Page 445 - 24107

Orchard of Delights Naso

at Mount Sinai is in truth the ultimate goal of the seventh year: to £The Blessing of Peace£The Blessing of PeaceThe Blessing of Peace
foster equality and a common sense of purpose among the entire £
people of Israel.

Another more philosophical connection between the Giving of Following the laws of the Nazirite, the portion of Naso presents the
the Torah on Mount Sinai and Shemittah observance is the need for Priestly Blessing:
abundant faith. Before receiving the Torah, the people exclaimed:
“We will do and we will hear” (Exodus 24:7). Jewish tradition God spoke to Moses saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons saying:
venerates the children of Israel for this declaration, explaining that Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, saying to them: ‘May God
it shows immense faith in God, for the Jews agreed to observe the bless you and protect you. May God illuminate His countenance
laws before they even heard them. As mentioned in the last section, upon you and be gracious to you. May God lift His continence to you
agreeing to allow one’s fields to lie fallow for an entire year, especially and grant you peace.’” (Numbers 6:22-26)
in an agrarian society, also demonstrates enormous faith, for it entails This blessing was uttered in the Tabernacle in the desert and later
trusting that God will provide sustenance until a new crop can be in the Temple in Jerusalem. After the destruction of the Temple, the
planted and harvested. While taking one day a week off to observe Sages incorporated the Priestly Blessing into the synagogue prayer
Shabbat can take a great deal of faith, especially in a material, service. This is one of numerous ways the Sages translated and
wealth-driven world, taking off an entire year demonstrates faith of transformed the particulars of the Temple service and their deeper
an entirely different order. Both the tremendous faith at Mount Sinai meanings into the new synagogue setting (see “The Tabernacle,
and in observing the Shemittah year connect them; however, they the Temple, and the Synagogue” for an extensive discussion of
are also connected by a certain corresponding lack of total faith: the this process). The Priestly Blessing is used at other times as well,
crisis in faith that led to the making of the Golden Calf and the lack especially by parents in blessing their children on Shabbat.
of faith that prevented the Jewish people from ever fully observing
the laws of Shemittah. The first word of the Priestly Blessing in Hebrew is “bless” and the
last word is “peace” (“May God bless you…. and grant you peace”).
On an even deeper sod level, there is a profound connection between This phenomenon prompted the Sages to declare that “great is peace
the spiritual experience the people had at Mount Sinai and that for there is no vessel that contains blessings as well as peace” (Sifrei,
which they can experience during a Shemittah year. As discussed in Naso). Likewise, this prompted the Sages to end the last blessing
the portion of Yitro, the experience at Sinai transcended the normal of the Amidah (the quintessential Jewish prayer recited three times
bounds of perception and consciousness when the seven heavens daily) with the word “peace.” An even more emphatic statement of
opened. The dimensions of space, time, and soul were united, and the the centrality of peace appears in the Talmud (Gittin 59b): “The entire
senses merged. Hinting at the connection between the Shabbat and Torah is also for the purpose of promoting peace, as it is written:
Sabbatical year experiences and the experience at Sinai, the Sages all ‘Her [the Torah’s] ways are ways of pleasantness and her paths are
agreed that the Torah was given on Shabbat. Notably, the Sabbatical peace’ (Proverbs 3:17).”
year is even described in the Torah as a “Shabbat to God.”
Although many parents informally give thanks daily for the
Every Shabbat when we are able to divorce ourselves from the privilege of having children and bless them in their hearts, the
hustle and bustle of daily life, we are granted the opportunity of Sages institutionalized a particular time to give thanks and actively
entering another level of awareness, a Sinai consciousness. Many bless children – before the first Shabbat meal. Since Shabbat’s
times though just as we are beginning to relax and enter into this very essence is peace (as attested to by the customary greeting of

420 445 # 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 14 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Black 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL |

14

# 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 14 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Magenta #24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 14 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Yellow 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 14 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Black 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 14 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:1