Rabbi Frand on Parshas Naso
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion:
Tape # 103, Birchas Kohanim. Good Shabbos!
Count Also them: A Great Lesson in Community Service
In this week's Parsha, we find two important lessons regarding a
person's approach to communal work. The Parsha begins by saying
"Count Also (gam) the heads of the family of Gershom. What does the
pasuk [verse] mean when it says Also here?
We know that in the previous parsha we had the command to count the
members of the family of Kehas. The descendants of Kehas had the job
to carry the utensils of the Mishkan. They carried the Menorah, the
Table, the Altar, the Ark, and so forth. Those vessels constituted
the essence of the Divine Service in the Mishkan.
What was left for the family of Gershom? They were like, l'havdil,
the "second team." They carried the boards, the curtains, and the
other "less essential" items. The Torah is saying, by using the word
Also here, as follows: Lest we think that only the people charged
with carrying the important items, are themselves important; lest we
think that only for them is it appropriate to use the terminology
"Naso es Rosh" (literally 'lift their heads' or 'elevate') in
reference to counting them -- the Torah tells us otherwise. The
Torah says, "Elevate Also the family of Gershom." Don't make the
mistake of thinking of them as mere porters. Do not think that they
are any less important because of their apparently more menial task.
This is a great lesson in community service. When people work for an
organization, invariably there are jobs that have to be done that are
the more glamorous jobs -- the jobs that get the publicity and the
honor. When a person is the Dinner Chairman of an organization, he
is the fellow that sits on the dais; he is the fellow who says a few
words to the assembled guests; he is the fellow that receives the
'kavod.'
However, in preparation, leading up to that final dinner was a person
that made calls and a person that schlepped and a person that ran to
the printer and all the numerous items that go into making any type
of affair.
The Torah tells us that with G-d, what counts is that the job gets
done. For the job to get done requires a team effort. With G-d the
person who schleps chairs is no less significant than the person who
gets to present the plaque. To G-d, it was the same whether one was
carrying the Ark of the Mishkan or the wood boards of the Mishkan.
The Torah makes that point by stressing here -- elevate Also the
heads of the children of Gershom.
The Menachem Zion compares this to what we find by the tribes of
Zevulun and Yissachor. We see there, that those who help financially
are mentioned ahead of those who sit and learn ("Rejoice Zevulun in
your going out and Yissachor in your tents" [Devarim 33:18]) because
G-d knows that in order for there to be Torah in the Jewish People
there have to be both Learners of Torah and Supporters of Torah.
With G-d they are equally important. So too here, the family of
Gershom are just as important as the family of Kehas in the carrying
out of their Mishkan related duties.
Whether it is a glamorous job or a menial job, whether it gets honor
in this world or not, when a person does something for the community,
it is always important in G-d's eyes.
One Must Carry a Tune, Not a Chip on His Shoulder
Rav Gedaliah Schorr draws another lesson in communal service from a
second verse in this week's portion. It states (Bamidbar 7:9}
regarding the transporting duties of the children of Kehas, "And they
should carry it (yisa-u) on their shoulders." And yet, there is an
interesting Gemara in tractate Eruchin [11a] which interprets the
word "yisa-u," not in relationship to carrying but in relationship to
singing.
How ironic, says Rav Gedaliah Schorr, that the same word, which means
they should schlep on their shoulders, also means that they should
sing. There are two ways one can schlep something -- one can schlep
with a sigh or one can schlep with a song. When one is working for
an organization one can schlep and complain and be bitter about the
difficulties encountered. On the other hand one can keep in mind the
importance of the work and can work with a smile and indeed even with
a niggun.
The weight of community service has to be borne with a tune and with
enthusiasm. That must be the approach to Avodas HaTzibbur. Anyone
who has ever worked for any communal organization knows that the work
is full of aggravation. People rarely come up and say "Yasher Koach,
it was a beautiful job." They come with complaints and critiques.
One can put on a dinner for a thousand people. Everything can be
beautiful and one fellow comes up and his only comment is "Why did
you sit me next to the door?" That is his whole commentary on the
entire evening. The chairman has worked for weeks, and this is all
he gets? "Why did you put me next to the door?"
"On their shoulders they should lift it (yisa-u)". As the Talmud
says, the word yisa-u refers to song. In other words, forget about
it! The reward awaiting community service is very great. It should
be borne with a song, not with a sigh.
Peace Begins at Home
This week's Parsha contains the Priestly Blessing. Each of the
Priestly Blessings [Bamidbar 6:24-27] is said in the singular. The
reason is because a Bracha always has to be tailor-made for the
recipient. This makes perfect sense throughout the Priestly
Blessing, until we come to the final blessing "And may He grant Peace
to you."
We recently mentioned that Peace is the most important of all
blessings. "Without peace there is nothing" [Sifra Bechukosai].
"G-d did not find a vessel that could hold blessing other than Peace"
[Uktzin 3:12]. A person can have health, wealth, children,
everything. But if he doesn't have Shalom, he doesn't have anything.
Maseches Berachot, the first tractate of the Talmud, ends with the
words "G-d grants strength to His nation; G-d will bless His nation
with Peace" [Tehillim 29:11]. The last tractate in Talmud, Uktzin,
contains the above quoted Mishneh (G-d did not find a vessel that
could hold blessing other than Peace). Shalom is the key to
everything.
Peace and the lack thereof always involve more than one person. If a
person doesn't have peace with his wife or his neighbor, there are at
least two people involved. If there is no peace in the world it is
between countries. Why then, is the blessing for Peace in the
singular.
The Menachem Zion says that the premise of the question is a mistake.
Indeed, a person needs Shalom. But the most primary need for peace
is between a person and himself. One must be at peace with oneself.
If we look at people and talk with people throughout various stages
of their lives, we invariably find that people are torn about what
they should do and what they should not do. There is sometimes inner
conflict and inner turmoil about how people should lead their lives.
This is something that affects young and old, Jew and non-Jew. The
whole matter of "mid-life crises" is that a person has no inner
peace. He reaches 40 or 45 and asks himself "Is this what I really
want to do? Is this what it is really all about?" Again, there is
no peace.
The place where Peace has to begin is "at home" -- a person has to be
at peace with himself. People who are always upset, always fighting,
never happy with everybody else, are ultimately and essentially not
at peace with themselves. People who are disappointed; people who
are dissatisfied with themselves -- are dissatisfied with everything
else, as well.
Therefore, when the Torah gives us the blessing of Peace, G-d knows
where to start. He starts with the individual. "V'Yasem Lecha
Shalom." Once a person has inner peace, he can have peace with his
wife, peace with his family, and ultimately peace with the entire
world. But it starts with himself.
Personalities & Sources:
Rav Gedaliah Schorr -- (1910-1979) Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Torah
Vodaath, Brooklyn, NY.
Menachem Zion -- Rabbi Menachem Ben-Tzion Zachs
Glossary
Mishkan -- Tabernacle
l'havdil -- to distinguish (between a secular and a sacred example)
kavod -- honor
schlep -- (Yiddish) carry a burden from place to place
niggun -- melody
Avodas HaTzibur -- Service of the Community
Yasher Koach -- (idiom) Job well done
Bracha -- blessing
Shalom -- peace
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion (#103). The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is:
Birchas Kohanim.The other halachic
portions for Parshas Naso from the Commuter Chavrusah Series
are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
