I hope everybody had a good Shavuot on Sunday. Our tradition says that Shavuot is the day haShem (god) spoke to us from Mount Sinai. In other words, it is a day of revelation. Did any of you have any revelations this past Sunday? If so, please share them in the comments section below. 🙂

Part of what haShem gave us on Sunday is this week’s parsha (Torah portion). It is called Naso which means to lift up or to carry because it is the first significant word in the parsha.

This week’s parsha is really a continuation of last week’s parsha which ended in the middle of a census of the families of the tribe of Levi, along with their responsibilities relating to the mishcan (tabernacle).   This week starts by completing the list of Levi families and their tasks. It continues by creating an inner and out circle of the camp and then talks about sinning and repentance, and who owns trumah (which is a holy offering of produce).

The next section of this week’s Torah reading is about the Sotah ritual which happens when a woman is accused by her husband of adultery and there are no witnesses. Immediately after are the laws of a Nazir, a person who makes an oath not to have grapes or grape products (among other things) for a predetermined amount of time.

After a short interlude where we learn about the priestly 3-fold blessings, we find out about the offerings made by the 12 tribal heads. We end by being told where the voice of haShem emanates from within the mishcan.

In short, this parsha is all over the place. I have yet to figure out how each part relates to the others. If you have any ideas, please write them below in the comments section.

In the meantime, I want to share something I read from the last Chabad rebbe regarding repentance.

The verses we are looking at are in the book of B’midbar (Numbers), chapter 5, verses 6 & 7. To paraphrase them, they say that if a person sins against another person, they are required to confess the sin they committed.

The question is why should a person verbally confess? If the person has repented, then making a verbal declaration seems superfluous, or even a bit negative. For example, suppose I stole a candy bar from you and later I felt bad so I returned it to you. Do I really need to declare that I took the candy bar? Why bring the incident up again and remind you that I am a thief.

On the other hand, if I have not truly repented, then the confession is insincere and hence totally worthless. So says Rambam, a commentator from almost 1000 years ago.

The rebbe explains it like this. “Confession is effective before, during, and after the tshuvah (repentance) process:

1. a) Before a person has resolved to stop sinning, an insincere confession helps him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, initiating the tshuvah
2. b) When a person has sincerely resolved in his heart not to sin again, confession brings his resolutions to be expressed outwardly.
3. c) The confession is then effective in inspiring the person to further remorse, and, ‘He will be more careful on another occasion not to stumble.’ “

In other words, human nature is such that if a person confesses to something that they plan on doing again, the confession will make that person feel uncomfortable and embarrassed because of the contradiction between their desire to hold on to sinning and to verbally acknowledging the act as wrong. Hence, there is a positive effect in voicing an insincere confession.

Also, if one has resolved not to commit the sin again, the verbal confession does two things: it brings the resolution into this world and makes it real, and it strengthens the person’s resolve not to fall into the sin again.

Then again, may we never have the need to confess our sins in the first place. 🙂

If you care to read what I wrote about this parsha last year, click here.

About the Author

Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.