More than Nothing

B’haalot’cha

Numbers 8:1 - 12:16

Précis:The parasha begins with a description of the making of the menorah, a central Jewish symbol. Next, the Levites are given specific directions for their duties. The parasha returns to narrative with a recounting of a second Passover celebration (required because some of the Israelites had been ritually impure when the first anniversary of Passover was celebrated). Next comes a discussion of the making of silver trumpets. The cloud of God’s Presence lifts, and the march of the People through the wilderness from Sinai begins, led by the Ark of the Covenant. The people begin to murmur again, this time about a lack of meat. God provides, but the People are struck with a plague. This time, even Miriam and Aaron seem to have complaints about Moses, cast in terms of their critique about his “Cushite woman.” Moses is, as usual, is vindicated at the end.

Numbers 10:35–36. “When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: ‘Advance, O Eternal One! May Your enemies be scattered, and may Your foes flee before You!’ And when it halted, he would say: ‘Return, O Eternal One, You who are Israel's myriads of thousands!’”

This week’s reading begins with a description of the menorah (in Hebrew, “ner”) which begins with the Hebrew letter “nun.”While this letter is known to dreidel players through the centuries as meaning “nothing,”this little letter has an important theological consequence in this parasha.

Before and after the verses noted here, in the handwritten Torah scroll (as well as in most printed versions), there appear what we call an “inverted nun” (the letters written in larger font, and upside down). The reason for these unusual symbols remains something of a mystery.

Some suggest that the “inverted nun” may signify that something is amiss with the written text. When the Talmud was compiled in the 5^th – 6^th centuries of the Common Era, the use of the “inverted nun” in Torah text was already an established practice. According to the Talmud (BT Shabbat 115b), “The Holy One, Blessed be He, made marks on this passage, above and below this passage to indicate that it is out of place.”A statement, attributed to Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi (who oversaw the compilation of the Mishna) suggests that these two verses were a separate Book of the Torah (BT Shabbat 115b–116a). He comments that the Book of B’midbar is actually three separate books of the Bible: the 1st 10 chapters, these two verses, and then the rest of Numbers.

If, indeed, these marks indicate that the verse was “out of place,” we can infer that God recognized that the Torah He gave to Moses was not totally complete. Perhaps some additional editing was needed. This concept is of course contradicted by our tradition which holds that every letter, word and phrase in the Torah is there for a purpose.

On the other hand, we know of many midrashic stories which suggest that Moses (or even God) was unaware of where rabbinic halachic exegesis might lead. These tales, and the implication that the Torah script here is annotated to indicate an error, may be suggesting that it is our responsibility to continue to study and wrestle with the Torah and with its meaning.

 

While traditional commentary has no difficulty in asserting a Divine Origin to the Torah, there are hints, as stated above, that this has not necessarily been a unified, relentless point of view. A couple of “inverted nuns” can raise the implication that there is more to Torah than was handed down at Sinai, and that it is our task to find it today.

And let us say "Amen"

Naso

Numbers 4:21-7:89

Précis: The parasha 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 husband. Next we have a discussion of the laws of Nazerites, 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.

Numbers 5:22 “And this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away. The woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen.’"

As pointed out in My Jewish Learning.com (8/4/11) by Rabbi Louis Jacobs, “Amen” is found in a wide variety of contexts in our Bible. As a liturgical response, its use is very common (and not only among the Jews, since it has been adopted by Christians and Muslims as well). Although its derivation is not totally clear, the Hebrew root may be related to emunah (faith), and to “emet” ("truth"). We see from its usage that “amen” is designed to express agreement, acceptance, or trust. This word has been described by the Sages as coming from the first letters of the Hebrew phrase “el melekh ne-eman”("God, Faithful King") or from the first letters of another Hebrew phrase, “ani moser nafshi” ("I offer up myself as a sacrifice").

Just as its derivation is debatable, there are many rabbinic suggestions about how the word should be used, and what the impact of the word might be. Some suggest that an individual who responds “amen” to a blessing is more to be praised than one who recites it, because he is affirming the first statement. The second-century teacher Rabbi Meir suggests that a child earns a share in the world to come when first saying “amen.” Rashi adds that the gates of heaven open to one who says “amen” with full kavanah (intention).

The Sages created a series of rules for when “amen” is to be used (prior to the widespread distributions of siddurim). “Amen” should be said promptly following a blessing; it should be said in a distinct voice (not slurred); it should be stated only after listening to someone else “make a bracha” and not after one recites a blessing oneself.

One final point about “amen.” It may be that one does not actually have to hear the blessing to recite “amen!” A deaf person is certainly permitted to respond to “amen” if done at the appropriate time. A tale is also told in early rabbinic literature that in a huge synagogue in Alexandria, an individual was assigned a responsibility of waiving a large flag when the time came to utter “amen” so that those in the rear of the sanctuary, too far to hear the bracha uttered, would know the appropriate time to say “amen.”

A very small word, but a word with great tradition and importance. Or as my grandfather might have said, "Ooo-mayn!"