נשא את ראש בני גרשון . This Parshah corresponds to the מחנה לויה, the encampment of the Levites. The counting of the Kehatites already was reported in Parshat Bamidbar, because the Priests were part of the Kehatites. Since they carried the Holy Ark on occasion, just as the Kehatites did most of the time, the latter were included in the מחנה שכינה, the encampment of the Priests. This Parshah however, deals exclusively with the camp of the Levites. It commences with the Gersonites since גרשון was the eldest of the sons of Levi and on his account all the Levites merited to take the place of the firstborn who had up to that time performed the priestly functions for the nation.

Bamidbar Rabbah 6,1, commenting on Proverbs 3,15, "she is more precious than rubies," speaks of Kehat. Although we normally accord first rank to the natural firstborn (in this case Gershon), the order was reversed here since the Kehatites carried the Holy Ark which contained the Torah. When Proverbs talks about פנינים, the reference is to something that comes first, as we know from Ruth 4,7, וזאת לפנים בישראל. [The unusual spelling of the word in Proverbs as פניים, is the reason the Midrash explains it that way Ed.]So far the Midrash.

Another statement we find in the Midrash there is: "If someone whispers to you; was not Gershon the firstborn? Why did the Torah accord superior rank to Kehat and his descendants and counted the Gersonites only afterwards? – Answer such inquiry by pointing out that the Kehatites carried the Holy Ark which is the Holy of Holies, and because Aaron who performed service in the Holy of Holies was a descendant of Kehat." Gershon, by comparison, was holy, but not "holy of holies." In order to demonstrate that Gershon had not forfeited his status as the firstborn amongst his brothers, the Torah writes: "נשא את ראש בני גרשון". Just as the Torah employs the expression ראש, when it instructs the Kehatites to be counted, so it employs the same expression when the count of the Gersonites is to be taken. (This term is missing when the Merarites are being counted in 4,29). Seeing that the Torah uses the expression גם הם, "also them," when it introduces the count of the Gersonites, one might have interpreted this as proof that they are considered inferior to the Kehatites.

To prevent us thinking this, the Midrash makes the point that Aaron was descended from Kehat, i.e. that the Kehatites as such were not superior to the Gersonites. By saying this the Midrash heads off the question why the carrying of the Holy Ark had not been entrusted to the Gersonites. At the same time the Midrash could not avoid mentioning the fact that the Kehatites carried the Holy Ark, and merely give us the fact that Aaron was descended from Kehat as the reason the Kehatites were counted first. Aaron, after all, was only a descendant of Levi, not a son, and reversing the order of mentioning the sons of Levi therefore needed an additional justification. Since carrying the Holy Ark made the Levites partners with the priests, it is clear why the Midrash mentioned Aaron and not the more illustrious Moses as having descended from Kehat.

Since I am already discussing this Midrash, I want to explain it in greater detail; by understanding it we can solve several difficulties in the text of the Torah dealing with the count. 1) When the Torah mentions the count of the Kehatites commencing in 4,1, G–d had addressed both Moses and Aaron and instructed them. When the count of the Gersonites is introduced in 4,21, G–d had instructed only Moses with this task. When the count of the Merarites is introduced in 4,29, we do not find that G–d gave any special instructions to anybody. Why? 2) When the Kehatites are counted the Torah says "למשפחותם לבית אבותם," whereas when the Gersonites are counted it says "לבית אבותם למשפחותם," the reverse order. 3) Why is the expression "גם הם" used altogether?, What does it add to our knowledge? If it does add to our knowledge, why was it not used when the Merarites were to be counted?

All these questions are answered perfectly with the help of the Midrash quoted previously: When counting the Kehatites, the Torah also mentions Aaron, seeing he was one of the reasons, the Kehatites were counted first. This point is reinforced by not making Aaron part of the instruction to count the Gersonites. Moses is mentioned specifically in order to point out the greatness of Gershon by saying "גם הם," they too shared in this greatness of the Kehatites. This was because they were descended from the firstborn of Levi. I have already mentioned that Gershon, by the very fact that he was the firstborn, was the catalyst that enabled all the Levites to take over the functions which had previously been reserved for the firstborn of every family among all the tribes.

The reason that the Midrash quoted the verse from Proverbs 3,15, was to substantiate the value that we accord to a natural firstborn. It interprets the word "פנינים," as derived from "פנים," front, or face. The question arises why is it not spelled פנים then? Why do we need the letter "נ" twice in that word? Another question is how do we prove that Gershon had not lost his rank as a firstborn? After all, the fact remains that the Torah gave precedence to Kehat counting him first! This question is answered by the Midrash quoting this verse which had the double "נ" in the word פנים. It is just like saying that in this case two families both ranked as panim, first. We must remember that G–d's original plan was that the Torah should be given to Adam, and this was the whole reason why he had been created. We have explained all this when we discussed the verse in Genesis 1,26, "נעשה אדם" Adam had been the "firstborn" of all mankind, since he was the first human being ever. We also have Israel being called "אדם." This in turn means that Israel is called "firstborn" as we know from Exodus 4,22: "My firstborn son Israel." Here, however, the rank of the Levites as firstborn outranks that of Israel as a whole, since the Levites represent the רוח אדם, whereas the remainder of the tribes of Israel only represent the נפש אדם. We have discussed this concept previously. To make certain that we appreciate this point, the Torah writes concerning the tribe of Levi in Deut. 33,10: יורו משפטיך ליעקב ותורתך לישראל, "They will teach Your laws to Jacob, and Your instructions to Israel." This refers to the revealed Torah, the תורת האדם, the practical Torah, the commandments that either have to be fulfilled, or the transgressions that have to be avoided. However, the spiritual Torah is the true "firstborn," having been created two thousand years before the universe; it is the Torah alluded to on the tablets that the Kehatites were carrying in the Holy Ark. The tablets after all, were מעשה אלוקים המה, "were the handiwork of the Almighty," (Exodus 32,16) just like the "spiritual Torah" which had preceded the written Torah. This Torah then must be viewed as the real בכור, "firstborn." It preceded the Torah that was given to אדם to perform. The Kehatites were mentioned first because they carried the Holy Ark containing the tablets, i.e. the spiritual essence of the Torah. From that aspect the Kehatites deserved to be considered as the בכור. It now is clear why they were counted first. We view Gershon as the "firstborn" in matters that have to be performed in this material world, and Kehat as the "firstborn" in matters that are exclusively the domain of the spiritual world. The very concept of the distinction of being the firstborn is enhanced by our understanding these nuances in the way the Torah is written.

We now understand why the word פנים in Proverbs 3,15, is spelled with a double Nun. Solomon tells us that Torah, i.e. the spiritual philosophical aspect of it, is superior to the physical precedence a firstborn has over those born later. The second letter Nun in that word then explains why: namely because that part of Torah had itself preceded its functional part. This brings us to the meaning of the letter Mem, at the beginning of this "dual" word מפנינים. For the first meaning of the word פנים, the letter Mem is a simple comparative, i.e. "more precious than." The function of the same letter Mem with the second Nun in that word, is "as a result of" in the sense of "since," i.e. since that part of the Torah had come into existence sooner than the functional part of the Torah.

From all the above, it is clear that the Kehatites who are mentioned in Parshat Bamidbar are part of the כהנים, i.e. the מחנה שכינה, whereas the Gersonites discussed in Parshat Nasso are part of the מחנה לויה, which are the רוח אדם. This is to tell us that the damage done by the sin of "Adam," is capable of rehabilitation.

We have previously discussed the fact that anyone whose soul, נשמה, is rooted in the very highest regions of the Celestial Spheres, in the עולם האצילות, can never be the cause of sin. If however, his soul is only on the level of רוח, then he may become the source of sin through the seduction of the serpent which was affected by the spirit of envy, which in turn brings in its wake the spirit of טומאה, impurity. King David constantly begged that the Holy Spirit, רוח הקדושה, as well as the spirit of wisdom and understanding may inhabit him, and that the prophecy of Zachariah 13,2, where G–d says "I will remove the spirit of impurity from Earth," be fulfilled in the future.

It is appropriate then that the function of the Levites and their service in the Tabernacle between the ages of thirty and fifty should be recorded here. This number is symbolic of the רוח הקודש, Holy Spirit, with which the Levites were equipped, which enabled them to cleave to the great and holy Name of G–d, the Ineffable 4-lettered Name. The number three alludes to the letters vav and heh in that holy name, since 6 times 5 equals 30. The number five alludes to the letters yud and heh in that name, since 10 times 5 equals 50. You will find this number mentioned in the Tziyoni, when he discusses the name נח, and I have mentioned it in that connection.

As a result of these considerations, you will find that what is described as the עבודת הקודש (7,9), performed by the Levites is in reality service performed while under the influence of the Holy Spirit. This is why the Torah almost immediately afterwards commands that the spirit of טומאה must be removed from the camp (5,2). There are three different degrees of impurity; those infected by it must be removed from all or some of the three camps. Someone affected only by the spirit of impurity caused through contact with the dead, must leave only the מחנה שכינה. A זב, a person suffering from regular seminal discharge, needs to leave the מחנה לויה also, whereas a person afflicted with the visible skin eczema צרעת must also leave the camp of the Israelites. A person who has incurred טומאת מת has not really been guilty of anything. He suffers from the fact that since as the ideal human being he should have lived forever, the mere contact with death should remind him of the mortality not only of the departed but also of himself. Had man cleaved to G–d who is eternal, the decree of death would not have been issued, as the Torah reminds us when it says ואתך הדבקים בה', חיים כולכם היום, "You who have cleaved to G–d, are all alive as of this day" (Deut 4,4). Anyone who is in the מחנה שכינה is in an area which is the source of the blessing G–d had commanded, and which makes eternal life possible. Now, due to the sin of "Adam," when the body became totally physical, death itself has become טוב מאד, "very good," meaning that by means of "death," which is something precious in the eyes of G–d, man's soul can be salvaged for Eternal Life. The reference is to Psalms 116,15, where the death of the pious is described as "precious" in the eyes of G–d; death is the gateway to Eternal Life. Even thus there is a brief interval when body and soul part, the transition of even a perfectly pious individual is interrupted. This is why anyone who has been in some kind of touch with the dead has to leave the מחנה שכינה until he is purified.

The impurity of a person suffering from seminal discharge is of a different nature; his own body is its source. This too is the result of what happened with the original serpent, since the latter polluted man as a species. This is the prime reason why we experience impurity when any seminal discharge occurs or when a woman menstruates, even when such discharge is a normal bodily function, not the sign of disease. Had man never sinned, this very semen would have been considered as something sacred and would most certainly not have caused impurity. As it is, the Mishnah describes such semen as "an evil smelling drop" (Avot 3,1). This is why such a person must also leave the מחנה לויה the second of the camps. There is a way to avoid this impurity: if one sanctifies oneself at the time of engaging in sexual intercourse with one's spouse. As a result of such conduct one's semen becomes totally absorbed, so that not a drop of it is lost, which would have caused טומאת קרי, impurity through seminal discharge.

The person suffering from צרעת, however, is afflicted with the essence of the impurity, and there is no way for him to avoid it. Hence he has to leave all three camps as long as he is afflicted. Such impurity in any Jew is of the kind that infects even the נפש, i.e. part of the camp of the Israelites. This is in accordance with Proverbs 21,23 שומר פיו ולשונו שומר מצרת נפשו – that "he who guards his mouth and tongue, keeps his soul from troubles." The Zohar suggests that the reading of מצרת is equivalent to מצרעת, i.e. from that skin eczema. Our sages are agreed that evil gossip is a principal cause of this affliction. Classic examples are Miriam (Numbers 12,10), and Moses (Exodus 4,6), both of whom were punished for having made inappropriate comments about Moses or Israel respectively. We observe many slanderers in our day who are never afflicted with this disease; this makes the matter even worse for them, since they have already forfeited the part of the נפש that would be stricken, and they are therefore no longer capable of being rehabilitated through that disease and the subsequent purification process. The מצורע, at any rate, has to leave all three camps.

We must always keep in mind that the Sanctuary on this earth is "opposite" a Sanctuary in the Celestial Regions, and that expulsion of a person from the precincts of the Sanctuary in our world signifies merely that he or his soul would not be allowed entry into the sanctuary in those "Celestial" Regions. Just as impure elements have a constant desire to penetrate into areas reserved for the pure, . similarly it is the dream of the handmaid to inherit the position of her mistress. Israel as a whole is holy by definition, careful to maintain its holiness and the sanctity of its camps.

Having said this, we understand how the following legislation in 5,5, is a natural sequence to what has been discussed by the Torah so far. The words מכל חטאת האדם, have to be understood as "any of the sins which are the result of the original sin committed by Adam." Ever since that time, the evil urge has become a "resident" within man and caused man to commit trespasses against the will of G–d, i.e. למעל מעל. The Talmud Berachot 35a states that anyone who derives benefit from this world without having first recited a benediction thanking G–d is as if he had stolen from holy property belonging to G–d. When Adam ate from the tree of knowledge he did not only do this, but worse.

The metaphysical significance of all this is that the world was created with the letter ב, in the word Bereshit, which is a veiled reference to ברכה, blessing, benediction. Since Adam had preferred to follow the advice of the serpent, the source of curse, he was cursed himself, and with him the whole universe. Our sages express this by saying that the serpent cohabited with Eve, and infected her with its pollutant. This is the reason why the next section in our Parshah deals with the סוטה, the wife suspected of infidelity, and why the husband's feelings are described as ועבר עליו רוח קנאה. I have already described the meaning of רוח. When the Torah speaks about רוח קנאה it refers to the spirit of impurity with which man has become infested from the time Adam observed the serpent having sexual intercourse with his wife (Shabbat 146a). The Kabbalists pointed out that the dichotomy that the serpent caused in this "lower" world, the potential discord between man and his wife, had parallel results in the Celestial Regions, where the matches are made (who is to marry whom down here on earth). Originally, Adam had been created male and female, or, in the words of Bereshit Rabbah 8,1, דו פרצופי, with two faces in opposite directions, their common back not being visible until after Eve had been separated from him. After that separation, man and his potential partner remain united as one in the Celestial Regions. When the serpent polluted Eve, all this changed. Rashi already comments that the use of the word איש, איש, twice in 5,12, indicates that the trespass committed is twofold, a) against one's partner in marriage on earth, b) against the "איש מלחמה" in the Celestial Regions, i.e. against G–d. This is so because she tore asunder what even in the heavens formerly belonged together. The "pollutant" that the serpent impregnated Eve with, is a spiritual concept, i.e. Eve's counterpart in the Heavenly Regions became polluted. Pardes Rimonim already warns against our thinking that the קליפה, impurity, actually penetrated the holy regions of the Heavens. What is meant is that the complaint, or accusation of the forces of impurity that were leveled against the human beings now became "audible" in those Celestial Regions. Since it is incumbent on the true judge to dispense true justice, G–d's primary inclination to dispense חסד, kindness, was thwarted and He was "forced" to vacate the throne of Mercy and move over to the throne of Justice, and thereby restrain some of the largess He had intended to bestow upon those who cleave to Him. This whole episode is known as the כניסת הקליפה בתוך הקדושה, the penetration of the "peel" into the domain of sanctity. I have dealt with this at length in my introduction Toldot Adam. This then is what is at the root of the words "the spirit of jealousy overcame him, since she had become defiled, etc." The Torah depicts the effect of what happened when Eve had been seduced by the serpent. When the Torah continues with the apparent alternative of והיא לא נטמאה, "she had not become defiled," the obvious reference is to the "Eve" of the Celestial Regions, the spiritual counterpart of womanhood which could not actually become defiled; actual impurity cannot enter those regions.

The Priest next makes her swear the שבועת האלה, "the curse of adjuration," that same curse stemming from his original encounter with the serpent. When G–d fashioned man, He took from the dust around the earthen altar, and thus vapor rose to irrigate that dust, so that man was formed from dust and water. When man became corrupt and sinned, he became a vessel made of earthenware on account of this dust contained in the material he was made of. The water that was also part of him, made him liable to impurity, since we have a halachic rule that water makes something capable of becoming impure in the first degree, ראשון לטומאה. This is why the סוטה is given water to drink out of a vessel made of earthenware.

Inasmuch as man is made of dust, his soul should by rights have been subservient to anything or anybody, as is the nature of dust. On the other hand, due to the fact that he was also made of water whose origin is in the sky, and which flows and spreads in all directions, this element contributed to his being "garbed" in the desire for honor, his greed and his envy. These elements are the cause of man's expulsion from his world. To remind us of this, water, halachically speaking, is the catalyst that causes impurity to be contracted.

In the Talmud Shabbat 95b Ravah enumerates five ways in which an earthenware vessel can be purified of its impurity once it has contracted it. 1) If it is a shard and develops a hole big enough to allow liquids to escape from it, it will no longer confer impurity on anything it contains. 2) If the hole is big enough to allow liquids to enter it from the outside, it has lost enough of its function to make it unfit to store water for the red heifer in it. 3) If the hole is large enough to allow a small root to grow through it, it will no longer confer impurity to seedlings contained by such a vessel. 4) If the hole is large enough to permit olives to fall through it, it would no longer confer impurity on olives deposited in it. 5) If the hole is large enough to permit pomegranates to fall through, such an earthenware vessel has totally lost all its former impurity. We view man as a vessel capable of housing the שכינה, the Holy Presence of G–d. At the outset, man was a כלי שרת, a holy vessel fit for service in the sanctuary. By his sin, he became turned into a mere earthen vessel which can only be rehabilitated by its own destruction. This is the meaning of the verse in Psalms 51,19, that "G–d will not despise a contrite and broken heart." The first definition Rava gave us for partial rehabilitation of an earthen vessel is comparable to the principle of סור מרע ועשה טוב, "switch from doing evil and start doing good" (Psalms 34,15)! Expressed halachically, this means that impure waters are now able to drain from such a vessel. The second stage, that of עשה טוב, do good, is reached when outside waters can enter the earthen vessel. Concerning that stage, Ezekiel 36,25, says: "I shall sprinkle pure water upon you, so that you be cleansed from all your contamination, etc."

The third stage, that when the hole is big enough to allow a small root to grow through it, signifies that we are now dealing with the עפר, earth, part of man, which causes all materialism, and grossness. Nonetheless, even עפר contains elements of spirituality, in fact it is its very root and essence. It is this essence which harbors the potential of growth something rooted in earth but ascending heavenwards. The same applies to the raw material man is made of. Man's growth potential is rooted in his raw material, עפר, and that is why it is described as "a small root." This raw material contains a "small" root, i.e. the soul, which is the root that, though physically small and invisible, has the value of a great root. When the sages of the Talmud call the disputations of Abbaye and Rava as "minor," they do so when comparing them to matters involving מעשה מרכבה, the carriers of G–d's entourage. Abbaye and Rava concern themselves with the practical observance of the laws of the Torah, i.e. something essentially physical, whereas the מעשה מרכבה is something essentially spiritual. Both matters, in fact, are very great indeed. Our Rabbis already debated at great length, whether תלמוד i.e. study or מעשה, practical performance, is of greater importance (Kidushin 40). The Zohar in Parshat Tetzaveh describes Exodus 27,20: "Pure olive oil beaten to produce the eternal light," as referring to Torah study, since Torah provides spiritual illumination. The olive is the size mentioned by Ravah in his fourth example above of an earthen vessel that needs to be rehabilitated from impurity. Olive oil dispenses physical light, whereas Torah study dispenses spiritual light. It is in the nature of Torah study to crush man's physical strength, and he is left as crushed as the olive when pressed to produce its oil. Finally, Rava's fifth example, a hole the size of pomegrantes. This is a veiled reference to the actual מעשים, performance of Torah commandments in practice. Israelites are described as "full of מצות, just like the pomegrantes" (Berachot 57a). So here we have a hint of the spiritual implications of the הלכה concerning the ritual purification of an earthen vessel which has become impure. This corresponds to the five levels of spirituality man could possess, namely, in descending order נפש, רוח, נשמה, חיה, יחידה. Our Rabbis have this in mind when they mention that the soul is similar to G–d in five respects (Berachot 10a).

When the Torah in 5,15, describes the offering to be brought on behalf of the Sotah as מנחת קנאות הוא מנחת זכרון מזכרת עון, "it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of remembrance which recalls trespass," the reference is to the trespass committed by Adam which had been due to jealousy. When the Sotah has to respond by saying twice "Amen" (5,22), she does so because the Priest who pronounces the oath applies the principle of גלדול שבועה, that if a person is required to swear an oath, the opportunity may be used to make that person also swear an oath concerning other matters which by themselves would not have warranted an oath. Unless there is an absolute need for it, we are extremely reluctant to utter the name of G–d which is part of the oath. Our Rabbis have made a sacred rule based on what is written here (Sotah 9).

Had Adam not sinned through jealousy and thereby made his wife Eve a Sotah, G–d would only have created new souls, and the whole idea of a soul being reincarnated in another body for a second or third round of life on this earth would not have been necessary. The entire גלגול would then have been restricted to the Celestial Spheres. Our Rabbis understand this process of גלגול נשמות, transmigration of souls, as beginning with the soul being sworn to act as commanded by G–d before entering its first body.

ואם לא נטמאה האשה וטהורה היא, "If the woman has not defiled herself, but is pure, she will remain unharmed and able to retain seed" (5,28). Why would the Torah have to add the words "she is pure," since this is obvious "if she had not defiled herself?" The deeper meaning is that if someone had defiled himself and subsequently purified himself through remorse and whatever purifying process prescribed, the Torah promises us that such "purity" is also subject to its blessing; repentance is such a great moral accomplishment that it turns erstwhile debits into merits (Yoma 86b).

The Torah next deals with the regulations governing the behavior of the Nazirite. Our sages in Sotah 2a, state that the reason why this paragraph follows the paragraph dealing with the Sotah is that anyone who has seen the latter in her state of disgrace may decide to abstain from drinking wine in order to fortify himself against the temptation of adultery. He will abstain from anything connected with the fruit of the grapevine. The Zohar on our verse explains that we are dealing with the mystical dimension of the fruit of man, i.e. his deeds. It is taken for granted that the fruit Adam/Eve ate from was the fruit of the grapevine, that in fact she squeezed out the grapes. This seems based on Deut. 32,32, ענבמו ענבי רוש, "its grapes are grapes of poison.” Wine, grapes and grape juice are all perceived as deriving from the "left" line of the diagram depicting the ten emanations (the passive, feminine side). Its particular source is בינה, which is also described as יין המשומר, wine that has been preserved for a long time. We know that שכר is also from that side, because it stems from grapes. Crapes in turn collect all this (poison) from the "higher” emanations, since they are a simile for the emanation מלכות. The descent on the left side from בינה to מלכות, is of course, via דין, (also known as גבורה). This is the tree with which Eve sinned. If both “wet” grapes and “dry” grapes are forbidden to the Nazirite, this is because the former represent the attribute of דין קשה, the 'hard' attribute of Justice, whereas the latter represent מדת הדין הרפה, the softer attribute of Justice.

The Torah writes in connection with the Nazirite, כי נזר אלוקיו על ראשו, "for the crown of his G–d is on his head."Neither a נזיר nor a כהן, may defile himself through contact with a dead corpse, in order to retain his status as being קדוש, holy. The regulations that apply to the Nazirite however, are stricter than those that apply to the Priest. The Priest attained the status of holiness only by being anointed with holy oil, whereas the Nazirite attained this status merely through his vow. This needs explanation. Once we explain this, the introductory words of the Torah איש כי יפליא נדר לה', "if someone expresses the special desire to vow a vow of Nazirdom to G–d,” may also become clearer. The meaning of the word מופלא, is "hidden, concealed." A similar example in the Torah is Deut.30,11, "It is not concealed from you, not inaccessible."

The Torah is telling us that if only Adam had not sinned, his body would have been as holy as the כתנות אור, the garments of light that man was meant to wear in Gan Eden. Under the circumstances, these garments have become כתנות עור, garments of skin and flesh, something physical. As long as Adam did not need those garments, he was placed in גן עדן, to help preserve it since he was not a stranger, i.e. זר, in that environment. Once he had become forced to garb himself in garments made of materials that come out of the earth he had become a stranger in that environment, and this situation did not change until Aaron became anointed by holy anointing oil as High Priest. Compare what I have written earlier in Parshat Tetzaveh, concerning Moses performing priestly functions dressed only in a white tunic instead of in the High Priest's garments. This meant that he had never been a זר, stranger, at all; the whole house filled with light at the time he was born (Exodus 2,2, as quoted in Sotah 12). Moses' unblemished condition continued until, in the end, he himself radiated light, as we know from Exodus 34,29. This is as if he had been garbed in the כתנות אור, that we described as the state of man in his innocence in גן עדן. This is what was meant by the white tunic in which he performed the sacrificial service. It meant he did not need to do anything to rehabilitate himself in order to achieve the state of holiness necessary for a High Priest to perform sacrificial service, זרות, alienation, was a condition that did not come into existence till after the כתנות אור, garments woven out of light, had been withdrawn, to be kept in hiding until the future, the time of the Messiah, just as the original light G–d had created at the beginning of the creative process had also been "hidden" due to man's sin (Compare Tanchuma Noach 3). Moses did not have to wait for that light to re-appear.

The Nazirite who has separated himself from wine, etc, has demonstrated his intention to remain in this "hidden" domain, in which Adam was at home before he sinned. In other words, he wants to protect himself against the temptation of greed which causes man to lose his "garments of light." Since the origin of man's fruit, deeds, are anchored in the domain called גפן, he declares himself as abstaining from that source to the best of his ability. Since it is impossible to remain on such a high level indefinitely, he declares a period of time that his vow is to be in force. Since he cannot divorce himself from the needs of the body altogether, (for otherwise he would die) and since he has been commanded by the Torah to keep his soul and body together, anything that promotes such continued life is not considered as pandering to his תאוה, greed or lust.

We find that he is commanded to let his hair grow and at the conclusion of the term of his vow to shave it off. There is no doubt that excessive hair or total hairlessness both deprive him of the typical appearance of a human being. Such a condition helps to minimize normal human appetites, such as greed and lust. Hair carefully coiffed, tends to reinforce such human desires. We find in Nazir 4b, that Simon the Just, who had officiated as High Priest for eighty years, stated that only once in all those years did he eat of the offering that a Nazirite who had defiled himself had been forced to offer. He relates that once a good looking young man from the South had come to him, and when asked why he had allowed his hair to look so disheveled and overgrown, the young man had told him that he had assumed the vows of a Nazirite after having had a glimpse of his reflection in the water. He found himself so good looking that he had become sexually aroused. He realized at that time that this was a ruse of the evil urge, and therefore let his hair grow wild in order to preserve his innocence and future in the Hereafter. When Simon the Just heard the reason this young man had adopted the Nazirite vows, he kissed him and said: "May there be many more like you whose motivation in adopting these vows is as commendable. Concerning the likes of you the Torah has written: איש כי יפליא לנדור נדר לה'." This is what the Torah refers to when it describes a נזיר as having נזר אלוקיו עליו, "having the crown of his G–d on his head." Such a person has entered the domain that Adam was in before he sinned, before he became a זר, when he too still wore that "crown". At that time his closeness to G–d was such that it did not require something זר, i.e. an intermediary, such as holy anointing oil. This status, however, is maintained only during the currency of his vow; afterwards the Nazirite reverts to being an ordinary mortal like the rest of us and this "crown" is withdrawn from him. He therefore has to bring certain offerings to atone for reverting to a lower level of sanctity, to the condition that Adam/Man has been in since the first sin. This, then, is the reason the Nazir has to bring sin offerings.

The Torah now continues with the blessings the Priests are to confer on the people (6,23-27). I have already mentioned earlier that the universe was created with the letter ב, which symbolizes ברכה, blessing. The presence of this blessing on an ongoing basis was spoiled due to the cursed activity of the serpent, which in turn led to the situation where ban איש או אשה כי יעשו מכל חטאת האדם, of "man or woman who commit any sins due to the all pervading influence of Adam" (5,6). It is Aaron's function to restore the natural state of the world as it was prior to sin. We have elaborated on the fact that Aaron was the תקון, the "repair, or correction," of Adam. When the Torah introduces the blessings with the words: "כה תברכו," the word כה, whose numerical value is 25, refers to the 25th of Elul, which is the date on which G–d commenced creating the universe, according to the view of Rabbi Eliezer (Vayikra Rabbah 29,1). A further allusion to this is the fact that G–d commenced His creation by saying: "יהי אור", let there be light, the word יהי having the numerical value 25.

When the Princes consecrated the Tabernacle with their sacrifices, this was equivalent to the universe being consecrated anew. The Tabernacle is the world in miniature, and the offerings of the Princes correspond to the evolution of the twelve "worlds," i.e. the 12 possible permutations of the Ineffable Name. By the use of this Name three times in the blessings, we arrive at the number 216, i.e. 72 times 3. We refer to the calculations made in our commentary on Parshat Bamidbar. When the Torah concludes ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל “They shall place My name on the children of Israel, we observe that the first letters in the words על בני, equal 72. The author demonstrates how the 12 צירופים are actually 24, based on the Pardes Rimonim, who explains that the number 12 has to be doubled to allow for both the male and female aspect in that Holy Name. The numerical value of ישראל plus the number 72, i.e. the first letters in the words על בני is 613, the implication being that Torah, the Holy Name of G–d, and Israel, are really one and the same, when Israel is at its best.

The root of all these considerations are the four letters in the ineffable name of G–d. The four חיות described in Ezekiel's famous vision in (Ezekiel chapter one) as supporting G–d's Throne all derive from that concept. The idea underlying the four camps of the Israelites are the twelve constellations, מזלות. Six of these are viewed as "rising" and the other six as "descending." They are represented by the offerings of the princes, i.e. "six covered wagons and twelve oxen" (7,3). Nachshon, leader of the tribe of Yehudah, was the first to present his offering, on the first day of Nissan, the month which is under the zodiac sign of the lamb. The word וקרבנו, indicates that his offering was related to others. Since the Torah first mentioned the word ראשון, the problem is that the conjunctive letter ו is out of place. When we describe a "circle", (something that recurs constantly) i.e. the 12 signs of the zodiac however, there is really no such thing as "ראשון," first. The "silver bowl" mentioned in verse 13 as part of that offering represents the globe. The weight of 130 shekel given for this bowl is an allusion to the 130 years that Adam lived until he sired Seth (Genesis 5,3). The Midrash Hagadol and others have a number of interesting observations on what occurred during these 130 years. Many of these comments concern themselves with Adam spending those years atoning for the harm he had previously caused in this world. Every one of those 12 princes had his own personal considerations, as Bamidbar Rabbah 12, explains. This is why their identical offerings are listed in the Torah separately. The common denominator of their intentions was to restore the equilibrium in the world which had been upset when Adam sinned. The completion of the Tabernacle here on earth caused the establishment of the corresponding Sanctuary in the Celestial Regions. Their offerings were to correspond to the patriarchs and matriarchs who are the pillars of the universe.

We have a clue to this in verse 7,84: "זאת חנוכת המזבח ביום המשח אותו." "This is the consecration of the altar on the day it was anointed." It is strange that the verse should commence with the feminine זאת, whereas it concludes with the masculine "אותו." Why did the Torah not simply say "זה חינוך המזבח ביום המזח אותו?" The reason for this unusual combination is that we view the Tabernacle on earth as essentially feminine, i.e. receiving its input from the Tabernacle in the Celestial Regions which is viewed as masculine. The relationship between the two is analogous to the relationship of man and wife. In the future, everything will be masculine as our sages have said, because G–d Himself will build the Third Temple. This is the meaning of the שיר חדש new song, (masculine) with which we will greet that event (compare Psalms 33,3, Isaiah 42,10). At that time, G–d will "lower" the Temple from the Celestial Regions and establish it here on earth. This is what the Zohar says in Parshat Pinchas where he adds that this is the way it should have been after the Exodus from Egypt, a plan thwarted only on account of the sin of the golden calf. In the messianic era, however, this original intention will be carried out.

A difficulty remains. How could the Torah describe the consecration as occurring “ביום,” i.e. on a certain day, when we see in effect that the consecration was spread over a period of twelve days until all the Princes had completed bringing their respective offerings? The answer is that all of the Princes concurred with the sentiments expressed by Nachshon on the opening day of these offerings. We have a rule that different prophets express identical thoughts or messages in their own personal style. The same was true here. The Torah wanted to emphasize that all the tribes were equal in the eyes of G–d, and therefore all their respective representatives were viewed as if they had all offered their offerings on the first of Nissan.

When Aaron observed that it was the Princes who had consecrated the world, although he had been put in the place of Adam, and had not consecrated it, he felt aggrieved, as the Midrash tells us when it tries to explain the reason why the section dealing with the candelabrum and its lighting follows that of the offerings of the Princes (compare Rashi on 8,2). G–d reassured Aaron at that time, telling him that his share would be greater than theirs, since he would kindle as well as prepare the lights of the holy candelabrum daily, evenings and mornings. So far the Midrash. Nachmanides raises the question why G–d chose the candelabrum and lighting it to console Aaron with, why had G–d not consoled him with the fact that he was chosen to offer the incense on the Golden Altar mornings and evenings? After all, the Torah itself in Deut. 33,10, commends him for offering the incense on the altar? It also enumerates a number of other offerings that were the exclusive prerogative of Aaron (or other High Priests), and only Aaron was allowed in the Holy of Holies.

Nachmanides pursues the subject at length and provides answers.

According to my approach what Aaron was interested in was to provide education, i.e. consecration for the world. G–d said to him concerning this desire of his, that his share would be greater than that of the Princes, since he would kindle the lights, a reference to the Original Light, the first act of creation, something which included all future creatures. Now this light in the Tabernacle would correspond to the light of the seven days of Creation. This is why the Torah emphasises that the seven lights of the candelabrum should provide light (8,2).

Nachmanides' commentary, interpreting this as referring to the lights of חנוכה, etc, is also most appropriate.