Checks and Balances

Checks and Balances

D’var Torah for Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21—7:89)

By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman



The Torah often teaches its lessons by first providing a picture of an ideal situation, then giving its total counterpart. The Ideal is a model of perfection itself—an impossible dream, a Garden of Eden that can only be imagined. Then comes the downfall.

The lesson must be extrapolated from between the two situations. How to reach for the Ideal without stumbling and then, just as importantly, how to rise again from the inevitable Downfall is rarely an easy task. There are far-reaching consequences to each and every one of our actions. Sometimes it’s impossible to undo the hurt that results from a missed opportunity, or from an action that somehow misses its mark—or worse, finds it.

The fourth book of the Torah, Numbers, begins with a perfect ordering. The Israelites undergo a system of organization in which every individual has a role and knows her or his place. Like a perfectly tuned symphony orchestra under the staff of Moses, its conductor, the Israelites travel in perfect harmony among themselves as well as with God. When the cloud that symbolizes God’s presence lifts off the Tent of Meeting, it is a sign to break camp and move on. When the cloud rests again, the Israelites stop. A pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night guide and protect the people on their journeys.

At least theoretically. Reality, however, soon sets in.

This week’s portion, Naso (“count” or “raise”), concludes the assignation of the various Levite clans to their particular chores in maintaining the service of the Tent of Meeting. What follows are examples of extremism, actions or behavior that go beyond the prescribed, that break the bounds of what is normal and harmonious.

The story of the sotah, the “wayward woman,” is the all-too-familiar tale of a love gone wrong. Suspicion and jealousy erupt into violence. Imagined or real, the outcome of over-zealous love is predictable. Among many societies in the Middle East, honor killing is still considered acceptable, even legal. What this portion of the Torah tries to have us learn is how avoid this outcome. The public trial of the woman results in face-saving for the jealous man, but has much more to offer for the woman—it is designed to save her life.

From the moment the woman is handed over to the priest, the fate of the sotah is out of her jealous husband’s hands. The priest represents sanctuary for her. Administering a terrible oath and a bitter potion—disgusting, yes; deadly, no—the priest ensures that spirits cool down without resorting to bloodshed. At least until the next time. It is a humiliating experience, to be sure, but it is far preferable to the common fate of women who are suspected of infidelity.

A similar exaggerated sense of devotion is exhibited by the Nazirite. A person who takes a special vow of commitment to God may make it for any length of time. For the duration, however, he or she must not drink anything alcoholic and even abstain from any and all grape products. There are at least two reasons for that. First—so that nothing would distract the Nazirite from his or her mission; total focus on the goal and the process of reaching it are expected of the Nazirite. Should this dedication be broken by accident, the Nazirite must start from the beginning, from square one.

Practice makes perfect, and perfection is the goal of this special devotee to God.

The second reason for the prohibition of alcohol for a Nazirite is that intoxication might make his or her actions even more extreme. Emotions heightened and inhibitions lowered make for a powerful combination. Without limits or restraints, extremism can turn into fanaticism, once again with predictably tragic results.

The rituals and sacrifices that surround the two cases of the Sotah and the Nazirite are meant to teach, but also to provide controls for extremist behavior. Everything is prescribed; every step of every ritual is clearly delineated. The individual in question cannot be allowed to break the social norms and thus cause a breach of holiness. Whether the over-zealous love is directed at God or at one’s spouse, the inherent danger to life and society is the same, and it must be kept under control. It’s the priest’s responsibility to keep the passions in check.

Following these two harrowing tales of extremism, parashat Naso continues with the famous three-fold blessing:

  May God Bless you and keep watch over you;
  May God’s light shine upon you and grant grace unto you;
  May God’s countenance be lifted up towards you and may God bless you with peace.

It is through the harmonious interweaving of our lives that we bring God’s blessings into the world. Encouraged when we need support and restrained when our passions threaten to explode into violence, we try to keep on an even keel. Bamidbar, in the wilderness of life, sometimes the beasts can be found around us; at other times, however, we see them within ourselves. Navigating between the extremes, trying to stay away from the most exalted heights as well as from the most depraved lows, we look to God’s light for guidance.

We are forever trying to balance our love and longing for the Ideal with the realization that we can only go so far in reaching for it. Peace is found in the in the tension that we sense within ourselves, in the balance that we manage to maintain between what we want and what we cannot have. It’s a hard act, but one we must learn to master.



Dedicated, with love, to Yoni, on the 12th anniversary of his bar-mitzvah.



©2011 by Boaz D. Heilman