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ANSWERS FOR THE GILYONOT FOR THE
STUDY OF THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION - Prepared
By Yitshak Reiner
Parashat Naso (5726-1966)
Chapter 7
The Princes
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- The difficulty is why the Torah repeats the story of each of the
offerings, in detail, of the 12 princes twelve times being that their
offerings are identical without any changes and it would have been
sufficient to detail the first offering and say "and then so-and-so
made the same offering".
- A branch from that tree - part of the study regarding the Sanctuary
This matter - the offerings of the princes
We will feel this glory through the repetition of the story - so that
we will feel the great extent of the contributions brought by the
people and their leaders through the numerous repetitions.
- Eat and review so that every one will understand, remember and
take upon him the model of the idea of contributing.
- According to the Ramban, for the priest of the next
generation.
-
- In chapter 1, verse 4 they were called only "the heads of
the fathers' house" and therefore G-d extolled them. In chapter
1, verse 16 "These were the men of mark in the congregation,
princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousand in Israel".
In verse 2 (chapter; 7) the Torah states: "And the princes
of Israel offered" and subsequently calls them "the heads
of their fathers' house", which is a title of lesser importance
than prince. This is how they saw themselves, only as the heads of
their fathers' house. However the Israelites used a title of respect
and dignity calling them "the princes of the tribes", "who
stand about the numbered."
Finally (7:10) ""And the princes of Israel offered…on
the day of anointing it. This time they hurried on the day that
the Sanctuary was anointed and did not wait to be the last to make
the offering. In addition, they did not personally bring the offering
but "it was brought" by others. According to his method:
"and they brought"princes" is used alone without "heads
of their fathers' house".
- In verse 2 it is stated: "and the priests of Israel offered"
and the object is missing. What did they offer? Rabbi Moshe Hefetz
explained the lack of the object saying that they (the princes) are
the object, that they offered themselves, they relinquished their
respect and allowed the Israelites to be the first to contribute to
the Sanctuary. Therefore, what is the meaning of "the heads of
their father's houses - the princes of the tribes", after all
it states that they were the princes of Israel? But the Israelites
pointed to them (accepted them) as the princes of Israel but they,
themselves, considered themselves as heads of heir fathers' house
and what is written testifies to their being princes of the tribes.
-
a. They brought themselves, as it is written "and they brought".
b.Before G-d - before the priests and they did not dare to approach
the Sanctuary. Only afterwards is it stated, at the end of the verse,
at a later stage, that they offered before the Sanctuary and even
there, not before the altar.
Their reward was that G-d commanded Moshe himself to personally receive
their offering and not the priests and that he (Moshe) should show
them respect, measure for measure.
- Woe to the authority that buries its owners:
The original meaning is: the exalted role, the authority, by the weight
of the work and the weight of the responsibility and all of its tasks,
shortens the life of a person = buries its owners. He uses the word
"Rabbanut" = authority, i.e. that the high position brings
ill will.
Servants who broke out (i.e. came running) from among their masters
According to Samuel I chapter 25, verse 10, he plays herewith with
the expression "today the servants who broke out (away) from
their masters fought".. The meaning of today the servants who
broke out (away) from their masters fought = the rebels. Here he explains
the servants who broke out (came running) from their masters = servants
who received instructions from their masters.
- The punishment according to verse 11: "and G-d said to Moses,
one priest per day, one priest per day, as if to say to them,
wait, slow down, not burst out, not all of you at once in a
demonstrative manner: we the priests are coming!
- According to the Midrash, the story here praises them; they learned
a lesson from the matter of the Sanctuary and this time they were
the first to offer their offering.
Rabbi Moshe Hefetz: Although in the beginning they acted with humility
and modesty, "and they offered", "and they brought"
by themselves. However, in the end, they became proud and were pushed
ahead to be the first = on the day it (the Sanctuary) was anointed
in order to earn respect.
- "And when Moshe came…to speak…"
Who is the speaker? It appears that it is Moshe is the subject and
he is the speaker. But this is only an assumption.
Moshe is the subject but G-d is speaking to him, as it is written
in Psalms: All eyes are turned to you, to give = so that You,
G-d, will give.
In a more exact literary formulation, one would imagine that the subject
of the origin with "lamed" (ì) in front of it, is
not the same subject as the main sentence. No "everyone"
gives, but rather You.
Moshe is not the speaker but rather G-d is speaking to him.
- Samuel David Luzzato himself explains the passage in Jeremiah:
"Answer us, I would ask, if it were possible". In other
words, the prophet is not talking to Him but rather is expressing
a hypothetical wish, were I able to speak to you.
- Ibn Ezra: "and when Moshe came" is the continuation
of "and He called Moshe". G-d called Moshe in order that
He - G-d - would speak to him. The subject -and G-d called -, is the
subject of origin of speaking. Therefore, this is the same method
employed by Samuel David Luzzato in which G-d is speaking with him
and there is no "speak to Him" regarding man and G-d.
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