Parashat Naso 5786
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
Parashat Naso is the longest portion in the Torah, containing 176 verses. But what makes this parasha unique is not just its length, but a specific and surprising section in it. Immediately following Birkat Kohanim, the Priestly Blessing in which the kohanim blessed the entire nation with peace, grace, and Divine protection, the Torah goes into a detailed description of the sacrifices brought by the twelve “nesi’im,” or chieftains, of the tribes during the dedication of the altar in the desert.
This description takes up a sizeable part of the parasha – 78 verses – almost half the portion. But what is particularly surprising is that the Torah repeats the description of each leader’s sacrifice word for word, almost verbatim.
The Torah is incredibly precise. There is no letter or mark that is unnecessary. So, it is incredibly surprising that the Torah repeats the same words over and over, when it could have just listed the names of the leaders and described the identical sacrifice that they all brought.
Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntschitz, one of the renowned Torah commentators of the 16th century, wrote the following:
“After Scripture mentioned the seal of all blessings, which is peace – namely the Priestly Blessing – it immediately began the section in which peace is likewise alluded to. For this reason, regarding the first prince it already states, ‘And his offering,’ as though another had preceded him, so that he should not take pride and say: ‘I brought the first offering.’ Likewise, the title ‘prince’ is not mentioned with him, so that he should not exalt himself and say: ‘I shall rule,’ for arrogance is the cause of every quarrel and every affliction.
And it is said in the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 15:6) that the twelve tribes were compared to the twelve constellations, which move like one descending a ladder backward, each believing himself to be first.
For this reason, the Torah elaborated in recounting all the offerings of all twelve princes, so as not to make any one subordinate to another. And all of this is for the sake of peace.”
(Kli Yakar, Numbers 7:12)
According to him, the Torah seeks to prevent hidden competition. Although the chieftains were chosen representatives of the people – individuals of great spiritual and personal stature – even great people may feel a need for recognition at festive and public moments. Therefore, the Torah is careful that each of them receives the same standing, the same description, and exactly the same level of importance.
In a world of spiritual truth, thoughts of superiority, jealousy, or competition are not meant to have a place. In the eyes of the Creator, all human beings are equal in value, and each one is an inseparable part of creation. Therefore, especially at such a central and public event, it was important to create an atmosphere of peace and unity, and not allow space for subtle struggles over honor. For this reason, the Torah repeats and describes in detail the offering of each and every chieftain, to emphasize that none was more important than another, and that no one had an advantage over his fellow.
However, this explanation still leaves an open question. If the goal was to give equal standing to each one, it would have been enough to mention their names and then state that they all brought the same offering. Why, then, the full and detailed repetition? Here a deeper insight comes in.
The Slonimer Rebbe, author of Netivot Shalom, focuses on a verse that is repeated again and again in the description of the offerings:
“Five rams, five he-goats, five lambs in their first year.”
He asks why the number five appears so frequently, and explains that it alludes to the five senses of a person – sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – through which a person experiences and interprets the world.
Every person sees reality through their inner world. Two people can witness the exact same event, yet one will see hope in it and the other will see danger. One person will hear criticism as an opportunity for growth, while another will hear rejection and insult. The same smell, the same taste, the same experience can be interpreted in completely different ways by different people.
According to this idea, even if the offerings appeared identical externally, their inner meaning was entirely different. In the Jewish world, a spiritual act performed by several people, even if it looks the same from the outside, is not merely a ritual action but an expression of the person’s inner world and the intention they bring with them.
Therefore, although the Torah uses exactly the same wording, this is not really repetition. The offering of one chieftain is not identical to that of another, because each one brought a different inner world to the act – different thoughts, different emotions, and a unique spiritual consciousness.
This message is highly relevant to modern life as well. At times it seems that people live similar routines: they work, pray, build families, do good deeds. From the outside, everything looks almost the same. But the Torah reminds us that the true meaning of an action is not only what is seen externally, but what takes place in a person’s heart. The exact same act can be mechanical and empty, or full of depth, intention, and meaning.
This is one of the deepest messages of Parashat Naso: human beings may perform the same actions externally, yet none is truly identical to another. Each person has their own inner world, their own unique way of thinking, feeling, and acting, and a perspective that no one else possesses. When this idea is internalized, even everyday actions take on new meaning.
A person must understand that their uniqueness is not accidental, but composed of a set of traits and choices that shape only them. Therefore, there is a deep personal responsibility for each individual to fulfill their role in the world, even when it seems that others are doing exactly the same thing. For indeed we are one nation, but each person is unique.
