Parshas Naso

Parshas Naso
In parshas Naso (Numbers Chapter 5 verses 21-24) we are told how to repent from a certain aveira /sin.
The question is what sin was it? Before we glance at our Artscroll commentary or even look at Rashi let’s learn about learning Torah. People don’t just go to Yeshiva and sit and think all day. When people learn Torah there is a methodology that is employed. The methodology of learning the Torah is not obscure and it is not a secret formula for the initiates only. In addition you don’t have to be a genius to learn Torah. The student of Torah must be prepared however to do some work, but that only makes sense.

So how would you go about solving this problem? The Torah has told me how to fix a particular sin but I don’t know what that sin is. How do I find out? We must start with a basic assumption.

The Torah is not trying to hide anything. If the Torah didn’t specify what sin is being referred to, it is because it is obvious (at least after some work).

Let’s try the possibilities.



Analysis . I am trying to determine what sin the Torah is reffering to. The Torah tells me that the sinner must make restitution. Furthermore the Torah says if the victim has no heirs the money goes to the Kohein. I still don’t know w hat the sin was but it seems that the sinner has caused some monetary damage to another party. This conclusion is however contra indicated by the fact that the sinner is characterized as having “moal maal ba Hashem” trespassed a trespass against Hashem.

Context. Is there something that was said before or after that sheds light on this passage?

In this case it seems not. As a matter of fact this passage and those that precede and follow seem to be a non sequiteur. That is a question in and of itself but we can’t ask them all at once.

Key words or phrases. At this point you have to have some basic familiarity with the Torah. To those who have read some Torah the phrase Lmoal maal baHashem is unusual. To trespass a trespass in Hashem or in Artscroll translation to deal treacherously with Hashem. Where else in the Torah do I find such terminology?

How would I research this without reading the entire Torah? The answer is the same as the answer to most things in life. Google it. In control panel hit language preferences find Hebrew and you can put an icon in your tool bar so that you can toggle back and forth between Hebrew and English or you can set Google to Hebrew. A keyboard with Hebrew letters also helps. Then just Google it and you will find every instance of this phrase. But what if it is shabbos?

If it is Shabbos you have to take a big fat book off the shelf called a Concordance. The Concordance will tell you where every single word in every conjugation can be found in the Torah, Prophets and Writings. In this case the word shows up more than a few dozen times but only four of them are in the Torah. Since we are talking about a mitzvah, that is where we want to go. Of the four, one is of course our source which leaves three. One of them is just a few verses ahead in the Torah. The Torah talks of a woman being treacherous to her husband. Another is back in Leviticus where it talks of trespass to temple property. The third is in Leviticus 5 and there we have an exact match “lmoal maal baHashem”. So we read when a person will cheat or defraud another through a loan or robbery etc.

Now we have learned two things. One: basic torah study methodology. Two: When a person robs, cheats, defrauds and lies to another that is considered as trespass or treachery against Hashem. Why is that? The Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh offers that when two people interact there must be a level of trust between them. No one can write everything in the contract or have every conversation witnessed. The two parties know that other than themselves only the One above know what was said. To deny the agreement and to defraud the other party is to deny Hashem the witness.

Now you might ask why the Torah didn’t tell me everything in one place. Why give me part of the story in Leviticus and the other half in Numbers? Well you could probably figure that out also but if you want to take a shortcut see the comments of Rashi and Ramban ad loc (that means on location)

Good Shabbos.