Weekly Parsha

Birthday Mazal Tov to: Floreta Zuker 

Ore por Refuah Sheimah: Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue orando por: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Nasso

Numbers 4:21 - 7:89

Naso or Nasso (נָשֹׂא‎ — Hebrew for "take a census" or "lift up," the sixth word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 35th weekly Torah.

In this Torah portion, G-d describes the service of the Gershon family of Levites. The laws relating to the suspected adulteress and the nazirite are given.

"Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'So shall you bless the Children of Israel: saying to them, "May G-d bless you and safeguard you. May G-d make His countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you. May G-d lift His countenance to you and establish peace for you." ' "

Immediately prior to the Kohanim delivering the blessing, they say, "He (G-d) commanded us to bless His nation, Israel with love.

" Where in the above commandment do we find any reference to blessing Israel with love?

Perhaps the interpretation is not only that they should deliver the blessing with love, i.e., that the Kohanim should feel love for Israel when blessing them, that also that "with love" is the content of the blessing. The blessing is that Israel should feel love, that they should have love for one another. According to this interpretation, it lies well within the commandment.

The blessing culminates that G-d should bless Israel with peace. The blessing of peace can be merited only when there is love among us. When there is dissension and strife among us, they cannot expect to enjoy the blessing of peace.

We long for and pray for peace. However, the key to peace is in our own hands. If we can overlook the differences between us, many of which are the result of self-centeredness, and achieve love for one another, we will merit the Divine blessing of shalom.

In addition to meaning "peace," shalom  can also be read as shaleim, "whole." If we are fragmented rather than whole, we cannot have the shalom of peace.

The thin line between confidence and arrogance is humility.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is happy to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Chabad Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He majored in Biblical Archeology from Bar Ilan University and from Harvard in Jewish Studies. He graduated in Business Administration and also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations and is a Member of the White House National Religious Leaders, an Executive Office of the President of the United States.

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