TORAH

T ORAH
STUDIES
STUDIES
Insights on the Parshah
from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Rabbi Insights
Menachemon the
M.Parshah
Schneerson
from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
Adapted from Chassidic Dimensions

PARSHAS NASO 5784

NASSO
BIKKURIM –
A LESSON FOR TODAY
In the Torah portion of Nasso, we learn that
"all terumah - elevated gifts - that the Jewish
people present as sacred offerings to the priest
shall become his property."1
Rashi2 notes:3 "R. Yishmael said: 'Is terumah to
be considered as presented to the priests - [after
all,] the priest had to go after it to the granary? ...
[Rather,] this refers to bikkurim [the first-ripened
fruits], concerning which the verse states: "you
shall bring to the house of G-d your L-rd."4 But we
know not what to do with it.... The verse here
teaches us that bikkurim are to be given to a
priest.' "

1
Bamidbar 5:9.
2
Ibid.
3
Based on the Sifri.
4
Shmos, 23:19, 34:26.

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 Torah Studies
Producing fruit, especially the choice fruit
presented as bikkurim, requires great effort and
toil; a person must plant, sow, prune, etc. When a
Jew finally gets to see the fruit of his labors, the
Torah tells him that the very first and best must
be given to a priest.
Since all lessons of the Torah are applicable at
all times and in all places, this manner of conduct
regarding a Jews' earnings is expected of him
nowadays as well.
When a Jew has the opportunity to give
tzedakah (charity), he should not dwell on the fact
that earning a livelihood requires great effort, and
think that the first and best should thus be kept
for himself. Rather, the first of his hard-earned
money should be "brought to the house of G-d" -
it should be donated for tzedakah.
A person might well think to himself: If this
money were going towards an institution such as a
yeshiva or synagogue, or toward benefiting the
public, then it would make sense to give. In this

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 Parshas Nasso
instance, however, it is going to an individual
priest.
Since he himself also has needs, and
concerning all Jews, the verse states:5 "You shall be
unto Me a kingdom of priests," why does he have
to give the first of his hard-earned income to
another? Why should that other person come
before him? At the very least, why not divide the
"bikkurim" into many equal parts, distributing
them among many individuals - including himself?
The Torah therefore teaches us that, in order
to properly know what to do with one's
"bikkurim," one must first bring them to "G-d's
house," i.e., one must realize Who it was that
made these "bikkurim" possible. When he does so,
he will reach the proper conclusion: that, in truth,
they should be given to a priest.
A person can fool himself into thinking that
his own needs take precedence only when he does
not understand that all his money is in fact
tzedakah-money. Such a person has yet to free
5
Ibid., 19:6.

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 Torah Studies
himself from the feeling that the money he is
considering giving away belongs solely to him,
coming without any assistance from Above. When
a person feels that he alone is responsible for his
wealth, it is difficult for him to share his bounty
with another.
But if a person's evil inclination were simply to
declare that he should not give money for
tzedakah, it would be ignored. Instead, the evil
inclination begins with a "just" complaint: since
the worker himself also has needs, let him keep
some of the first of his hard-earned money for
himself - after all, that too can rightfully be
considered tzedakah.
But if a person is intent on "bringing it to the
house of G-d, your L-rd," he will take it as a given
that "bikkurim," the first and best of his fruits,
should be given to others, and not think of taking
any for himself, just as he would never dream of
taking other money designated for tzedakah.
When a Jew acts in this manner, he can be
assured of the blessing that Rashi speaks of in the
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 Parshas Nasso
verse that follows:6 "He that gives to the priest 'the
gifts that are coming to him ... shall be blessed
with great wealth.' "
Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VIII, pp. 29-40

6
Bamidbar 5:10.

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 Torah Studies

NOTHING MORE,
NOTHING LESS
In the portion of Naso, the Torah relates:7 "it
was on the day that Moshe finished setting up the
Mishkan (the Tabernacle) ... that the princes of
Israel ... the princes of the tribes ... brought their
offering before G-d - six covered wagons and 12
oxen, a wagon for every two of the princes...."
The entire Jewish nation contributed
generously for the construction of the Mishkan,
so much so that the gifts were "sufficient... and
more than sufficient."8 How is it then that the
princes of Israel were seemingly miserly in their
gift of wagons, each contributing only half a
wagon?
Moreover, our Sages inform us9 that Moshe
did not accept any gift for the Mishkan until G-d
agreed that the gift was appropriate. Evidently, G-
d was satisfied with a gift of only half a wagon
from each prince. How could this be, considering
7
Bamidbar 7:1-3.
8
Shmos 36:7.
9
Sifri, 7:3; Bamidbar Rabbah 12:18.

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 Parshas Nasso
that with regard to the Mishkan and Beis
HaMikdash, "there is no room for deprivation in a
place of grandeur"10?
The Gemara explains11 that the wagons used
for loading the boards were so loaded that there
was not an inch to spare.
There is a maxim:12 "All that G-d created in
His world was created with a purpose." This
principle applies at all times and in all places.
With the construction of the Mishkan and the
dwelling therein of the Divine Presence, this ideal
was realized to the fullest extent - everything was
totally used for the purpose for which it was
created.
Therefore, although the Mishkan was
constructed in a manner reflecting grandeur and
opulence, nothing went to waste. Since 12 oxen
and six wagons were sufficient for carrying the
Mishkan, it would have been improper to use
more.

10
Shabbos 102b et al.
11
Ibid., 99a.
12
Ibid., 77b.

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 Torah Studies
The obvious lesson here is how important it is
for each of us to use the faculties and talents with
which G-d endowed us to the fullest, so that
nothing goes to waste. Rather, we are to use these
talents to fulfill the purpose and objective for
which we were made - "I have been created to
serve my Maker."
The above applies as well to each of the soul's
powers, so that with regard to the study of Torah,
for example, one should toil with all one's
intelligence and might.
So too, with regard to the rest of a person's
faculties - they are to be used for the "sake of
Heaven," such that "in all your ways shall you
know Him." Every man and woman is to employ
his or her talents for the sake of performing
mitzvos in the most beautiful manner possible.
The same is true with regard to the use of time.
Even if someone fills 23 hours and 59 minutes of
a day with positive accomplishments, he should
seek to use the remaining minute, so that it not go
to waste.

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 Parshas Nasso
Herein is the lesson we learn from the
Mishkan: a seemingly superfluous thing causes a
deficiency in the Mishkan as a whole, and
consequently, in the indwelling of the Divine
Presence, both within the literal Mishkan and
within the internal Mishkan that resides in the
heart of every Jew.13
When a Jew fails to use even the smallest part
of his ability in refining his share of this world - a
world in which "nothing was created without a
purpose" - a measure of disorder results.
But when every Jew uses all his powers and
faculties for the sake of "having been created to
serve his Maker," then G-d dwells in a revealed
manner within him and within the world. In turn,
this reveals that creation is entirely G-d's doing.
All this leads to the construction of the Third
Beis HaMikdash, which will be speedily built
through our righteous Moshiach.
Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVIII, pp. 40-48

13
See Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavah, ch. 6; Sheloh, Shaar HaOsiyos, Os 30.

11
 /ddKd,
DEDICATED TO THE L >hs/d,Z
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Whose teachings and example are a
ŶĞǀĞƌͲĞŶĚŝŶŐƐŽƵƌĐĞŽĨůŝĨĞĨŽƌĂůůŵĂŶŬŝŶĚ
never-ending source of life for all mankind
May we continue in his paths, and complete
DĂLJǁĞĐŽŶƚŝŶƵĞŝŶŚŝƐƉĂƚŚƐ͕ĂŶĚĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞ
the mission with which he has charged us:
ƚŚĞŵŝƐƐŝŽŶǁŝƚŚǁŚŝĐŚŚĞŚĂƐĐŚĂƌŐĞĚƵƐ͗
to make the world conscious of the imminent
ƚŽŵĂŬĞƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚĐŽŶƐĐŝŽƵƐŽĨƚŚĞŝŵŵŝŶĞŶƚ
Redemption and to prepare an environment
ZĞĚĞŵƉƚŝŽŶĂŶĚƚŽƉƌĞƉĂƌĞĂŶĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ
where this ideal can be realised.
ǁŚĞƌĞƚŚŝƐŝĚĞĂůĐĂŶďĞƌĞĂůŝƐĞĚ͘

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‫נדפס ע"י ולזכות‬
'‫ר' פנחס יהושע שיחי‬
‫הננברג‬
‫לרגל יום הולדתו ביום ח' סיון‬
‫בברכה לאריכות ימים ושנים טובות‬
‫ושנת הצלחה בכל עניניו בגשמיות וברוחניות‬

‫ולזכות משפחתו שיחיו‬
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