Portion Naso – Commitment Jealousy and Committment

The Portion starts with the work assignments of the Levites

And ends with the donations of the Presidents of the 12 Tribes to HELP those Levites.

So where does Jealousy come in?

I once went to dinner in a Brooklyn Kosher restaurant and my dinner partner pointed

"Do you see that guy? He was beaten up in this same place by a fellow who claimed that he was interfering in his marriage."

So in the middle of the Portion comes the ruling of "A jealous husband" – who needs to bring his wife to the Temple courtyard, they offer a sacrifice, and expect

Divine divination as to what happened and if what follows will be a curse or a blessing. (The Talmud states that after many years the ceremony "stopped working" because there were so many cases and negative findings).

In my Talmud study this week we find the crux of the story of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel from the breakaway kingdom of "Northern Israel."

She wanted a neighbor's field but the neighbor refused to sell –

So she hired 2 liars to claim the neighbor had blasphemed the Almighty and King Ahab

And the punishment was to execute the neighbor and take the field!

My son Azi today told me he is advertising around to find a kidney donor for a 27 year old friend of his so I have joined in the search. (I knew both parents - sadly the father died years ago).

Last night I was supposed to be at a wedding up North but my ride (grandfather of the bride) waited 2 hours for other people to show up – so luckily I didn't go. They got there late and eventually got home 4AM!

My friends apologized for making me wait around so long – but as I wrote:

The Almighty has his plans! And everything works out for the good!

Go know!

Naso (the Portion name) means "raise up" – raise up (and carry) the Desert Temple – and the Levites who had to carry it during the journey of 40 years in the desert!

Shabbat Shalom and Blessings

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz