Sunday, June 5, 2011

Parashat Naso

This week we are privileged to read the portion of Naso. The tribe of Levi was counted. The Torah also discusses the laws of Sotah followed by the laws of nozir. Thereafter the Torah discusses the completion of the Mishkan and the blessing of the Kohen and the offerings that each nosi (head of tribe) brought.

A Nozir is a person that wants to separate himself from the mundane world, by abstaining from drinking wine and cutting his hair.

The Torah states (Bamidbar 6/1 A man or Woman who shall dissociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem...... Ish o Isha kiy Yafleey lindor nede nozir..... The word Yafliy has several meanings one meaning is seperation, the other translation comes from the word wonder. It would appear that the two translations are far from each other.

There's a story told about the Rebbe of Husyatin. The   Husyatin Rebbe was aked by a German Jew if it was true that he was a Vunder Rabbiner (Rabbi that performs wonders/miracles), what is it you do ???

The Husyatin Rebbe explained  it is well known that there are diferent statuses of Rabbis. There's a Lands Rabbiner - a Rabbi who is in charge of an entire country. There's a Shtadt Rabbiner, a Rabbi in charge of an entire city, and also there's a Vunder Rabbiner. What is a vunder Rebbe ?  The Husyatiner  responded a Vunder Rebbe is someone who rules and takes charge over himself. Says the Husyatin Rebbe, this is what the word kiy Yaflee means, Wonders. A person who separates himself is then a "Vunder" - wonder.

The lesson to be learned for us is, that the greatest miracle one can perform, is controling oneself.... And that only one who separates himself from the mundane can perform wonders.

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