Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

The beginning of June brings with it the longest Parsha in the entire Torah, Naso. This portion was my younger son's Bar Mitzvah portion nine years ago.

While I will address certain features of the Parsha during the week, I am always fascinated by multiple meanings of one word, in this case, Naso, and its applications in the Parsha.

Naso means to count - as in the counting of the Levites.

Naso means to lift - as in Nesiat Kapayim, the Kohanim lifting their hands in love to recite the Priestly blessing.

Naso is the root of the word Nisuin, the term for marriage, the ultimate expression of love. It is defined in the marriage ceremony by the seven marriage blessings. Shavuot symbolized the marriage of God and the Jewish people. With the conclusion of the Omer period, weddings are now permitted in Jewish Law for all.

Naso is also the root of the word Nasi, the chieftain of the tribe. In the longest chapter of Torah, the chieftain of each tribe of Israel brought the same dedication gift as the other chieftains on his assigned day. Leadership was demonstrated by an unparalleled unity among all segments of the people.

In the aftermath of Shavuot, the many meanings of Naso are relevant - How do we count, bless others, express love, and lead?

Rabbi Howard Morrison