naso: burdens

The core of Naso , this week's parsha are the details of the  ritual of the suspected wife and the Nazerite. This is surrounded by details of the Livitical chores, the priestly blessing, and the daily, identical,  initiation gifts of the tribal princes. The details of the priests and princes contrasts with the generic jealous husband, wayward wife, penitent Nazir. The helpers surround the needy. 

The parsha's name, " Naso" means to bear a burden. The word means count: is used to refer to both the number, initially of the Levitical subtribe of Gershom. 

נָשֹׂ֗א אֶת־רֹ֛אשׁ בְּנֵ֥י גֵרְשׁ֖וֹן

Take a census of the Gershonites 

 A few verses later, it means carry.

Nasso, Chap 4,  25:

{כה} וְנָ֨שְׂא֜וּ אֶת־יְרִיעֹ֤ת הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ וְאֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד מִכְסֵ֕הוּ וּמִכְסֵ֛ה הַתַּ֥חַשׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֖יו מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶ֨ת־מָסַ֔ךְ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

וְנָ֨שְׂא֜וּ אֶת־יְרִיעֹ֤ת הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ וְאֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד מִכְסֵ֕הוּ

they shall carry the cloths of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting with its covering, the covering of dolphin skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the entrance of the Tent of Meeting;

Counting,  recognition as a member of a group that has obligations, is a burden. It is carrying the burden that makes you count. 

The jealous wife is a story of unmet needs.  Regardless of the antecedent facts, this husband and wife have a relationship problem. In the imperial male context of this pre Zelophehad world, it is the expression of the husband's suspicion that initiates the ritual. On some level, he recognizes his inadequacy. That is the fundamental problem. The wife is a victim (as usual). If she had an affair,  she undertook the risk because her condition was so far from satisfactory. Her infidelity  may not have been directed against her husband. She may have been fascinated, or curious, or caught up in the culture. In some way, the bonds of monandry  did not work for her.  There must have been some dissatisfaction with her current situation and some part of it comes from the husband she had once been committed to . 

If this is pure jealousy from the husband, the ritual is driven entirely by insecurity, a feeling of inadequacy.  The sotah, wayward wife, ritual gives this man a renewed sense of magical power.  Such supplements, which include threatening his partner, would not seem likely to work. 

Here is Rembrandt's pictorial take on the scene

I remember seeing it in the National gallery in London with my daughter Elisheva.  I was shocked that Rembrandt would take up this subject.  I think that the painting suggests he disapproved of the ritual. 

The raabis also gave up on it:

. מִשֶּׁרַבּוּ הַמְנָאֲפִים, פָּסְקוּ הַמַּיִם הַמָּרִים, וְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי הִפְסִיקָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע ד) לֹא אֶפְקוֹד עַל בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תִזְנֶינָה וְעַל כַּלּוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי תְנָאַפְנָה כִּי הֵם וְגוֹ'.

From the time when adulterers proliferated, the performance of the ritual of the bitter waters was nullified; they would not administer the bitter waters to the sota. And it was Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakkai who nullified it, as it is stated: “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for they consort with lewd women” (Hosea 4:14), meaning that when the husbands are adulterers, the wives are not punished for their own adultery. 

 The Nazir is looking to escape, The Nazir makes  herself a stranger, a zar. Wine , the deinhibitor that facilitates seduction, is strictly forbidden, grooming is abandoned.  The prohibition on contact with the dead may involve the "now or never" emotions that devolve from realizing mortality,  and lead to hedonism. The  self denial culminates in the feast offering, cooked on a fire fueled, in part by the hair of the Nazir.  Yes, that hair is worth something... but it smells bad. 

Finally , there is the 12 day march of princely gifts : silver, flour, gold, incense, sacrificial animals.  Every gift identical.  The poor are not embarrassed, the ostentation of the rich is limited. Uniform .

The self, especially the sexual self, maybe unique.  For good and bad reasons, these aspects of life are discovered, to a great degree by every individual on their own and the revelations continue through the lifetime. When problems arise, standard solutions might help, but mostly they provide time for repair.