Naso: The Hidden Wisdom in Repetition

By Mordy Blau

One question that arises in this week’s Parsha is: why is it so long? Why does the Torah feel the need to detail every single korban that the leaders of each tribe brought for the inauguration of the altar on the day it was anointed? Many mefarshim ponder this and offer their insights. One particularly intriguing answer comes from R’ Pinchas ben Yair, as quoted by Rashi in the treatise of R’ Moshe HaDarshan.

R’ Pinchas ben Yair explains that Netanel ben Zuar inspired the other nesi’im to emulate the offerings of Nachshon ben Aminadav. Nachshon, from the tribe of Yehuda, was the first to bring korbanot. Remarkably, he presented them from his own property, despite representing his tribe. Observing this, Netanel ben Zuar recognized the profound significance of each element of Nachshon’s offering, prompting the other tribes to follow suit.

If this was the case, why couldn’t the Torah have simply said each nassi brought the same type of korban? The Ramban explains that we want to show the importance of each person following suit. Each person has a tafkid and is deserving of being mentioned. It is easy for the second nassi to follow the order of the first, but the fact that each detail was repeated is truly remarkable. We have an instinct to stand out and be different, but the nesi’im teach us otherwise.

I would suggest, al derech drush, that there was an inherent need to repeat the korbanot. It is easy to read what the nesi’im brought and continue on to the rest of the parsha, where there seem to be more intriguing and interesting ideas. However, the Torah is telling us that we need to read it again. Read it again and find the hidden message. This is exactly what Rashi does.

Throughout the descriptions of the korbanot, Rashi elucidates the deeper meanings behind each item. For instance, the silver bowl's gematria totals nine hundred and thirty, corresponding to the lifespan of Adam. The Gur Aryeh further explains that each offering component symbolizes an essential aspect of the world. By presenting these korbanot, the tribal leaders signify that the Mishkan is a microcosm of the universe. If the Torah had mentioned the korban only once, we might have glanced over it and kept going. What we learn is that sometimes we need to read it again.

This is why the Torah dedicates over eighty verses to enumerating the leaders' offerings, despite their uniformity. The Torah underscores the importance and unique significance of each offering.

In today's world, we often get caught up in trying to outdo others, but Netanel teaches us a valuable lesson: we can learn from others and need not strive to be better than everyone else. Sometimes, following a good example is the wisest course.

Have a great Shabbos and Shabbat Shalom!