STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
NASO 5778
“ON
ME ALONE”[1]
Toward the end of his Inaugural Address on
January 20, 1981, President Ronald Reagan spoke of monuments to heroism. Struggling
to control his emotions, he drew attention to “the sloping hills of Arlington National
Cemetery with its row upon row of simple white markers.”
He continued, “Under such a marker lies a
young man, Martin Treptow, who left his job in a small-town barber shop in 1917
to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division.” Treptow was killed while
serving as runner in the battle of the Ourcq River on July 29, 1918.
Reagan related that after Treptow was killed,
a diary was found in which he inscribed the following message: “America must
win this war. Therefore, I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will
endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the whole struggle
depended on me alone.”
Doctor Joel Berman[2]
related that in the IDF, if a soldier loses his gun he is sentenced to five
years in military prison. A soldier who falls asleep at his post however, is
sentenced to seven years in military prison. Falling asleep and failing to be
vigilant can endanger numerous lives, and is therefore a more serious violation
than being careless with a weapon.
At the end of Parshas Naso, the Torah relates
each of the offerings donated by the Princes of each Shevet during the first
twelve days of Nissan. Although they all brought the exact same offering, the
Torah repeats each one, symbolizing how special each one was to Hashem.
The Torah introduces the topic by stating, “Vayehi
– And it was the one who brought the offering on the first day, Nachson ben
Aminodov of the tribe of Yehuda.”[3]
The Medrash[4] notes
that the expression “Vayehi” is one of distress – “Vay-
Woe!” The Medrash offers various
explanations as to who was distressed at that time.
Oznayim laTorah suggests that the entire
nation was in distress because this was shortly after the sudden deaths of
Nadav and Avihu in the Mishkan. It occurred shortly after a heavenly fire
descended upon the Mizbeiach, symbolizing the commencement of the Avodah in the
Mishkan. In a moment intense national celebration was transformed into
overwhelming grief. “And your brethren the entire House of Israel shall bewail
the ‘burning’ that Hashem has ignited.”[5]
At that moment, the princes paused. They were
to begin offering their special korbanos that day. But who could offer a personal
korbon immediately after such a paralyzing tragedy befell the nation?
It would seem that Nachson ben Aminodov would
be the last person to offer his korban that day. His grief was more intense
than anyone else because Nadav and Avihu were the sons of his sister Elisheva,
the wife of Aharon. It was his nephews who had died.
Yet his fellow princes chose him. Just prior
to the Splitting of the Sea, at that frightful moment when the Egyptians closed
in upon the hapless nation and the sea was raging before them, it was Nachshon
who plunged into the sea. He had no idea that a miracle would occur but his
unyielding faith in Hashem impelled him. When the sea reached his nostrils, it
split before him, and the nation was able to proceed.
The princes reasoned that Nachson would be
able to sublimate his own grief, in order to serve as an example for the entire
nation of selfless Service to Hashem. A korbon symbolizes man’s willingness to
sacrifice his entire being for the honor of Hashem. There was no one more
fitting than Nachshon who could master his own feelings and offer such korbanos
for the honor of Hashem.
Regarding what occurred just prior to the
Splitting of the Sea, the gemara[6] relates
two different opinions: “This one (tribe) said ‘I will descend (into the sea)
first’, and this one said ‘I will descend into the sea first’. The tribe of
Binyamin jumped in and descended into the sea first.
“Rabbi Yehuda says that is not the way it
transpired. Rather, this one said, ‘I won’t descend into the sea first’ and
this one said ‘I won’t descend into the sea first’. Nachson ben Aminodov jumped
in and went down into the sea first.”
According to the first approach mentioned in
the gemara, what was the basis of their argument regarding who should plunge
into the sea first. The sea has more than ample place for everyone to jump in
simultaneously?
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt’l[7]
explained that although the other tribes claimed to want to enter the sea first
it wasn’t with complete personal abandon.
The Medrash[8] asks
“What did the sea see?” In other words, what caused the sea to split? The
Medrash answers it saw the bones of Yosef[9].
Yosef was a strikingly handsome seventeen-year old bachelor, rejected from his
family, and all alone. Yet, incredibly he refused the advances of a beautiful
woman who desperately tried to seduce him and threatened him with terrible
suffering for resisting. Yosef overcame his nature in a most profound manner.
At first the sea did not want to alter its
natural flow. But when it saw the bones of Yosef who had overcome his own
nature, it felt compelled to alter its own nature as well.
As the nation stood facing the ominous sea
with the Egyptians behind them, Moshe urged them to faithfully proceed into the
sea. Each tribe declared that they would be willing to descend first, but only
if they were grasping the coffin containing the bones of Yosef. They understood
the powerful symbolism and protection that those bones would offer, and they
were only confident to continue with them.
The tribe of Binyamin however, countered that
there was no time to waste. If Hashem willed them to proceed that did not
require any propitious symbolisms or protections. Therefore, while all the
other tribes converged upon the bones of Yosef, Binyamin plunged into the sea
with nothing but their unyielding faith in Hashem.
It seems that the same was true about
Nachson. He too did not seek the protection of the bones of Yosef, but rather
he plunged into the sea with total faith and a feeling of responsibility that
the fate of the nation rested upon his shoulders.
The holiday of Shavuos is a celebration of
our acceptance and compete subjugation and adherence to Torah. The Torah not
only contains the guidelines of halacha, but also provides us with a framework
for every aspect of our lives.
Nachson was the ultimate example of one who
lived by his faith and was undeterred by anything that could shake his faith. It
made him worthy of being the ancestor of Boaz, the Davidic dynasty, and the
eventual birth of Moshiach. A king has to be able to put aside his own personal
agendas and desires for the betterment and welfare of his kingdom.[10]
During times of national panic and mourning,
the nation was able to draw comfort and encouragement from the sterling example
of Nachshon. That too became the legacy of his descendants Dovid and Shlomo,
and will be the legacy of Moshiach.
“And this one said ‘I will descend into the
sea first”
“On the first day, Nachson ben Aminodov of
the tribe of Yehuda”
Rabbi Dani Staum,
LMSW
Rabbi, Kehillat New
Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance
Counselor – Heichal HaTorah
Principal – Ohr
Naftoli- New Windsor
[1] Based on the
lecture given at Kehillat New Hempstead, Shabbos Kodesh parshas Naso 5777
[2] Dr Berman was
a soldier in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). He is currently a beloved rebbe, teacher,
and Assistant Principal in Heichal HaTorah
[3] Bamidbar 7:12
[4] Bamidbar
Rabbah 12:7
[5] Vayikra 10:6
[6] Sanhedrin
36b-37a
[8] Bereishis
Rabbah 87:8
[9] Based On
Yosef’s instruction prior to his death, his bones were carried out of Egypt and
accompanied the nation throughout their travels in the desert. They were
eventually interred outside Shechem.
[10] It is
interesting for us to contrast such lofty ideals of true monarchy with the
disgrace of what has become of the remaining royalty in our world. This week
the world watched a prince marry a movie star, both of whom do not live
exemplary lives as role models for others.
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