naso

Shabbat Shalom!.

Shabbat Shalom!.

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Shabbat Shalom!.

Naso (4th of Sivan)

"May God bless you and keep you.

May God shine his face upon you and be gracious to

you

May God raise his countenance upon you and give you

peace." (Numbers 6:22-27)

Parsha Naso, is the second parsha in the book of Numbers. In

the beginning of the parsha Moshe has been instructed by Hashem to teach Aaron and his descendents on how to count and bless each individual of Klal Israel. This three part

blessing although pronounced by the Kohan-priests is in effect a

blessing directly from Hashem. With great ceremony they stand

before the congregation and recite the three designated verses.

“May G-d bless and guard you… May He shine His countenance upon you, and show you grace…May He place upon you peace.”

Rashi explains that the Kohanim are asked to offer the blessing to the people not as a substitute for God but so that the Kohanim can serve as examples to the people. The term Naso is translated as to “take a census”, but the meaning of the word is something much more powerful. If we include in the meaning of Naso “to rise or to lift up” we are stressing the importance of each and every individual, each person counts and each individual has something important to contribute. The procedure of counting every single individual is so important as Rashi notes that Aaron was instructed to tell the Kohanim,

”do not bless them in haste, nor in hurried excitement, but with full consciousness(kavanah),

and with a whole heart “

In fact every person got their own specific blessing. Today, this blessing is recited by the Kohanim at the daily morning service in Israel, and on holidays in most orthodox synagogues around the world. In some congregations the Kohanim go before the ark, cover their faces, turn to the congregation and with outstretched hands, say this prayer on behalf of the community.

Jewish mysticism tells us that the actual procedure of the priestly blessing, involves not just the words but the actual positioning of the Kohen's hands during the blessing. The fingers are

aligned in such a way as to represent God's name.

It has also been noted that since G-d’s name is in every stanza of this beautiful

blessing it was specifically designed by Hashem to bring his presence down to

earth and upon each and every person.

The Ohr HaChaim explains the first verse to mean that the quantity of success

bestowed upon you should be so great that it needs special guarding. The second

verse is a blessing that we should be very close to God, and be infused with the drive to do good. The final verse affirms the hope that all impediments we have caused in our relationship with God should be put aside. The first deals with our physical well-being, the second with our emotional well-being, the third with our spiritual well-being.

Many of us recognize this as the prayer with which we bless our children every Shabbat. Parents use these beautiful words to bless their children on Friday nights by placing their hands upon the heads of their children individually, and repeat the text of this very same blessing. As parents we have this fantastic opportunity to bless our children every Friday night and say some something special and influential. In our home my husband always blesses our children and whispers a specific complimentary message to each of them. My father in law who does not speak Hebrew blesses his sons in English in his own special way. The priestly blessing isn’t reserved for kohanim alone, and every mentor or parent is a priest of sorts. We influence our children as role models as well as advisors.

The Torah teaches us that Aaron and his sons blessed the entire community, not just the most worthy, the most ethical, or the most spiritual. Every human being can partake in Gods blessing. May we continue to stand up and be counted as a whole nation as we strive together for “shalom” peace,

Shabbat Shalom,

Miriam

As a continuation of last week i have given some additional dairy recipes to celebrate the holiday of Shavuos.

Salmon Mousse

1 can red salmon drained

5 oz. smoked salmon

4 scallions whites only

1/4 cup chili sauce

1 teasp. white horseradish

2 envelopes gelatin (soften in 1/2cup warm water)

1pint sour cream

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Puree all ingredients in a mixer except for heavy cream. Whip heavy cream separately until peaks form fold into other ingredients and place in a greased mold. Decorate with red caviar for a special look and or parsley. Place the parsley in the bottom of the mold. What a pretty sight when you unmold it! Serve with crackers, bagel or pita chips.

Pasta Salad- lots of color)

1 box bow tie pasta cooked according to directions

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1/2 green pepper

1/2 red onion sliced thin

2 tbl.capers

1/2cup black olives(optional)

1/2 cup scallions

3/4 cup sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 1/2 cup feta cheese