Shalom Bayit – Naso
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמוֹר לָהֶם. יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ. יָאֵר ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ. יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם. וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרֲכֵם. (במדבר ו, כב-כז).
There is one central theme that flows through the entire parsha and that is שָׁלוֹם, peace.
Let us quickly run through the entire parsha and we will notice this repeating thread.
At the end of last week's parsha, we read about the family of Kehat who carried the holy כֵּלִים of the Mishkan. The Mefarshim ask why Kehat was mentioned before Gershon, the bechor. The Malbim (במדבר ד, ב) says that the reason is because of all the Levite families, Kehat was the most spiritually elevated (Moshe and Aharon were from the family of Kehat, for example) and were therefore chosen to carry the אָרוֹן הַבְּרִית.
Parshat Naso begins by detailing the tasks of the family of Gershon in the Mishkan. HKB"H said to Gershon "חַיֶּיךָ, it is true that I mentioned your younger brother Kehat first, but in return, I will begin a parsha with your name! נָשֹׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן גַּם הֵם וכו' (במדבר ד, כב). In addition, since you are the bechor, you will carry the first thing that was made for the Mishkan, the יְרִיעֹת".
Next, the psukkim talk about the task of Merari, carrying the Mishkan beams and outer structure. HKB"H said to Merari "חַיֶּיךָ, it is true that of the three, you are mentioned last. However, you are entrusted with carrying the parts of the Mishkan that were prepared first before all the rest, the special קְרָשִׁים that were made from cedar trees brought down to Egypt by Yaakov Avinu (ברכות נה, ע"ב; רש"י שמות כו, טו). In addition, of all the families, you are the most numerous וַיִּהְיוּ פְקֻדֵיהֶם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּמָאתָיִם (במדבר ד, מד)."
Thus HKB"H instilled שָׁלוֹם between the three families.
The parsha then mentions the sin of lashon harah and its aftermath, leprosy and how the perpetrator must be sent out of the camp, until he has done teshuva (שם, ה, ב). There is no sin that destroys שָׁלוֹם within Am Yisrael more than lashon harah.
Next are the sins of גּוֹזֵל and וְנִשְׁבָּע עַל שֶׁקֶר (Rashi, שם ה, ו), theft and deceit, which after lashon harah, are the most destructive forces against peace.
Following the above, the parsha continues with the sugya of סוֹטָה, in which we read to what lengths HKB"H is willing to go to restore peace between husband and wife – to allow His holy name to be erased!
After this we read about the Nazir, someone who witnesses a סוֹטָה בְּקִלְקוּלָהּ, that causes a destructive inner, spiritual imbalance. The Torah lists the steps needed for the Nazir to restore inner peace.
The next paragraph, is perhaps the most blatant of all in the parsha, Birkat Kohanim, because it spells it out directly - יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם.
The next (and most repetitive) part of the parsha are the קָרְבְּנוֹת הַנְּשִׂיאִים, offered during the inauguration of the Mishkan. It is one of the easiest parts of the Torah to lein, because it is repeating the same words over and over again, twelve times! Why not save everyone the time - simply list the elements of the korban once, the first time with Nachshon ben Aminadav (נְשִׂיא יְהוּדָה) and then say "On the second day Netanel ben Tzuar (נְשִׂיא יִשָּׂשכָר) brought the exact same korban. On the third day Eliav ben Cheilon (נְשִׂיא זְבוּלֻן) brought the exact same korban. etc.? The Midrash Rabba details over numerous pages, how although the physical elements of the korban were identical, the kavanot of each tribe when they offered the korban, were completely different.
However, there is another reason for the repetition. If you just stated the details of the korban once, with Nachshon ben Aminadav, and then said that the others brought the exact same korban (without listing the elements), this could arouse jealousy between the tribes. Therefore, to instill שָׁלוֹם, each tribe is repeated, entirely, word for word, as each of the other tribes, to show that they are all equally important.
Finally, the parsha ends with a description of how HKB"H communicated with Moshe, that His "voice" emanated out מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרֻבִים (במדבר ז, פט). As Chazal tell us (זהר הקדוש, קמח, א), the Kruvim had the faces of children, one male, one female and were facing each other in a loving embrace - with total שָׁלוֹם.
It is not surprising that HKB"H only communicates with Am Yisrael directly when total שָׁלוֹם exists, because שָׁלוֹם is one of HKB"H's names, as it says וַיִּבֶן שָׁם גִּדְעוֹן מִזְבֵּחַ לַָה' וַיִּקְרָא לוֹ ה' שָׁלוֹם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה (שופטים ו, כד). (HKB"H also communicates with Am Yisrael when there is no שָׁלוֹם, but indirectly, through פֻּרְעָנוּיוֹת).
That was the introduction, we can now begin the shiur.
I would like to share with you a true (behind the scenes) story that took place in the last two weeks, which is both inspirational and thought provoking.
Every year Machon HaMikdash together with the other Mikdash organizations, perform a תִּרְגּוּל שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם prior to, or immediately after, Shavuot. The purpose of this תִּרְגּוּל is to practice the Avodah so that when the Beit HaMikdash is rebuilt בבי"א, we will be ready to go (Machon HaMikdash regularly practices many other aspects of the Mikdash as well, as do we in Machon Lechem HaPanim with the Menachot and Lechem HaPanim).
As in previous years, I have had the privilege to bake the two loaves of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם for the תִּרְגּוּל. However, the baking is just the culmination of the process.
Preceding the baking, a veritable army of people, under the direction of an inspirational lady by the name of Tzvia Savir, were actively involved in making sure that the raw materials for the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם would be of the highest quality and would meet the most stringent halachic standards. Tzvia is perhaps the leading entrepreneur in Am Yisrael, trying to perfect the Solet for the Menachot. She is actively involved with seed banks and farmers, experimentally growing authentic strains of biblical wheat. She is actively involved with cereal chemists and the large milling companies in Israel, to successfully mill the harvested wheat into clean Solet, using a dry process so that the Solet does not become chametz.
In the last few years, I have had the privilege to be the end recipient of this Solet and have enjoyed witnessing the progress and refinement of the process. The Solet specifically grown and milled for this year's תִּרְגּוּל was the highest quality it has ever been, both in terms of purity and baking performance.
I was also party to the "military" style operation that took place in order to get the Solet to me in time to bake the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם. An operation that began many months ago and ended two weeks ago, overcoming many (often unexpected) obstacles, like Kashrut, for example (the Badatz Eda Charedit mashgiach of the milling company refused to give his hashgacha for the Solet, because his sect of the Charedi world does not condone the activities of Machon HaMikdash. Without his hashgacha, it was impossible to run the wheat through the mill's production line. B"H this obstacle was solved, via a different mashgiach). For Tzvia and myself, it was a hair pulling experience and involved incredible mesirut nefesh on her part, from beginning to end, and for my part making sure the Solet would arrive in time so as to not interfere with our regular Shavuot baking in the bakery and my parnasa.
B"H the Solet arrived in time and I was once again zocheh to bake the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם exactly according to the stringencies of the halacha required – Chadash wheat, grown in Eretz Yisrael, kneading and baking each loaf separately, the required dimensions (7X4X1 tefachim) etc. The baking was accompanied with the appropriate kavanot and tefilot for refuah and Geulah. The baking results were the best they have been since I have been involved in the process and the two loaves were all ready to go for the תִּרְגּוּל, on Isru Chag (Tuesday).
Prior to Shabbat, I received a phone call from another "Mikdash organization" person from Jerusalem Rabati (names and locations are omitted to protect the innocent), who asked me if it would be possible to bake him a separate set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם before Chag. As I regularly do, with anyone who makes similar requests for me to bake Menachot for them, I "grilled" him to find out what purpose he wanted the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם for. In these cases, I am a staunch "Beit Garmu'ist", always doing my best to ensure that any Menachot products (or knowledge) leaving my facility is not used by the wrong people for the wrong purposes.
He told me that he wanted there to be a set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם in the city of Jerusalem over Chag and that they were purely symbolic. Based on this, I agreed to make him a set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם. Since there was not enough of Tzvia's special flour left anyway and since the purpose of these loaves were purportedly "symbolic", I baked them using the same Solet that I use for my workshops (imported durum wheat semolina from Italy) and I was not makpid on all the halachic preparation aspects, since they were intended as "props" only.
Since I was making another set anyway, I also used the opportunity to prepare a third set, which I used for an exhibition of the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם in my shul over Chag, which drew a lot of interest and was helpful in bringing the Mikdash to life.
My Chag was very enjoyable, lots of learning, lots of Q&A about the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם exhibition, lots of yummy cheesecake prepared by my dear wife Sheryl, etc.
On Motzei Chag, Sheryl showed me a WhatsApp message with a link to an article in the Srugim website that reported a very unusual event. Supposedly with the backing and under the auspices of Machon HaMikdash, a group of Kohanim went to daven on Har HaBayit, as Jews regularly do on Chag. However, this time, this group hid a set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם in a baby stroller (under the baby) and a live lamb in a Rami Levy shopping bag, thus managing to evade the police inspection. When they reached Har HaBayit, they pulled out the loaves and lamb and proceeded to perform the Korban שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם for real, in the designated location of the Mizbeach. In an instant they were pounced upon by the Waqf clerics and police and forcibly led away. The title of the article was "For the first time in 2000 years, Kohanim wave the שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם in the Beit HaMikdash!"
After a few telephone and Whatsapp clarifications, it turns out that the breads used in this ceremony were baked by yours truly - that same second set of "prop/symbolic" שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם prepared for the purpose of simply "being in Jerusalem over Chag". When I discovered this fact, I was very angry … and sad.
I am not going to get into the issue of whether Jews should go up to Har HaBayit or not. This issue is beyond my jurisdiction and I will not pretend to be an authority on it. I personally do not go up onto Har HaBayit, but you should not take this as indicative or advocating a specific derech. Anyone contemplating such a thing should first follow their heart and more importantly consult with their own Rav and follow his directions implicitly. There are Gedolei HaDor leaning in both directions.
Another issue I am not going to get into is tactics. Undoubtedly, all those involved in the Torah world and specifically the Mikdash world, have the same strategy – to hasten the Geulah. The only thing differentiating us is – tactics, how to best achieve that aim?
There is no single, correct answer to that question, because each person has their own יִעוּד in life, for which purpose HKB"H put us here in this world. I cannot speak for anyone else except myself, what I believe to be my יִעוּד. My purpose is using my knowledge of the Beit HaMikdash, coupled with חֶסֶד work via our amuta, to educate and rekindle a spark. To foster peace and unity in Am Yisrael and thereby merit the Geulah. The passuk says הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבֹּרִים סָבִיב לָהּ מִגִּבֹּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שיר השירים ג, ז) and the Midrash (Rabba) says that that the word שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה means הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁהַשָּׁלוֹם לוֹ, that in Shlomo HaMelech's time, peace reigned and because of that it was possible to build the first Beit HaMikdash (the Midrash also brings a link to our parsha, saying that שִׁשִּׁים גִּבֹּרִים סָבִיב לָהּ are referring to Birkat Kohanim, which has sixty letters). This is the method I follow.
The reason I was angry when I heard about this ceremony, was not because it took place per se. In fact, I am still not sure exactly how to feel about it. Undoubtedly it was a daring and well-planned operation, which had obviously been well rehearsed in advance to maximize effect. You cannot help but admire the Yiddishe kop. Lehavdil elef havdalot, our enemies hide RPG missiles under babies in strollers for the purposes of murder and destruction. Am Yisrael hide שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם in baby strollers, whose purpose is to bless the fruit harvest - all over the world - so the world should be a better and more prosperous place. The purpose of having the Beit HaMikdash בִּכְלָל is so that there should be world peace, not just for Am Yisrael. Seeing the fear and confusion on the faces of the Waqf clerics highlights what they are truly afraid of, that their religion will be exposed for the sham and deception it is – a religion that idolizes death/mayhem and not life/growth.
I cannot condemn those activists who performed the ceremony. Am Yisrael is asleep, we have never been further (and closer) from the Beit HaMikdash than we are today. When we were still in galut, being persecuted, at least the dream of שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, kept us alive and gave us hope. Today we don't have even that. Jews were no longer persecuted around the world (or at least, until October 6, 2023 – when we realized that was an illusion), we had become Am Yisrael's worst nightmare וַיִּשְׁמַן יְשֻׁרוּן וַיִּבְעָט. The concept of שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ had become lip service at best, inconvenient for most and unthinkable for some (woke). We had Har HaBayit in our hands in 1967 (I was 2-years-old at the time) and we handed the keys over to the Waqf because Moshe Dayan found "this whole 'vatican' thing inconvenient". HKB"H handed us Har HaBayit on a plate and instead of the entire Am Yisrael mobilizing to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash, we tossed it away. What lack of gratitude to HKB"H, what a calamity!
Perhaps the only way to wake Am Yisrael up again is by provocative acts such as these. I cannot condemn those who planned and executed the ceremony. Who knows what HKB"H's plan is? Perhaps it is through them that the spark will be rekindled. I do not know. None of us knows.
The reason I was angry was because the breads that were used for the ceremony were my breads and they were passul, they did not conform to the halachic requirements of Shtei HaLechem.
I am sure a lot of thought went into planning this operation, logistics, subterfuge, daring, etc. The only thing that was left out was HKB"H. If you are already planning everything down to the last detail, what about ensuring that the first Korban שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם to be offered in 2000 years should be halachically perfect (or as close to perfect as it is possible to get), born out of incredible mesirut nefesh and the right kavanot?
By not telling me what these שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם would be used for, they ended up "offering" a passul Korban. The first שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם offered in 2000 years on Har HaBayit next to the area of the Mizbeach was passul and it was prepared by me! This is why I was angry.
I דָּן אוֹתָם לְכַף זְכוּת that by not telling me, they perhaps wanted to protect me (from involvement/Shabak/police etc.) or perhaps they were afraid that I would tell someone (which I would not have) and possibly sabotage their operation. They were afraid of all these things except the most important thing – inadvertently angering HKB"H.
I am not saying that the "real" set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם that were made (to the best of everyone's ability) according to the most stringent halachic specifications and requirements was a perfectly halachically "Kosher" Korban, but it was the closest that anyone living today could possibly get to it. It was born out of incredible mesirut nefesh, yir'at Shamayim and kavanot.
Instead of that being the first set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם to be offered on Har Habayit in 2000 years, the breads actually used were a "fake" set and not halachically acceptable. What a פִסְפוּס, what a lack of yir'at Shamayim! and what a קִטְרוּג against me personally for this חִלּוּל ה' that I was inadvertently part of.
This was the reason I was angry, because in order to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash, the first parameter that has to be thoroughly planned is the HKB"H factor, not the stroller, the Waqf, the police, the tapping of phone lines, etc. Before everything else you have to be יָשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה'. When you put HKB"H first, all the other factors fall into place.
Not surprisingly this incident is making waves internationally and who knows exactly where it will lead. We do not know HKB"H's plan. Some of the press is glamorizing it and some of the press is slamming it. In most cases "any publicity is good publicity", but this case is different. In regards to the Beit HaMikdash, publicity is irrelevant, the only thing that is relevant is truth. HKB"H is not interested in and doesn't need publicists.
The reason I am writing these words is not to criticize or judge anyone chas vechalila. Only HKB"H is בּוֹחֵן לְבָבוֹת and knows everyone's real intentions in their hearts. The reason I am writing this is so that we can learn a lesson from it.
The lesson for all involved is to focus on the core issue – listening to HKB"H. That is always the first step. Make sure you have that squared away before anything else. Follow the halacha to the best of your ability in the circumstances, never cut corners as far as halacha is concerned. From this everything else emanates – bravado, planning, rehearsing, tactics etc. The most important thing is to not anger HKB"H. If you anger HKB"H then everything else is pointless. It is important that the Rabbanim and the leaders of whoever is involved in Mikdash activity make sure that this principle filters down to all levels, so that it is the Rabbanim and talmidei chachamim leading the movement and not the movement leading the leaders.
My lesson from this is that I have to focus a little more on the חָשְׁדֵהוּ and less on the כַּבְּדֵהוּ in regard to product that leaves my facility, which is not easy for me, because I am a דָּן לְכַף זְכוּת kinda guy.
Regarding the real set of שְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם, they were used in the תִּרְגּוּל on Isru Chag and from what I hear (I was not there), it was very successful and a big Kiddush Hashem. נֶחָמָה פּוּרְתָּא.
The strategy remains the same for us all – to hasten the Geulah. Each of us needs to do our maximum hishtadlut in our specific fields and derech. Together, working together בְּשָׁלוֹם with symbiosis, the chances of success are exponentially greater. HKB"H loves achdut and שָׁלוֹם, perhaps more than anything else. This is the central lesson of our parsha. His house, the Beit HaMikdash epitomizes שָׁלוֹם and will only be rebuilt when there is שָׁלוֹם, beginning with internal peace in Am Yisrael and extending out to the entire world.
Our parsha also teaches us that the enemies of true שָׁלוֹם must be distanced from the camp to reflect and do teshuva. True שָׁלוֹם is making peace within Am Yisrael before making peace with our enemies and certainly not making peace with Amalek. Seekers of true שָׁלוֹם have to hold an olive branch in one hand and a stick in the other.
Beyond all the "smoke and mirrors", technicalities, political intrigues and nuances of tactics, the heart that beats loudly at the core is resounding love for HKB"H and a yearning to be closer to Him and have His Shechina reside within us once more בְּשָׁלוֹם.
יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֵינוּ וְיָשֵׂם לָנוּ שָׁלוֹם.
