Parashat Naso - Fifth Aliyah

Numbers 7:1 to 7:41

The Completion of the Mishkan, a New Beginning

“Vayehi beyom kalot Moshe lehakim et hamishkan” (“And it was on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan”, verse 1)

On the day Moshe completed setting up the Mishkan, the peak moment of a long journey since the Exodus, he anointed and sanctified the Mishkan and its vessels.

And what did the tribes do? With love and unity, the leaders of Israel volunteered and brought personal offerings, a symbol of every tribe’s desire to be part of the holiness of the spiritual center of the people.

Six Wagons and Twelve Oxen

Every two leaders cooperated and brought one wagon, and each leader also brought one ox (verse 3).

• The wagons and the oxen were given to the Leviim, for the ongoing work of carrying the parts of the Mishkan (verses 6-8).

• But to the sons of Kehat, who carried the holy vessels themselves, no wagons were given:

“Velivnei Kehat lo natan ki avodat hakodesh alehem bakatef yisa’u” (“And to the sons of Kehat he did not give, because the service of the holy was upon them, they would carry on the shoulder”, verse 9).

There are things that can be helped with technically, and there are things that demand personal touch, devotion, body and soul.

Dedication of the Altar, Day After Day

Each leader brings his offering on a different day, for 12 days (verse 11).

This aliyah covers the first five days. Each offering is exactly identical:

• One silver bowl (130 shekels) and one silver basin (70 shekels), both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering (verse 13)

• One gold spoon (10 shekels) filled with incense (verse 14)

• Burnt offering: a bull, a ram, a lamb (verse 15)

• Sin offering: one goat (verse 16)

• Peace offering: two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, five year-old lambs (verse 17)

The first five leaders:

• Naḥshon ben Aminadav, tribe of Judah (verse 12)

• Netanel ben Tzu’ar, tribe of Issachar (verse 18)

• Eliav ben Ḥelon, tribe of Zebulun (verse 24)

• Elitzur ben Shdei’ur, tribe of Reuben (verse 30)

• Shlumi’el ben Tzurishaddai, tribe of Simeon (verse 36)

But despite the identical content of the offerings, each leader brought his offering with a different intention, from his unique identity and the root of his tribe.

What Is the Message?

• Even when everyone does “the same thing”, it is not the same thing. Each one brings his own heart and his own intention, and that is what makes the contribution unique and irreplaceable.

• Sometimes you must work hard shoulder to shoulder, and sometimes you must simply lift on the shoulder alone, without a wagon and without help, like the sons of Kehat.

The dedication of the Mishkan teaches that every detail in the holy service is important, and every heart that gives itself is counted and heard above.

More Questions on the Parsha

More questions on this parsha are on the way. In the meantime, explore our daily Torah learning.

Daily Torah learning