Naso(Numbers 4:21-7:89)

Trespass

A glance at Parshat Naso reveals it is for the most part following the themes laid before. In the middle however, there is a digression which discusses a number of laws which seem disconnected to the narrative.

These laws include the ordeal of the sotah (the woman suspected of immorality); the laws of the nazir (the man who chooses to be an ascetic for a time); and the laws concerning vows. At the end of this section is the Priestly Blessing, and then the Torah continues with matters organically related to the Book of Numbers.

SOTAH AND NAZIR

The Talmud and Midrash explain the interrelationship between sotah and nazir as follows:

Rabbi says, "Why does the section of the Nazir adjoin that of the suspected woman? To tell you that whoever witnesses a suspected woman in her disgrace should withhold himself from wine." (Sotah 2a)

You will find the section concerning the Nazir and the unfaithful woman side by side. The Nazir vows not to drink wine; whereupon God says to him: "Thou hast made a vow not to drink wine in order to be removed from sin, then do not say: 'I will eat grapes and no sin will befall me.' Since, however, thou hast made a vow against wine, I will teach thee not to sin before Me." He told Moses, therefore, to teach Israel the laws of the nazir, as it says: When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow ... he shall abstain from wine and strong drink ... he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, and when he does this, he will be like an angel. (Midrash Rabbah - Exodus 16:2)

Another Midrash goes further and relates these two sections to the priestly blessing:

Why is the section dealing with the nazir placed after the one dealing with the suspected wife, and the priestly benedictions put after the section dealing with the nazir? Because the suspect wife would be told: "Daughter! Much harm is caused by wine. It should be a woman's habit to keep away from wine, like a nazir." They stipulated with her regarding all that is mentioned in the section. If she was chaste and was cleared and conceived seed, priests emanated from her, who blessed Israel. Midrash Rabbah - Numbers 10:25

While the Talmud and Midrash note the connection between the laws of nazir and sotah, however the connection of these laws to this section remain elusive.

TRESPASS

The Torah introduces the law of sotah by using the word ma'al which can be translated as "trespass" or "embezzlement." The lesson which the Torah is teaching, is that marriage is sacred, and the individual who takes another mans wife, or the woman whom is intimate with a man other than her husband is guilty of a trespass.

Speak to the people of Israel, and say to them, "If any man's wife goes astray, and commits a trespass against him." (Numbers 5:12)

And when he has made her drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she is defiled, and has trespassed against her husband, that the water that causes the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall fall; and the woman shall be a curse among her people. (Numbers 5:27)

Significantly this is not the first time in Parshat Naso that this word is used:

When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and if that person is guilty. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done; and he shall make restitution for his trespass in full, and add to it its fifth part, and give it to him against whom he has trespassed. (Numbers 5:6-7)

Here the Torah is referring to the taking of something which is sacred from the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. To derive pleasure from an object which is sacred is considered a trespass, and the punishment will be forthcoming. This linguistic observation allows us to make a thematic connection between the woman who is guilty of a trespass in relationship to her husband, and the individual who takes something sacred from the Mishkan.

Obviously, with the newly completed Mishkan standing certain laws need to be taught therefore the law of trespass is understood. Apparently the Torah felt that once one type of trespass is taught, the other type should be introduced as well. However, there may be a deeper connection between these ideas.

A DEEPER CONNECTION

The first time that a trespass took place was in the Garden of Eden, man was told that from all the trees of the garden he could eat, with the exception of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Man however was guilty of a trespass, and took that which was not his.

Ironically a number of Midrashim present strong sexual overtones, concerning the interest of the serpent with Eve. According to this approach, the serpent desired Eve, therefore plotted the downfall of man. Numerous passages in the Talmud and Zohar speak of the serpent of having known Eve in a carnal manner.

Observe that at the creation of Adam the Holy One, blessed be He, made him male and female together, female behind and male before. Then He sawed them apart and adorned the woman and brought her to Adam; and when they were thus brought face to face, love was multiplied in the world and they brought forth offspring, a thing that was not yet before. But when Adam and his wife sinned and the serpent had intercourse with Eve and injected into her his venom, she bore Cain, whose image was in part derived from on high and in part from the venom of the unclean and low side. Hence it was the serpent who brought death into the world, in that it was his side that was the cause of it. (Zohar Shmot 231a, see Shabbat 146a, Yevamot 103b Avoda Zara 22b)

This connection is intensified when one considers a number of additional associations. According to many authorities, the forbidden Tree of Knowledge was a vine, and the fruit grapes.

What was the tree where of Adam and Eve ate? Rabbi Meir said: "It was wheat, for when a person lacks knowledge people say, 'That man has never eaten bread of wheat.'" ... Rabbi Judah ben Ila'i said: "It was grapes, for it says, Their grapes are grapes of gall, they have clusters of bitterness. Those clusters brought bitterness [i.e. sorrow] into the world." Rabbi Abba of Acco said: "It was the etrog." Rabbi Jose said: "They were figs." (Midrash Rabbah - Genesis 15:7)

TREE OF GRAPES

This tradition of the tree being grapes is directly associated with the nazir and the sotah:

Rabbi Abin said: "Eve mingled wine for Adam and he drank; as it says, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it is written, Look not thou upon the wine when it is red ... And I have not learned wisdom from the wisdom of the Torah; namely that in every instance where wine is mentioned in the Torah it always leaves a mark ... If one wishes to sanctify himself so as not to be tripped up by whoredom he should separate himself from wine, yet I disgraced myself by whoredom ... For this reason the section about the nazir is written after that about the suspected wife. (Midrash Rabbah, Numbers 10:4)

The question here arises, why should the nazir, in addition to wine, be forbidden also grapes, seeing that the priest, who is also enjoined to "drink no wine nor strong drink" is yet permitted to eat grapes. There is, however, a recondite idea involved in this. It is a known thing that the tree of Adam's transgression was a vine, the fruits of which, wine, strong drink and grapes, belong together to the side of the left. Hence the nazir has to keep altogether away from them. (Zohar Numbers 127a)

Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea (Proverbs 23:34). This applies to Noah who, in the ark, lay twelve months in the midst of the water of the Flood, and because he drank and became inebriated a disqualifying blemish came upon him, for he was emasculated. Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast (ib.). This applies to the ancient Adam, who was the first of all mankind, and who, through wine, received the penalty of death and caused the pangs of death to be brought upon the world ... Woe unto the adulterer who does not learn wisdom from what has happened to those who came before him! He saw what had happened to the suspected wife as a result of wine and did not learn wisdom. (Midrash Rabbah - Numbers 10:3)

All of these sources are in agreement that the sin in Eden was caused by the vine, therefore the law of the nazir is clearly understood. Excess wine can lead to immorality. When one faces immorality the response should be abstention, in order to protect oneself from the destructive forces unleashed.

THE WARNING

The Mishna also makes this connection when describing the warning which the woman receives prior to the ordeal.

They bring her up to the great court of justice which is in Jerusalem, and [the judges] solemnly charge her in the same way that they charge witnesses in capital cases and say to her. "My daughter, wine does much, frivolity does much, youth does much, bad neighbors do much. Do it for the sake of his great name which is written in holiness so that it may not be obliterated by the water.'(Sotah 7a)

The Mishna then describes a second aspect of the ordeal which the Torah mentions:

And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and loosen the hair of the woman's head (Numbers 5:18)

The Mishna says:

But if she says, "I am pure," they bring her up to the east gate which is by the entrance of Nicanor's gate where they give suspected women the water to drink, purify women after childbirth and purify lepers. A priest seizes her garments — if they are rent they are rent, and if they become unstitched they are unstitched until he uncovers her bosom, and he undoes her hair.

The uncovering of the woman seems cruel and bizarre, the exposed woman seems quite incongruent with the holiness associated with the Temple. However, in Eden prior to man's trespass, nakedness was the order of the day. This suspected woman is either innocent – like Adam and Eve, prior to their sin – or she is guilty and will soon suffer the consequences of her rebellion.

THE CHERUBS

There was one other uncovered aspect to the Mishkan, the cherubs which stood in the Holy of Holies were uncovered. It was from there that the word of God would emanate.

And when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with him, then he heard the voice of One speaking to him from the covering that was upon the ark of Testimony, from between the two cherubs, and he spoke to him. (Numbers 7:89)

This verse is the final verse of this week's Torah portion, from between these naked cherubs would the word of God set forth. A revelation of sorts would come to Moses from this holy place.

There is another aspect to this verse, which is compelling. The place where the voice emanated from is described as "upon the Ark". The Hebrew is may'al -- the same three letters which spelled the word ma'al, meaning "trespass." Perhaps the word trespass implies taking something from the Temple which is owned by heaven, which belongs to above exclusively.

When man sinned he caused there to be a chasm between heaven and earth. Exile from the Garden of Eden was the result. Man's original trespass caused this situation.

The vine and her grapes and wine, are objects which should have not been needed in this world. The Midrash teaches that the purpose of wine was to comfort the mourner:

Rabbi Hanan said: "Wine was created in the world solely for the purpose of paying the wicked their reward in this world, for they are lost to the next world, and of comforting the mourners; hence it is written, And wine unto the bitter in soul. (Proverbs 31:6). From this the Sages derived the rule that all those who were about to be executed by the court should be given to drink wine in its undiluted state, so that the criminal's mind should become confused; in fulfillment of it says, Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish. Let him drink, and forget his poverty (ib. 7). This is said of the condemned man who is about to perish, namely that he shall forget death, which is his grief ... It is said of him who is bitter in soul, namely whose sons and daughters have died and who is bitter in soul; the wine would make his heart glad so he would not remember his grief any more. (Midrash Rabbah - Numbers 10:4)

WHAT IF...

Had Adam and Eve not eaten from that tree, then its fruits would not have been necessary, for there would have been no death nor sorrow. We would still be in the Garden of Eden with the spirit of God manifest. Sin would have been a possibility but not a reality. And the voice of God would not have come exclusively to Moses rather it would have been available to all.

Man without sin would not have hidden himself from God, but would have basked in the glory. Celestial guards, the cherubs, would not have had to be stationed at the gate to Paradise, nor would they have had to be later stationed in the Mishkan.

Before the Mishkan is consecrated, and the offering of the heads of the tribes presented, some unfinished business from time immemorial is introduced. Man must learn what is his and what is considered a trespass. In this world wine is needed, for the pain is often great. The vine may be elevated and used in sacraments in the Temple or in sanctification in the home. When the vine is elevated it becomes holy, as in Kiddush. But the destructive power of the vine must be noted.

Now when the Mishkan comes into use we are bidden not to make the same mistake man did at the dawn of history. For if we are guilty of a trespass we will be unworthy to hear the word descend from above.