Coming in Second
Through Torah study one is empowered to leave the stifling atmosphere of our world and travel into an environment of spiritual “weightlessness,” where we are not weighted down by the gravitational pull of the material world.
Nachshon on First
This week’s parsha, Naso, records in detail the twelve dedicatory offerings brought by the Nesi’im, the princes, or leaders, of each of the twelve tribes. These offerings commenced on the first of Nissan—the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan, the portable Sanctuary the Jews built in the desert—and continued for twelve days.
The first to bring the offering was Nachshon ben Aminadav representing the tribe of Yehudah. Its prince and leader, Nachshon’s claim to fame was his jumping into the Red Sea before it parted. Our Sages tell us that only after he made the plunge into the sea and the waters reached his nostrils did the waters part, enabling everyone else to cross on dry land.
The tribe of Yehudah and its Nasi thus exemplified leadership in its most self-sacrificing and noble form. It is no surprise that King David and his descendent Moshiach are scions of the tribe of Yehudah. Moshiach, like his ancestor Nachshon, is a leader par excellence who takes the initiative even when the entire world insists that it is impossible. Moshiach plunges into the turbulent waters of exile and ultimately causes these threatening waters to recede and be transformed into secure dry land.
Nachshon, as the first leader to bring his dedicatory offering, alludes to the ultimate goal of building and dedicating the future Sanctuary, which the entire world will eventually become in the days of Moshiach, whose illustrious ancestor was Nachshon.
Yisachar on Second
If Nachshon and the tribe of Yehudah came first because they represented the ideal of leadership that leads to Geulah-Redemption, what role does the follow up leader and tribe of Yisachar play?
To answer this question we must address a question raised by many of the commentators concerning the choice of Yisachar to go second instead of one of the more senior tribes. One would have thought that this honor would have gone to the tribe that descended from the oldest son of Jacob, Reuvein. Indeed, the tribe of Reuvein did protest that it was overlooked and relegated to a lower level of importance, as Rashi informs us. It is therefore surprising that it was the junior tribe of Yisachar that was accorded the honor of bringing the prestigious second offering.
There is also another difficulty in the Biblical text concerning Yisachar, as noted by Rashi. Why does the Torah repeat the words “brought his sacrifice” when discussing Yisachar’s offering?
Rashi answers both questions by stating that Yisachar’s selection to bring its offering ahead of all the other tribes (except Yehudah) can be attributed to two factors:
First, the Yisacharites were known for their extraordinary knowledge of Torah.
Second, this tribe was the one to propose to the other tribes the idea of making these offerings. All of the other offerings were inspired and instigated by the members of the tribe of Yisachar; primarily by their leader, Nesanel ben Tzuar.
The Torah therefore repeats the fact that the tribe of Yisachar brought its offering to underscore that its privilege to bring an offering ahead of the other ten tribes was based on these two considerations: their devotion to Torah study and, secondly, to their role as the inspiration and impetus for the other tribes to bring their own offerings.
Propelled Out of the Marketplace
A question may be raised: Why did they need two merits to be accorded the distinction of bringing their offering before the other ten tribes? Why wouldn’t Torah study itself suffice? Alternatively, why wasn’t their role in inspiring others sufficient to merit the honor of bringing their offering before the others?
Upon reflection, we will see that the need for both merits provides us with a twofold lesson about our ability to follow the offering of Nachshon, which was “a tough act to follow.”
On the one hand, it exposes us to the preeminent role of Torah study. Notwithstanding their originally low ranking vis-a-vis the other tribes, the devotion to Torah study by the Yisacharites catapulted them to the penultimate level of significance. This mirrors the Talmudic statement (Horiyos 13a) that even an illegitimate person who is a Torah scholar takes precedence over the High Priest who is an ignoramus.
Rav Yoseph, one of the great Talmudic Sages, stated in regard to Torah study and the holiday of Shavuot, the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai: “If not for this day, there would have been many Josephs in the marketplace.” (Pesachim 68b) Rashi, in his commentary to the Talmud there add, “And I have been uplifted.” Thus we see that proper Torah study has the capacity to raise us to a higher level. Torah study can transform us from mere non-descript “Joes” that inhabit, and identify with, the fragmented and tumultuous “marketplace” into elevated “Josephs” within the Jewish community.
The name Joseph, the Rebbe writes (Likkutei Sichos vol. 16), possesses the connotation of increased spirituality. But there are two types of increases. The first occurs when the increase is incremental and is not capable of propelling us out of the confining atmosphere of the galut-defined “Marketplace.” However, through Torah study one is empowered to leave this stifling atmosphere and travel into an environment of spiritual “weightlessness,” where we are not weighted down by the gravitational pull of the material world.
Conversely, Torah study, in and of itself, does not suffice. Although Torah elevates us and puts us on a pedestal, we cannot be detached from the rest of the community even if it is for the purposes of unhampered Torah study. Simultaneously one must also be involved with others, helping to inspire them to bring their offerings to the Temple.
This second message is also echoed in the Talmudic statement: “Whoever says, ‘I have Torah exclusively, does not even have Torah.’” (Yevamot 109b)
In order for Torah to be able to lift us off the marketplace it must not be weighted down by our own egos. The extra weight we carry, i.e., our swollen egos and self-centered obsessions, will prevent the Torah study from getting us “off the ground.”
Application to Moshiach
As was noted at the beginning of this article, the first offering of Nachshon of the tribe of Yehudah alludes to the Messianic Redemption. It stands to reason that the second offering, that of Yisachar—with its dual message of Torah study and the focus on others—provides us with the methodology to make Moshiach a reality. In our preparation for Moshiach, there are also two focuses that correspond to the two aforementioned virtues of Yisachar.
On the one hand, the Rebbe told us that “the straightforward path to bringing the Geulah/Redemption is the study of Torah, specifically the teachings of the Torah that concern Moshiach and Geulah.”(Sefer Hasichos 5751, Parshas Balak). This Torah exercise empowers us to rise above the galut/exile tainted perspectives we have. Rav Yosef realized that without Torah he would have been part of the “marketplace” galut mentality. Torah is what transports us into a higher spiritual sphere where we see the world from an elevated perch. Instead of the confusion that occurs when we are in the “marketplace” with its multiplicity of ideas, ideologies and influences, we develop a G-dly and therefore a unified view of the world. We are no longer torn asunder by the competing influences which disturb our peace. Torah, when approached properly, is therefore the most tranquil and liberating of experiences.
However, Torah alone does not suffice to prepare us for the Geulah. The purpose of Torah study is to alter our way of thinking so that we begin to live in a spiritually liberated fashion. Living in a Moshiach oriented way means that we don’t view everything and everyone from our narrow and self-centered vantage point. Divisions among people ought to break down as a consequence of the paradigm shift we experience when we study Torah with humility. Equipped with the right view of the world and of others, we then share with others our own excitement at our liberated and elevated status that we achieved through proper Torah study. If we don’t “get out of our own cocoon,” we must question the integrity of our Torah study.
Our efforts at dedicating the third Temple must follow the model we read in this week’s parsha. We first recognize the centrality of Moshiach and Redemption—the Nachshon offering. This is followed by the two-pronged approach of Yisachar: Torah study coupled with the sense of responsibility to, in the Rebbe’s words, “prepare ourselves and the entire world for the coming of Moshiach.”
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Naso by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
