Parashat Naso Numbers 4:21−7:89
Dear Friends,
At first glance, this week the Torah Portion, Naso, seems to reinforce the English name of this Book of the Torah, Numbers. It begins with what seems to be (yet another) census. However, the Hebrew does not simply say count. Instead, it really says take note of, or pay attention to the people that are being tallied. In saying “Naso Rosh – Lift up the head(s) of, ”it is telling those in charge that the individuality of the people is important. They are not just numbers. They are human beings, and they have their own stories, their own struggles and their own successes. All of which are noteworthy.
In fact, in the Book of Numbers, there is a great deal of humanity, of connection, and awareness of the human connection. Calling it the Book of Numbers sets us up to overlook all of that. If we allow ourselves not to be put off by the act of counting, but examine the “why” of it, we can uncover a wonderful lesson.
The first group in this portion to be counted are the Gershonites, this is being done for the purpose of a special task. They are going to serve a specific function at the tent of meeting, and what is being set up is a rotation schedule. Time commitment is to be shared, with time on, and time off. The principle seems to be one of not overburdening the people. Moreover, the ones who are to be tallied and assigned duties, are to be only between the ages of 30 years old and 50 years old.
Clearly, not just the time requirements have been considered, but the life circumstances of the Gershonites have also come into play. If they are too young, family constraints of young children would make time away too great a strain on the family. And at the age of 50, in those days, one might be a lot older than 50 seems now. The physical demands of the shlepping might be too much. So it seems that there was a mandated retirement age. Even in service to the Divine, there was the reality of human existence.
What are we to make of all of this in our day and age? The Torah is giving us an example of how to treat each other. We are not to be seen as two dimensional entities, or only a resource to be used. In our interactions with each other, there is a need to consider more than just our own needs. We are being shown that others have needs, demands on their lives, that need to be taken into account. We dare not see others only in terms of what value they can provide to us. That takes the idea of census literally, and turns human beings into just a bunch of numbers.
We are each much more than that. We each, as part of a community, have the ability to wield world altering power.
When we wish each other Shabbat Shalom, a Sabbath of Completeness, we should also be affirming that we see the other as not just a statistic, but as a whole human being, worthy of our attention and our caring.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Marv
rabbischwab@bethelsp.org