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All the days of his abstinence he is holy unto Hashem. (6:8)

The Torah allows one to  become a nazir voluntarily.  This status precludes one from eating or drinking grape products or from coming into contact with a dead body. In addition, the  nazir‘s hair may not be cut.  By becoming a nazir, one enters into a state of extreme sanctity  in which  what is permissible — and taken for granted by the average Jew — becomes incongruous with the nazir’s elevated status.  Chazal explain the reason that the Torah juxtaposes the laws of the nazir upon those of the sotah, wayward wife.  One who sees a sotah in her degradation should…

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Let them place My name upon Bnei Yisrael, and I shall bless them. (6:27)

Chazal, at the end of  Meseches  Uktzin, say,  “There is no greater container to hold Klal Yisrael’s blessings than peace.”  One may have everything – health, prosperity, and fame – but without peace these gifts have  no significance.  Consequently, the blessings which the Kohanim are to impart upon Bnei Yisrael are sealed with the hope for peace. A community can catalyze peace  in one of two ways.  The first way is the positive approach, in which  people work towards ironing out their differences,  seeking ways to increase harmony and good will.  Discord is viewed as taboo, so the slightest infraction…

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“A man’s holies shall be his, and what a man shall give to the Kohen shall be his.” (5:10)

Chazal interpret this pasuk to imply that he who gives tzedakah to the poor or gifts to the Kohen or Levi will not sustain any loss as a result. It shall be vhvh uk, it will continue to be his-as Hashem will reward him. Accumulating wealth carries with it enormous responsibility. The first blessing that the Kohanim confer upon Bnei Yisrael is, “Hashem should bless you and guard you.” This blessing grants Klal Yisrael material abundance. Riches and prosperity, however, do not always generate blessing. At times, one needs to be protected from his own possessions, he must be guarded…

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“Speak to the Bnei Yisrael… man or woman who shall disassociate themselves by taking a Nazirite vow for the sake of Hashem.” (6:2)

Rashi cites Chazal who give a practical reason for the juxtaposition of the laws of Nazir upon those of the sotah, the wayward wife. They comment that one who sees a sotah in her degradation should take a Nazirite vow prohibiting himself from drinking wine. Drinking wine in excess may cause one to lose control of his faculties, so that he sins. We may question this rationale. If one sees the tragic results of promiscuity and wanton behavior is it still necessary to become a Nazir? After all, would the horrible sight of the sotah’s debasement and death not be…

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“Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, so shall you bless the Bnei Yisrael.” (6:23)

The Kohanim are to serve as the vehicles through which Hashem’s blessing is bestowed upon Klal Yisrael. In order to transmit blessing one must maintain a harmonious relationship with the people. Indeed, Chazal teach us that a Kohen who does not “get along” with the people should not bless them. The Maharsham, zl, was bothered by the brachah which the Kohen recites prior to the blessing. He says, “And He commanded us to bless His nation Yisrael with love.” How does one express himself lovingly to all Jews? Does this “love” apply also to the rasha, wicked Jew, who has…

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“And it was on the day that Moshe finished setting up the Mishkan.” (7:1)

Rashi states that although it was Betzalel, Ohaliav and the entire crew of craftsmen who built the Mishkan, the Torah ascribes the honor to Moshe. His tenacious dedication to certitude that each artifact was made according to its exact dimensions, and that each craftsmen properly executed his task, earned him this distinction. The Midrash Tanchuma in Parashas Pekudei relates that Moshe asked Hashem, “How is it possible for a man to set up the walls of the Mishkan on his own?” On a simple level, Moshe, of course, is referring to the sheer physical weight of the beams, walls and…

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“On the second day, Nesanel ben Tzuar offered, the Nasi of Yisachar.” (7:12)

The Torah does not contain a single redundant letter. We can derive a lesson even from the different spellings of a given word. Why then is so much space devoted to the korbanos brought by the twelve Nesiim? Would it not have conceivably been appropriate to describe the korban of Nachshon ben Aminadav — who was the first Nasi to bring a sacrifice — then say that each of the other Nesiim followed suit? The commentators address this question and respond with various lessons to be derived from the repetition. The Midrash explains that although the twelve offerings were identical,…

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“A man or woman who shall disassociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of Hashem; from new or aged wine he shall abstain …” (6:2,3)

Rashi cites Chazal who explain the juxtaposition of the laws of the Nazir to the laws of the Sotah. They state that one who sees a Sotah in her state of degradation should take a Nazirite vow in order to enforce his abstinence from wine. The Sotah is a woman who has profaned herself by destroying the fidelity of her marriage. She has submitted to her passions by allowing her heart to overpower her mind. Wine stimulates the senses and catalyzes a behavior which, if not controlled, can be detrimental. By abstaining from wine and focusing on the lessons gleaned…

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“And the Nesiim brought their offering before the Altar.” (7:10)

Rashi states that Moshe did not accept the offerings from the Nesiim until he was instructed to do so by Hashem. The Netziv, z.l., attributes Moshe’s reluctance to accept their korbanos to the fact that they brought ketores, incense, to be offered upon the Mizbei’ach Ha’Chitzon, outer altar. As Rashi later notes (pasuk 14), we find incense offered neither by a yachid, individual, nor upon the outer altar, except for this instance.  It would seem that a special dispensation was made during the dedication of the mizbei’ach in regard to korbanos and the usual place where they were to be…

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“And the Nesiim brought their offering before the Altar.” (7:10)

The Torah goes on to enumerate the various gifts offered by the Nesiim for the dedication of the Mishkan. The Midrash notes that, although the korbanos were all identical, they are nonetheless each mentioned separately to indicate their individual uniqueness. Each Nasi formulated his gifts independently, reflecting his own ruach ha’kodesh, Divine inspiration, and symbolizing the various traits and history of his tribe.  Inasmuch as externally the korbanos were the same, their inner essence, the reasons and reflections behind them, differed, thereby creating twelve distinctive korbanos. Hence, the Torah lists them separately. We derive from here that although two activities…

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