June 5, 2025 – Dr. Susanna Kokkonen
Naso 5785 (2025)
Numbers 2:11- 7:89 (Haftarah: Judges 13:2-25)
Naso *, the name of the Torah portion in Hebrew, means “to lift up.” God instructed Moses to lift up the children of Israel. The Torah portion continues (from where we left off in the previous one) with a tribal census. Here the census continues with the duties of specific Levites.
It is remarkably interesting that in this Torah portion we encounter also two quite strange cases related to two types of individuals. The portion gives out related rules to deal with the situations.
Sotah
The case of sotah is related to a woman suspected of adultery. The Torah explains how the priest is to determine her guilt or innocence. To a modern person the whole situation may make no sense. A very precise way of examining her is commanded. But to us the whole ritual may seem irrelevant and even dangerous.
“May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries. Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it. The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water. He shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and this water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering will enter her.” (Numbers 5:22-24)
There is no doubt that the ritual reminds us of the famous witch trials. During these trials a person, often a woman, was accused of witchcraft. Many such trials took place in the 1600’s in Europe as well as famously in Salem in America. Similar things (as in the case of sotah) were used to determine women’s guilt.
But, here in the Bible, as we read more about the process, we find out that the ingredients as such would not kill anyone.
This fact means that a death would occur only if there was a Divine intervention. On the other hand, the husband would be sure of the wife’s innocence if she survived.
The whole ritual has to it an aspect of keeping domestic peace, thus making it modern and intriguingly psychological in its nature. Was the whole thing devised to calm the jealous husband?
The witch trials at the beginning of the modern era are an important part of history. To me they have a connection to the atmosphere of the Inquisition, the persecution of the Jews and the religious wars in Europe. Around 40 000 to 60 000 people were murdered, because of the European witch hunt.
Nazirite
The other case is that of a nazir, a person who takes a vow to not to drink wine or grape juice, not to cut their hair nor to touch a corpse. Anyone, a man, or a woman, can take the vow and it is for a specific period of time.
“The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long. Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. “(Numbers 6:1-6 NIV)
Judaism, unlike some branches of Christianity, does not encourage ascetism. At the end of the Nazirite period, specific offerings are to be made. Some have argued that this very thing relates to the fact that the whole wow was not desirable to begin with. Having said that, it is also true that a Nazirite is holy to God.
Breaking a Vow
In the related Haftarah from the Book of Judges, there is a story of a famous Nazirite Samson. Samson was one of the last famous judges of Israel, but he is more known for his physical strength, his mistakes, and his tragic end than wise judgment.
Samson ended up losing his God-given strength by betraying his own secret to the alluring Philistine woman Delilah. I readily confess that this is one of those stories in the Bible that is hard for me to understand. I have never been quite sure what exactly are the deeper lessons one must extract from this story.
But I found out that I am not alone. Even the Talmud is hesitant.
A Blessing
The most precious thing God can give a man, or a man can wish on another man seems to be a blessing. Elsewhere in the Torah it is made clear that God can command his blessing on someone or on circumstances.
“Then I will command My blessing on you…” (Leviticus 25:21 NKJV)
To me the most beautiful part of this week’s Torah portion is the Birkat Hakohanim, the Priestly Blessing. Sometimes it is also called the Aaronic Blessing.
“The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
“The Lord bless you
and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
“So, they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6: 22-27 NIV)
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020) had much to say about antisemitism and the position of a Jew in the world. We quote Rabbi Sack in the Holocaust Garden of Hope.
Famous for his deep thinking, in a commentary related to the Priestly Blessing, he talked about the priests being the vehicles of blessing. The blessing was a communal one.
“Protection, grace, peace – these are God’s blessings, communicated by the priests. We are what we pray for. If you seek to understand a people, look at its prayers. The Jewish people did not ask for wealth or power. They did not hunger after empire. They had no desire to conquer or convert the world. They asked for protection, the right to live true to themselves without fear; for grace, the ability to be an agent for good in others; and peace, that fullness of being in which each of us brings our individual gifts to the common good. That is all our ancestors prayed for, and it is still all we need.”
The New Testament
Blessings are a central element in the New Testament too. A Divine blessing can be material, but it is often spiritual. Often it relates to things a person learns and can give to others. One of the most beautiful things that God can bestow on a person is grace. Grace as an element of favor is connected to blessing.
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” (2. Cor. 9:8-11 NKJV).
May we always know the Source of the Grace and the Blessings we have in our lives.
*For an explanation of the terms see the first Pearls of The Torah Portion Blog.
| Coral and crystal cannot be mentioned, and the striving for wisdom [is more precious] than pearls. | רָאמ֣וֹת וְ֖גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֜כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים: |
Job 28:18 (NKJV)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46 (NKJV)
Torah Scrolls were attacked and desecrated during the Holocaust. The enduring images of the Kristallnacht (November 9-10,1938) are those of synagogues on fire and Torah Scrolls burning. Some of these desecrated Torah Scrolls disappeared, others were buried. Some were lovingly rescued and are on display in museums in various locations.
