaShem's Mitzvos , is the Step before " Nasso " - " Taking " ourselves up to HaShem and Letting HaShem Carry us Into Olam Habah , The World To Come in Gan Eiden and Shamaim . 
If we take the letters of " Nasso " and put them backwards , we get " Ashan " which is the root of the word " Ashanav " which means " Window . " ( Silverman's Dictionary ) So our very Obedience of doing HaShem's Mitzvos , opens the " Window " of HaShem's Shamaim Heaven to us and also allows HaShem's Beautiful Rays of Light to Shine Upon us , through HaShem's " Window " of Shamaim . 
We can't imagine the beautiful Merit , in each and every Mitzvah that we do . We are not , in this Physical Realm , on a level to fully appreciate the Amazing Value of each Mitzvah Of HaShem . Only when we have Done what HaShem Wants from us and raised our level to Holy Heights , will we be able to appreciate How Truly Wonderful and Magnificent , is each Mitzvah Of HaShem and how each Mitzvah " Nasso " - " Carries " us " High " and Opens For us , HaShem's " Window " into His Closeness and how , Through that Holy " Window , " HaShem's Rays Of Warmth And Light and Love , Shine Upon Us and Bring us close , " Nasso " - " Lifting " us and " Nasso " - " Carrying " us Into The Beautiful Arms and Hands Of HaShem HaKadosh Baruch Hu , HaShem The Holy One Blessed Be He . 
I wish HaShem With Immense and Beautiful Love , A Very Sweet and Most Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh With So Very Much Love , and to all my fellow Jews and all of Creation , a Very Sweet and Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh With Love .