Friday, May 17, 2013

Naso

The core of the parsha is the Sota and Nazir . The haftorah, the annunciation of the birth of Shimshon combines the Sota and nazir themes. The nazir element is explicit: The child is to be a nazir from the womb, even his mother must avoid grape products (and thalidomide). The warning label had not yet been invented. The sota element is a little more subtle. Manoach's wife is, in fact, alone with the ish. This is not a human, it is wonderous thing, an angel, but Manoach, at first does not recognize that. He could have dragged his wife to the Mis hkan for this accidental meeting ( that resulted in pregnancy), but he doesn't. He merely wants to ask the ish how to raise the child.

Marriage and Naziruth are sets of voluntary restrictions. These restrictions sanctify the people involved Staying inside the lines. Love will keep us together?

What do sota and nazir have to do with the priestly blessings? Trials that end in blessing. Graduation. The blessing that comes after the trial. Does blessing require a test? A proof of commitment and competence.

The first blessing: May hashem bless you and keep you. The keeping is equal to the blessing. Is there anything worse than losing  the blessing?  The  suspicious husband, the psota,  the nazir exposed to the dead; these are the frustrated failures.

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