The sequence of the offerings did not follow the relative ages of the Nesiim; rather, it apparently went according to distinction. Nachshon ben Aminadov, Nasi of Shevet Yehudah, the tribe that represented malchus, royalty, offered the first korbanos. Shevet Yehudah deserved this distinction. Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 72:5) explain that Yissachar was second in line, because he represented the lomeid Torah, the talmid chacham whose nights and days were spent engrossed in Torah. Zevulun, who supported Yissachar, was up next, indicating how much Hashem values and loves the machzik Torah, supporter of Torah.
Veritably, it all boils down to how much one values and cherishes Torah. The talmid chacham is an embodiment of Torah, a container suffused with Hashem’s greatest gift to us. Thus, every action, every nuance, every practice which a Torah scholar underscores, is one from which we should learn and appreciate.
Horav Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, zl, was a gadol who not only was blessed with a long life, but one of extraordinary achievement. He was a posek, Halachic arbiter, who responded to a vast number of halachic queries from all over the world. He delivered shiurim on every area of Torah, addressed communal issues, and was available to all those who sought his sage advice. When asked how he was able to accomplish so much, he replied that he was very careful with two things: he established set times for every task; and he adhered to it with unwavering consistency. Second, during those blocks of time, he was totally engrossed in the task at hand. Indeed, he would often quote his own Rebbe, Rav Elimelech Kahane, zl, who said, “When a person lives with seder, he has time for everything, but, when life lacks order, he never has sufficient time for anything.”
Now, for the story. A cheder rebbe from Yerushalayim asked Rav Wosner to test his class. The test was scheduled for 10:00 A.M. and was to last thirty minutes, because that was the Rav’s allotted time. Unfortunately, traffic can often alter one’s plans, and the group arrived at 10:15. When they arrived, the Rav apologized that he could only allot them fifteen minutes because he was on a tight schedule. To make changes would unsettle the order of his day.
The rebbe thanked him profusely and told the class that they were now about to depart for Yerushalayim. Rav Wosner was surprised because he was able to give them fifteen minutes. Why waste the trip?
The rebbe’s response is a lesson for all of us, “It was enough for us to come here and see how meticulous the Rav is with his time. Every moment is important, and none may be wasted. This alone is the greatest lesson for my students. Just by coming here, we have fulfilled the purpose of our trip.”
