B"H
Wednesday, Sivan 9, 5782 / June 8, 2022
We are after the holiday of Shavuot when we received the Torah. Now, it is our duty and responsibility to bring the lessons and teachings of the Torah, into practice in our day-to-day lives, into our daily practice.
Our sages compare this to a merchant who travels to the big trade fair, once a year, to buy all the items he needs for his store for the entire year. At the fair, he packs everything he bought in huge boxes and brings them back from the fair with him. Throughout the year he unpacks the items little by little.
The same is with the holiday of Shavuot. On Shavuot, like the merchant at the fair, we acquire everything we need for the year. Then, throughout the year, we keep on unpacking whatever we need for our day-to-day spiritual well-being.
We must strengthen our dedication to Torah study and to support Torah study. We recite each day in the service, “The Torah is our life.” Torah is compared to water. Our sages in the Talmud compare a Jew to a fish in water. Just as fish cannot survive outside water, so Jews cannot survive without Torah.
G-d commanded us that the day we stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, we must remember each day of our life. The Torah is a special present which G-d gave us and continues to give us each day.
This week’s Parsha (in the Diaspora), Naso, is the longest Parsha in the Torah. It is usually read, as this year, on the Shabbat after Shavuot – on the Shabbat after we received the Torah.
In Parshat Naso we find the three-fold priestly blessing, which was recited by the Kohanim (priests) in the Holy Temple. "May the L-rd bless you and guard you. May the L-rd make His countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the L-rd turn His countenance toward you and grant you Shalom-peace."
Q. What is the connection between the three-fold-Priestly blessing and the fact that it is read from the Torah on the Shabbat after Shavuot?
A. Blessing in Hebrew is “Beracha” which begins with the letter “Bet.” The Torah also begins with the letter “Bet” (“Breishit”). Our sages ask, why doesn’t the Torah begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph)? They reply, “G-d wanted to begin the Torah with the Bet for it is the letter which means blessing.” G-d wanted to teach us that through Torah we acquire blessings.
The written Torah also consists of three; Torah(Five Books), Nevi’im(Prophets), Ketuvim(Scriptures).
Thus, the Shabbat after the holiday of Shavuot we read Parshat Naso in which G-d gives us His three-fold blessing, to show us that through the Torah, which was given on Shavuot, one acquires G-d’s special blessings.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY