This week's reading kicks off the fifth and final book of the Torah. It is a speech -- one of the greatest in history -- by Moses, right before his death, recalling the travels of the Children of Israel through the desert and restating the moral commitment to God's Covenant.
Why recall the whole story? Because Moses has been though all the ups and downs of the journey, which each had their own moral lessons. The journey itself is a moral statement, one that shows the limitations of the people -- but also their incredible moral potential.
This Sabbath is also before the observance of Tisha B'Av -- the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, marking the destruction of both the First and Second Temples. It is the outcome Moses warned the people about in this very speech, before his death.
But Moses also holds out hope, telling the people that God will not forget them, and that they can avoid destruction if they follow His ways. In the same way, the days after Tisha B'Av are among the happiest in the Jewish calendar, leading to the High Holidays of fall.
So this Sabbath is called Shabbat Chazon -- the Sabbath of Vision. Even as we mourn the destruction of the Temples and the near-destruction of the Jewish people, we see a more positive future, and we imagine what it can be. If you will it, as Herzl said, it is no dream.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/703951/jewish/Shabbat-Chazon.htm
This is the portion that all journalists should love: the Torah tells the story of the 12 spies, only two of whom tell the truth when the other ten shade it in a negative away (perhaps to suit a political agenda that is opposed to Moses).
It's not that the ten "lying" spies misconstrue the facts about the Land of Israel; rather, they interject their opinions that the land is impossible to conquer, which strikes unnecessary terror into the hearts of the people.
We have many examples of such fake news today -- from the Iranian propaganda outlets spreading false claims that they are winning the war, to California politicians spreading false horror stories about ICE raids in L.A.
The people realize, too late, that they have been fooled, and once they are condemned to die in the desert, they try to rush into Israel -- only to be defeated by the inhabitants, as the spies predicted that they would be.
But as consolation, God gives the people new commandments -- focused on things they must ...
This week's portion discusses the procedure for lighting the menorah, the holy seven-branched lamp, in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). It also describes an episode where the people crave meat, and God punishes them by giving it to them in excess. We also read the story of Miriam, Moses's sister, who is punished with the spiritual skin blemish of tzara'at for speaking about her brother, thus violating the prohibition against lashon hara (evil tongue).
I heard a fantastic sermon this week about the lighting of the menorah: that while only the priests were qualified to clean and purify the menorah, anyone could light it. A reminder that each of us can inspire others along the way.
This week we study the vow of the Nazirite; a reminder that sometimes trying to be too holy is excessive, and the best we can do is to be the best that we are.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2495720/p/complete/jewish/Naso-Torah-Reading.htm
