He carried the head of the sons of Gershon also to their father’s house to their families.
Why “too”? Let’s look at the end of the previous parasha, Parshath Bamadbar, and it seems that it ends with the role of the Levites from the Bnei Kohath family. Why did the sages divide the parashas in such a way that the role of Bnei Kohath is written in Parashat Bambar, while the roles of Bnei Gershon and Bnei Marari appear in our parashah, Parashat Nesha?
Another striking difference is the difference between the opening to the chapter dealing with the sons of Gershon – “Take the head of the children of Gershon” – and the opening to the next chapter dealing with the Bnei Merri – “The children of Merri to their families, to their fathers’ house, command them.” What is the meaning of the unique verb “nesa” that is said about Bnei Gershon?
From a general overview of the passage we will notice that the root Nsha returns many times, in a variety of contexts: beginning at the beginning of the passage, as we have seen – “He carried the head of the sons of Gershon”; continuing in the role of the sons of Gershon and the sons of Marari – and this is the guard of Mashom”; In the blessing of the priests that ends the middle verses of the parsha – “May the Lord lift up his face to you” (which we know known as “the laying on of hands”), and at the end of the parsha – “And the women of Israel will sacrifice”, “One woman per day”, and more. Is there a connection between the different occurrences of this root?
count and pick up
Similar to what we saw last week regarding the concept of “to command”, the verb “carry” can also be interpreted as a technical count (as in the beginning of Parashat B’Midbar: “Bring the head of all the congregation of the children of Israel”), but it seems that it is also used in the meaning of the parshah or lifting – the taking of children Kehat from all the Bnei Levi, and later Bnei Gershon from the rest of the tribe of Levi – for a specific purpose. The president is also the one who was set aside and raised above the members of his tribe, in order to represent them and lead them.
This interpretation can answer the first two questions we opened with. The Bnei Marari are not said to “carry”, since after Moshe “carries” the Bnei Kohath and then the Bnei Gershon, there is no longer a need to separate or raise the Bnei Marari, since they are in any case the last remaining Levi families.
The episode begins with the role of the Gershons, whose role is to carry the yard slings of the Mishkan and the curtains. They are the ones who actually differentiate between the tabernacle itself and the Bnei Levi camp and the priests around it. That is, they are the ones who carry the framework of the Shekinah camp.
In addition, it seems that carrying the tabernacle is not only in the technical sense of lifting and physically transporting it during the journeys, but has a deeper dimension, in the spiritual meaning of lifting the Shekinah camp above the funeral camp that carries it, and both together are carried above the camp of Israel.
In other words, the Nesha case clarifies that the division model between the camps is not two-dimensional but three-dimensional. If we had to draw it we would draw something like a cone. This model makes it clear to us that the Shekinah camp is the most portable, and the holiness that comes out of it seems to “spill over” and expand to the other camps and influence what happens in them.
triple sanctity
This understanding may explain the halachic issues that appear in the middle of the parasha. In the central part of the parsha we encounter several halachic issues whose specific connection here requires explanation: the sending of the impure from the camps, guilt of embezzlement (the Shabbat is embezzlement and the sacrifice that atones for it), the deviant law, the parasha of the monk and the blessing of the priests.
Let’s start with sending the impure. This decree is intended to express the distinction between the various camps, as Rashi states:
Three camps were there at the time of their parking – in the middle of the scenes is the Shekina camp; The caravan parking around is a caravan camp; And from there to the end of the camp of flags to all the four winds is the camp of Israel. The arm was sent out to all; The gold is allowed in the camp of Israel and is sent from the two; And impurity of the soul is allowed even for a funeral, and it is not sent except as a Shekinah.
Then come three issues that define for us the existence of the Shekina camp, the upper center that influences the holiness below, is responsible for the spiritual order within the camps, and purifies them in cases of violation of boundaries and blurring of the good order:
Financial embezzlement, i.e. violation of financial boundaries within the Israeli camp, requires not only the return of the money to its owner and the correction of the social situation, but also a guilt sacrifice to God, which purifies the damaged spiritual situation. The concept of embezzlement also continues with us to the next episode – to the woman who deviates from her husband “and exalts him.” Here too, the blurring of the family boundary within the Israeli camp should be resolved by going to the Shekinah camp and the water drinking ceremony, which purifies the woman or, God forbid, the opposite.
The hermit is in the camp of Israel but wants to get closer and sanctify himself – “all the days of his asceticism are holy to God”. When he returns to his original position because he has been defiled or after the days of his vows have ended, he must also go up to set up a tabernacle and offer the sacrifice that returns him safely to his place. These passages are concluded with the blessing of the priests which expresses this principle: “May the Lord lift up His face to you… and put my name upon the children of Israel.” The holiness of God, which is in the camp of the Shechinah, comes down to the people through the camp of the priesthood and the funeral.
The affair ends with the victims of the presidents. Even the presidents who are lifted up from the people, “those who stand above the orders”, should bear the holiness of the Shekinah upon them. That is why they bring the carts in which they carry the tabernacle, hand them over to the Levites, and these, as we have seen, carry the tabernacle – the camp of the Shekinah.
The post The carrying action rhymes all the issues of the Nesha affair appeared first on Mekor Rishon.
