This week’s parsha is a strange one.
The parsha starts with a division of the different parts of the Mishkan to the Levitic families to take charge of its dismantling, transport and reconstruction. The end of the parsha is a list of sacrifices and gifts that the princes of each of the 12 tribes brought to the Mishkan on the days following its dedication. Spoiler alert — they are all the same.
In between these two parts we have two of the most esoteric mitzvot in the Torah, Sota and Nazir. More notable than the purpose and meaning of these two mitzvot is how completely out of place they are here in the text. Not only do they not belong in the middle of our parsha, they don’t belong in this book of the Torah at all — thematically, they belong in Vayikra, where it describes the other sacrifices offered by individuals.
The beginning of our parsha describes the most important religious act of the Levites: the moving of the Mishkan. Each Levi performed a different action, and each Levitic family had a different role in the deconstruction, transportation and establishment of the Mishkan. Each of them was fulfilling their national role through independent actions that they were explicitly instructed by G-d. They each, through their own individual action at the command of G-d, enabled the nation to function as a whole.
The end of our parsha describes the most important religious act of the princes of the tribes, their tribute to the dedication of the Mishkan. Each of the 12 princes brought a spontaneous gift to the Mishkan that ended up being the exact same items as every other prince. Each of them fulfilled their national role through independent and voluntary action that coincided with that of each of the other princes. They each, through their collective action as the result of their own personal command, enabled the nation to function as a whole.
The beginning and end of the parsha clearly indicate that the theme of our parsha is the spiritual/religious achievements of the nation and the role the individual plays in it. The lesson is that if it is at the command of G-d, then our action can be individual, and that if it is through our own internal motivation, then our action should be collective. But that is not always enough. Sometimes we need the ability to dedicate ourselves to G-d in a way that is neither proscribed nor similar to the action of others. That is why we have the mitzvah of Nazir. When a person feels the need to serve G-d in a way that is different from everyone and not obligatory, they take the Nazarite vow. Why then is Sotah in our Parsha? To warn us of the dangers of those who seek out spiritual/religious exceptionalism. That spiritual seclusion often just degrades into carnal hedonism, which, in the end, risks erasing G-d’s name from our lives.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis grew up in Overland Park and attended HBHA, was an Eagle Scout with Troop 61, and helped restart AZA Chapter #2. He currently is a rabbi in the Jewish Community of Warsaw, Poland, and Chief Rabbi of Katowice, Poland. He can be reached at .
