Naso (Take)
There are three sections to Naso: the census of the Levites, the cleansing of the camp i.e the removal to outside the camp of all those who are impure due to bodily emissions and skin diseases, followed by the sota, the jealous husband of a possibly unfaithful wife and the vow of the nazir.Vows are extremely important. Yeshua told us to let our “yes be yes” and our “no be no”. If we make a vow we need to be sure that we keep it or something will happen to us down the road where we will be forced to keep it willingly or unwillingly. Yeshua also said that those who have ears, let them hear and those who have eyes, let them see. He obviously wasn’t speaking in the physical sense, but in the spiritual. In the Haftarah portion we read about Samson who was born as a nazir due to his mother’s encounter with the angel. It was promised that he would deliver Israel from the Philistines…that was his role, his purpose. His behavior was far from being a holy man yet G-d’s purpose was achieved in the end. He was blinded but in this way G-d opened his spiritual eyes to truly be able to “see”.
We read in chapter 6 about not making vows. Often it happens that once we realize that we have been cleansed our instant reaction is to then make a vow…we promise ourselves and G-d “I’ll never do that again”! Guess what…it is not long until we break our promise to ourselves and to G-d. Our best intentions mean nothing because we simply are not able to keep them. Let’s not blame G-d when we are the ones who can’t keep our vows.
The next picture we see here is the cleansing of the camp. All those with tsaarat (skin diseases) or bodily emissions were removed to outside the camp in order not to contaminate the others. This has both physical and spiritual implications. In the spiritual sense, the process of admitting and confessing ours sin is so important because this allows the beginning of the healing process. G-d then continues the process.
In Romans 8:28, Rav Shaul said that absolutely everything that happens to those who love G-d is for good. Does that mean that even tragedy can be for good? There is always a reason for everything and He is always directing us even if it against our own will.
Have you ever faced circumstances where you felt that you had reached the end? Then one day the light slowly enters in again. You were totally without strength to continue on your own, no confidence in yourself…you realized that you could not continue without something outside yourself. This is where our spiritual growth begins when we start to allow G-d to take over. That is why everything that happens to those who love G-d is for good.
Why are these things so important for us to understand? We are G-d’s special creation made in His likeness and image more than any other of His creation. We needed to be counted each by our names, each with a specific task. What is the task that the Eternal G-d has given to you? What is G-d’s purpose for your life?
The greatest work that we as believers have is to domesticate the animal in us. He called each of us by name. The picture of Adam naming the animals in Gan Eden over whom we would have dominion is a beautiful picture of this in each of us. Everything about this parashah points to how special each of us is in G-d’s sight yet we spend so much time envying others and trying to be someone else. We all have the same value in G-d’s eyes and no matter what happens to us, there is always the opportunity to begin again.
My prayer is that each of us feels counted and finds our direction in our lives. When we have an encounter with Messiah, it costs us deeply. He paid the price with his life and our lives were bought at a high cost. I urge you to say no to religion and yes to G-d. Let us say thank You, G-d, I want to be counted; show me where You want to use me; let me be an instrument for Your use and a blessing to Your Name.
May G-d add blessings to His Word!