"Subject
matter in the Bible is often arranged and linked together by a process of
thought and, in particular, word association, probably originally designed as
an aid to memory."1 This principle
is well illustrated in Parashat Nasso. There is no need to look far and wide in
the Parasha's three and a half chapters for a unifying theme. It is apparent. In spite of the assortment of different and
seemingly unrelated subjects that the Parasha presents, the root of
"nasso" pops up in a number of places and in different connotations.
Bamidbar 4:22 says: "Lift the heads of
the sons of Gershon…" (literal translation). "Lift" here
is "nasso," of the root n.s.a (noon, sin, alef), which we have
already encountered in previous portions, and several times in the same context
of taking a census in last week’s Parasha (of the leaders of the sons of Israel
1:2, and of the Kohathites 4:2)2. Although the English translations use the
imperative form ("take" or "lift"), in actual fact this is
not what the Hebrew text says. The form “nasso” which is used here as a charge,
is more like the English present progressive, rendering “nasso” almost as,
"lifting up." This unusual
usage in an address form (cf. 3:40 in last week's Parasha, where the usual
imperative form "sa" was used) serves to call attention to this verb
and lends it the character of a noun.
Let
us follow "nasso" throughout our Parasha and examine its usages within
the contexts of the different topics presented. The reason for the census as it applies to the
Gershonite priests is given as: "This is the service of the families of
the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens ["masa"]… they
shall bear ["venas'ou"] the curtains of the tabernacle,
and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of sealskin that is
above upon it, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting… At the
commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the
Gershonites, in all their burden ["masa'am"], and in all their
service; and you shall appoint unto them the charge of all their burden
["masa'am"]” (4:24,25,27 italics added).
"Lifting"
and "bearing a burden" are both of the root n.s.a,
which describes the essence of the Gershonites' service in the Mishkan. The
Meraris' census, on the other hand, is not qualified by the verb n.s.a, but
rather by “pakod,” which is translated "number" but
basically means to “attend or visit" (it was also used in this
form in last week’s Parasha in relationship to the census of the army, ch. 2). Yet
the Merari’s work is also described as "a charge of their burden" (v.
31), which is, once again, "masa." Altogether the essence of the
Levites and their work may therefore be described as: "All those that were
numbered of the Levites… every one that entered in to do the work of
service, and the work of bearing burdens ["masa"] in
the tent of meeting… every one that entered in to do his work of service, and
the work of his burden ["masa'o"] in the tent of meeting… they
were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service and his burden…"
(4: 46, 47,49, italics added). The ultimate purpose of "bearing"
these "burdens" (literally “carrying” or “lifting”), was in order to
"lift high” or “elevate” the One to Whom the Levites were rendering this
service.
However,
the root n.s.a accompanies us all the way to the end of the Parasha, where the
twelve leaders of the tribes are seen making their respective offerings for the
inauguration of the Mishkan (7:2ff). Each of those “leaders” is called “nassi” - “one who is elevated.” Because of
the specific conjugation that is used for this noun, its literal translation should
be, “one who is elevate-able.” In other words, the leaders were not
merely the heads of their tribes by virtue of birth; in order to be in their
lofty positions they had to be equal to these positions - proving their
faithfulness and leadership capabilities.
The next section where the root n.s.a makes
an appearance is at the very end of the "law of jealousy" (5:11-31),
as it is called (or “Sota” – ‘sinning woman’), which is the inspection of
possible adultery on the part of a married woman. If and when proven that the
wife has transgressed in such a manner, and after having gone through the
various rites enumerated, she was to "bear ["tisa"] her
iniquity" (v. 31, italics added). Whereas the priests’ duties in
"bearing the burdens" of the Mishkan were of the more 'uplifting'
kind, here "nasso" connotes 'carrying' a heavy burden of guilt.
The
issue of "lifting" comes up again in the famous priestly or Aaronic
blessing or benediction, which seals chapter 6. Toward the end of the blessing
we read: "YHVH lift up ["yisa"] His face upon you and
give you peace" (v. 26, italics added), which is an altogether different
application of the root n.s.a, touching Elohim and His relationship with His
People. Notice that the whole benediction is written in second person singular,
implying that each individual within the Nation is being addressed. "Yisa YHVH
panav," the lifting of YHVH's face, or countenance "toward you"
or "upon you" indicates favor, acceptance, and turning toward the
object of the benediction (as we have already seen in the past, regarding the
meaning of "face" - "panim"), thus instilling hope in one’s
heart.
Finally,
chapter 7 is dedicated in its entirety to the offerings brought for the
dedication of the Mishkan (or "Ohel Mo'ed") by the
"princes" or "leaders," the "nesi'im",
those who are "lifted up" (verses 2,3). “Nesi’im” is also
plural for “cloud.” In Proverbs we find this word used metaphorically: “Whoever
falsely boasts of giving is like clouds
and wind without rain” (Proverbs 25:14, italics added). In Jude the same
imagery is used (v 12), regarding “ungodly men who creep unnoticed” among
YHVH’s own, and “who turn the grace of our Elohim into lewdness and deny the
only Lord YHVH and our Master Yeshua Messiah” (Jude v 4).
Let us return now to Umberto Cassuto, who makes
the following point: "The book of Bamidbar is arranged chiefly after such
a fashion… with various items being included because of a similarity of
thought, or phrases recurring in the chapters concerned…"4, as, indeed, is
the case of the root n.s.a. Cassuto incorporates other examples from our
Parasha: "The laws applying to the suspected adulteress (5:11-31) succeed
by those treating the Nazirite (6:1-21),
after which is appended the formula for the priestly blessing (6:22-27)." Preceding the law of the suspected adulteress,
which focuses on a "man's wife [who] trespasses a trespass
[“uma'ala bo ma'al”]," are the laws of the guilt offering,
where we encounter the phrase "to do a trespass/commit unfaithfulness
["li'm'ol ma'al"] against YHVH" (5:6 italics
added). Before we continue to follow our
‘chain,’ let us pause to look at the verb “ma’al.” A common noun that stems
from the same root is “m’eel,” which simply means a “robe.” Thus we infer that
“trespass” is a form of deception, as it is rooted an attempt to cover up one’s
actions. By contrast, we read in Yishayahu (Isaiah) 61:10: “…For He [YHVH] has
clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe
– m’eel - of righteousness…”
Back to Bamidbar 5:18, where it says about the
alleged adulteress: "And the priest shall set the woman before YHVH, and
let the hair of the woman's head go loose - u'fara" (italics
added). In 6:5 it says concerning the Nazirite: "He shall let the locks of
the hair of his head grow long - "pera." Both u'fara and pera
share the root p/f.r.a (pey/fey, resh, ayin). According to the above-mentioned
principle, the similarities shared by the Nazarite and the high priest, both of
whom are not to touch the dead (cf. 6:6 Lev. 21:11), are the reason why the
Priestly Blessing is appended to this chapter which deals with the Nazirite's
laws.
Within the specifications of the laws of guilt offering and
compensation, mentioned in 5:5-10, the topic of confession - "viduy"
- comes up (v. 7). This is not the first time we encounter this topic. In fact,
we have already examined the term in Parashat Vayikra (Lev. 1-5, e.g. 5:5).
Sefer Ha-hinukh sheds further light on this issue: "The verbal confession
of guilt provides an indication that the sinner truly believes that all his
deeds are revealed and known to the Lord, blessed be He, and he will not deny
the omnipresence of the All-seeing. Again, by verbally specifying the sin and
regretting it, he will be more careful in the future not to stumble thereon.
After he has said with his mouth… he will as a result, become reconciled with
His maker. The good God who desires the welfare of His creatures guided them in
this path through which they would gain merit."5 Similarly, we read in 1st
John: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1:9). Hirsh notes that
the form of the Hebrew verb "to confess," "hitvadeh,"
conjugated as it is (in the "hitpa'el" form) “…indicates that the
confession consists of man speaking to himself, admonishing his [own]
conscience."6
Let us conclude by reviewing once again the
case of the jealous husband from another angle. When Yeshua came up out of the
grave on the first of the week (see John 20:1) He was acting as the fulfillment
of the first of the Omer, which was “waved for our acceptance” (see Lev.
23:11). An omer of barley (i.e. one
tenth of an ephah, see Ex. 16:36), was also to be used as an offering by the
husband who was overcome by a spirit of jealousy, and so we read in 5:15 “… the
man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required
for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal…” (emphasis
added). The priest was then to make the woman drink bitter water in
order to determine whether she was innocent or not (ref. 5:17,18, 22-24, 27),
with the effect of the drink on her body being such that it would disclose her
true state. When on the stake, Yeshua was also given a bitter drink (gall mixed
with wine), which although He did not actually drink, He did taste (see Matt.
27:34). Thus, Yeshua as the jealous husband (see Ex. 25:5; 34:14; Deut.
6:12-16 etc.), whose wife Israel has gone astray (e.g. Jer. 3:6) has also
become the very offering for her sin, the Priest who makes the offering (e.g. Heb.
5:10), and the One who takes upon Himself her transgression, drinking, as it
were, the bitter drink in her place.
In a letter in response to the above, Garret
Lukas says the following: This past week I saw
similarities between the Bitter Waters test and Isaiah 53 that I haven't seen
before. In Numbers 5, a
guilty woman "bears (tisa, carries) her iniquity", like you pointed
out. If she is guilty, the presumption is that she'll be barren from then
on. If she is innocent, the scripture says, "She will conceive
seed."
But Messiah Yeshua stepped in
for her:
Isaiah 53:4: "Surely
our sicknesses he carried (nasa) and our pains he bore (s'valam - synonym to
nasa)."
53:11 "...and their
iniquity he bore (yisbol)."
53:12 "and he carried
(nasa) the sins of the many."
He bore her iniquity for
her. You mentioned the cup of gall mixed with wine that Yeshua
tasted. In Delitzch's Hebrew translation of Matthew 27:34, he translates
gall as "m'rorot", from maror, meaning "bitter".
(What a picture of Pesach as well; just as we are commanded to eat maror
at Pesach and taste the bitterness of suffering, so did he.)
One passage in Isaiah 53 that always puzzled me was verse
10. Even though Messiah would be crushed as a trespass offering, "he
will see seed (descendants)."
But reading it in light of Numbers 5, I see now that if Israel
And after the suffering of Isaiah 53 is accomplished, what is
spoken in Isaiah 54:1?
"Sing Barren One who did not bear! Burst forth with
song, you who were not in labor! For more are the children of the
desolate wife than the sons of the married, says YHWH."
The Barren One is free to conceive seed because her husband has
borne her sins and atoned for them himself.
"If it be Your desire, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not my desire, but Yours be done."
"And YHWH desired to crush him with sickness, in order to
make his soul a trespass offering..."
Notes:
1 Umberto Cassuto
in New Studies in Bamidbar, Nechama Leibowitz, trans.
Aryeh Newman. Eliner Library, Department for
Torah Education and Culture in the
Diaspora. Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn , N.Y.
2 For more on the
root n.s.a, look up Hebrew Insights into Parashat B’resheet (Genesis - with special reference to 3: 13;
4:7, 13).
3 Although
"nasso" in reference to the Kohathites is found in last week’s Parashat Bamidbar (Numbers) 4:2.
4 Umberto Cassuto
in New Studies in Bamidbar, Leibowitz
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
Hebrew
Tools for Everyday Use
Since in this
week’s Hebrew Insights, above, we focused mainly on the verb n.s.a and its
Biblical usages, of which there are more than in everyday common Hebrew, we
will highlight only one which is in daily usage and that is “nassi” –
“president”. “Pakod” – visit, count, muster – is used currently to form the
word for office worker, “pakid”. In an indirect way we also discovered the word
“me’eel” which in modern usage is simply “coat”. Let’s see how we may put these
words into use and increase our Hebrew vocabulary.
The president wore
a coat
Ha’nassi lavash
me’eel
The clerk works
with the president
Ha’pakid oved eem
ha’nassi
The president and
the clerk are wearing coats
Ha’nassi ve’hapakid
lovshim me’eelim
(To listen, highlight, copy
and paste on web)
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