Don't be so humble, you're not that great

 Naso

Num. 4:21-7:89

 

Précis: The parasha (the longest of the weekly readings) opens with a continuation of the listing of the Levitical families and their duties regarding the transportation of holy vessels. This is followed by a brief commandment concerning restitution for wrongs. The parasha then turns to a mysterious procedure for testing a wife’s fidelity when questioned by her jealous husband. Next, we have a discussion of the laws of Nazarites, and the recitation of the “Priestly Benediction.” The parasha concludes with the presentation of identical gifts by each tribe for the dedication of the Altar.

 

Num. 6:2-21 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow to set himself apart for the Lord as a Nazirite, they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink… During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long. Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body…."

 

Cantor Jamie Marx has insightful comments on the subject of the nazir (10 Minutes of Torah, 6/1/25). In it, Marx expresses his desire to live a life of modest ambition and a desire to help others in a meaningful way, to make a positive impact on the world, but without obligating himself to a life of asceticism. As he says, “Moderation in all things, even moderation.”

He ties this wish to the opening verses of Naso, which describes the Nazarite’s vow which he sees as a desire to serve, a need to strive, and a measure of restraint.

While the text tells us how the Nazir is to act, it omits any explanation of why such vows are to be made.

There is an entire tractate of the Talmud devoted to such vows. There, the discussion also focuses on the how, but not on the why. This is particularly confounding, given that Judaism as a rule eschews asceticism and self-righteousness. Marx quotes Golda Meir as saying, “Don't be so humble, you're not that great."

Nazirites volunteered to go beyond what is required of all, explicitly setting themselves apart for the Lord.  This reminds me of modern volunteerism. Our obligation as Jews is to try to make the world a better place, and the world lacks no shortage of healing needs. How can we set ourselves aside for the Lord? Perhaps through a stronger commitment to our communities and our People. The particular task may be short or long-term, but the work is there for all of us. As Rabbi Tarfon is quoted in Pirke Avot (2:16), "It is not your obligation to complete the task, but nevertheless, you are not at liberty to neglect it."

Have a Pizza for Shavuot!

 As we approach Shavuot, I wanted to share some words about the holiday which I have previously circulated.

First, I wanted to take a look at a custom many observe during this holiday: eating dairy.

            While dairy foods are customarily associated with Shavuot, there’s no real understanding as to why this is the case. Several ideas have been floated to suggest a connection.  In Psalms 68:16, Mount Sinai is called “Har Gavnunim,” a Hebrew word similar to the Hebrew word for cheese (“gevinah”). Gematria suggests that the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word for milk (“chalav”) is 40, which is the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai. A more far-fetched idea is that until the Torah was given, Jews had no idea which animals were kosher, so they lived on dairy or pareve foods only.

            Perhaps there is a single textual connection which gives substance to this custom. In Ex. 34:26, we read, “Bring first fruits to the house of God; you shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.” The holiday of Shavuot is when first fruits were offered, and the same verse refers to milk.

            The Ashkenazi custom of eating blintzes, it has been suggested, comes from the idea that two blintzes on a plate look like the scrolls of Torah!      

            Second, for those who are not lactose intolerant, may I suggest that eating a cheese pizza works out very well. The triangular shape of a slice reminds us of the three kinds of Jews: Priests, Levites, and Israelites. A typical pizza is sliced in 8ths and represents the seven weeks of the Omer and the first week afterwards, starting with Shavuot. The crust is brown (like the wilderness), the sauce reminds us of the “Red” Sea of the Exodus, and the white (the cheese) is in tradition a symbol of physical and intellectual purity, being the true color of light, without any modification.  

Finally, there is something additional to say about pizza. In The Alienated Minority - The Jews of Medieval Latin Europe by Kenneth R. Stow, he discusses early Jewish Italian commentaries on major Jewish texts written in “Judeo-Italian” (which used Hebrew script to transliterate Italian words). One such commentator, Judah Romano, explained what Maimonides meant when he used an obscure word “hararah” (a kind of flat cake which could be kept warm for eating on Shabbat without violating the laws of Shabbat). Romano used a one-word Italian term to explain what this “flat cake” was, using the Hebrew letters peh-yod-zayin-heh: “pizza” Stow writes, “This is the first known written attestation to this now international term.” So, while Jews may not have invented pizza, we were apparently the first to write about it! Chag Sameach!