Naso: When to Stand Out, When to Stand For

By Orrin Kom, delivered June 6, 2009

In today’s parsha of Naso we have the details of 12 identical sacrifices. Twelve representatives of the Children of Israel brought them, each on a different day.

Here’s a question: Why does every sacrifice need its own identical line-by-line account? It makes for less than fascinating reading.

Torah has no unnecessary words. This passage is not “padding.” Then what can we learn from this boring list?

We can say, “Every person bringing a sacrifice was an individual. Therefore, no two superficially identical offerings were really the same.”

Nachshon, the first person listed, has appeared before.

The Children of Israel were trapped between Pharaoh’s advancing army and the Sea of Reeds. Nachshon was the first to leap into the Sea, even before it split.

With his leadership, Nachshon helped save everyone else.

At the crossing of the Sea, then, Nachshon stood out.

But in today’s parsha, Nachshon blended into the list of people bringing offerings.

We notice people who go beyond the minimum required. We remember Nachshon because of his action at the Sea of Reeds, not because he was one of 12 delegates bringing sacrifices.

Each one of us, sometimes, must assert himself or herself and take action. At other times, we all need to unite with others for a common purpose.