Naso - Standing Tall
A Jewish response to hate is to lift our heads high.
Our hearts remain heavy with the recent tragedies that have affected world Jewry: the loss of murdered hostages Judi Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai z’l, the terrorist attack in Washington, DC, that claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim z”l, and the terrible attack in Boulder, Colorado, at a “Run for Their Lives” event, where sixteen people, including a Holocaust survivor, were burned, some of them extremely seriously.
We are praying for these victims and their families - we wish a refuah sheleimah for all who were injured.
The Boulder attacker chillingly declared, echoing Hamas’s words after October 7, that he would do it again if he could. This is the kind of obsessive antisemitism and hatred that we, as Jews, continue to face. It compels us to ask: How do we respond?
This week’s parsha, Naso, which we usually read following Shavuot, offers a powerful and relevant message. According to the Shlah HaKadosh, the titles of every parsha are not randomly chosen; they unite and capture the essence of the parsha’s message.
However, as we’ve discussed in previous years, the word “Naso” has at least thirteen meanings, making it challenging to find its unifying message.
Naso covers a wide array of topics: the offerings of the nesi’im (the tribal leaders), the duties of the Levi’im in carrying the Mishkan, the nisi’at kapayim, the lifting of the Kohanim’s hands to bless the people, the Sotah ritual, which deals with trust in marriage, and the Nazir, the Nazarite. These topics may seem unrelated at first glance, but the title Naso binds them together, highlighting the theme of lifting up, in status, spirit, and responsibility.
The Ramban points to a powerful wordplay on the phrase “naso et rosh,” meaning “count the heads,” used in the census at the beginning of Bamidbar. The same phrase can also mean “lift off the heads,” foreshadowing the punishment that would later befall the generation of the spies. Ramban draws this from Joseph’s interpretations of Pharaoh’s dreams in Egypt: the butler is told, “yisa Paroh et roshecha” Pharaoh will lift up your head, restoring him to his position; the baker is told the same phrase, “yisa Paroh et roshecha,” but here it means “lift off your head,” condemning him to death. One phrase, two vastly different outcomes.
This dual meaning teaches us a critical lesson: when faced with those who seek to cut us down with antisemitism, God forbid, our response must be to lift our heads high. To stand proud as Jews. To stand proud as Zionists. To show the world and ourselves that we will not be bowed or broken.
Hashem gave us the gift of Israel, and we must protect it with all our might. We must face the hatred around us with unwavering pride, strength, and unity. That’s why Sunday morning’s “Run for Their Lives” event at Rittenhouse Square will be extremely meaningful. We gather not to fight back with violence but to lift our heads high, to show that we are strong, proud, and unshakable as a people.
Thank you to Shira and Jordie Yosher for keeping this program going for over 600 days (!), a testament to our community’s determination and strength.
The dual meaning of naso, to lift up and to cut off, reminds us that every challenge in our history has ultimately lifted us higher. Our struggles have shaped us into the holy nation we are today. We need to respond with passion for our destiny as Jews.
We should lift our heads high, and post-Shavuot, let us embrace our status as a mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh, a nation of spiritual leaders and a holy nation, and stand united in the face of hatred and adversity.
May Hashem bless us with strength, resilience, and the wisdom to confront our challenges with faith in Hashem and pride in being Jewish.
Shabbat Shalom.