Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89) for June 10, 2006
This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen.
Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.
The person who chooses their own destiny has true strength.
Study with Baruch Sienna
This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.
Probably one of the most famous figures from the book of Judges is Samson, the hero of the haftarah read this week. The haftarah tells of his birth and the instructions for him to be a nazirite from birth. This is the connection to the Torah portion that details the prohibition against drinking intoxicants (as well as grape products including raisins) and not cutting one's hair. (It is not cutting his hair that gives him his super-human strength.)
The Samson narratives read like the Hercules' myth. Samson is the strong (but not particularly bright) tragic hero. The haftarah only describes the announcement of his birth (with parallels to other earlier patriarchs). Later in the story, Samson falls in love with Delilah. The names have significance: Samson's Hebrew name Shimshon is derived from the word for shemesh, sun, while the word 'lailah' (night) would have been heard by the biblical listener for his nemesis Delilah. The origins of Delilah are not clear; some suggest that the name comes from dal (weak or poor); others relate the word to an Arabic term for prostitute. Notwithstanding baby books explanations that the name means 'delicate, amorous' the name Delilah has become synonymous with a treacherous and cunning woman. To further reinforce the idea of Delilah's power to undo Samson, she is from the valley of Sorek, which refers to a choice grapevine. Delilah is a woman of wine!
Here we have the beginnings of the conflict between Israel and the Philistines. This powerful enemy lived on the coast of Israel. The ancient Israelites (unlike today who mainly populate the coastal regions of the country, except for Jerusalem and a few isolated urban areas) lived mostly in the foothills. The Israelite struggle with the Philistines continued until David vanquished Goliath, the most famous Philistine.
The name Philistine was adopted by the Romans to refer to that strip of land in the Middle East, the origin of the English word: Palestine. The Philistines were a highly advanced urban society: they had iron which gave them weapons and chariots. Compared to them, the Israelites, coming from the desert, were country bumpkins. The name Philistine became synonymous with 'enemy' and German students used the term to refer to non-academics. Ironically, its usage entered the English language to mean any person with no culture or sophistication.
The Torah describes individuals who take a 'vow' to be a nazir, but the obvious connection to the Haftarah (nazir-Samson) also highlights an important difference: Samson does not choose to be a nazirite. In fact, Samson is the only nazirite from birth. The Torah's nazirite is an individual who chooses deliberately to serve God (for a limited period of time). Perhaps because I have just finished teaching the Reform Jewish Information Class, a year-long course for individuals on the road to conversion, I have been thinking about the difference between 'being' and 'choosing.'
Over the course of the year, I couldn't help but be impressed by the passion, seriousness and dedication these individuals demonstrated as they tried to absorb in one year what I have taken 40 years to learn. They are sometimes the brunt of negative remarks, but we should remember, it was they who wanted to marry a Jewish partner! After this year, I have no doubts that Judaism is being strengthened by the addition of these thoughtful, sensitive souls to the Jewish people.
Today's 'preferred' term for 'convert' is 'Jew by choice.' Parenthetically, the individuals in my class (in the process of converting) were converts. Once they have completed their requirements, (beit din and mikvah) they become Jews. NOTE: they are no longer converts, and it is incorrect and impolite to refer to them that way. They are 100% Jewish. Don't ever let me hear you say, 'Oh, she's a convert.' (Better: 'she wasn't raised as a Jew' or 'he didn't have Jewish parents.')
Many years ago, I attended a synagogue where the rabbi, wanting to impress upon the bar mitzvah boy the significance of the day, said that on this day the boy was 'choosing' Judaism. In his remarks, he said that he too, was a 'Jew by choice.' I remember thinking, 'Wow, I never knew that the Rabbi had converted to Judaism?!' Of course he hadn't. His point was, that in today's society, we are all 'Jews by choice.' We all have the choice (unlike our ancestors) to actively live Jewishly or not.
For the most part, today this ability to choose has been a disadvantage. Most Jews take their birthright for granted. How many of us would 'choose' to be Jewish, if we weren't born that way? Our parasha (for the second time) records a census: stand up and be counted. Too many Jews today do not choose to be counted. We don't have to choose to be nazirites, but we should demonstrate that we have chosen Judaism.
Yes, Samson had powerful muscles from his birthright, but it is the person who chooses their own destiny that has true strength.
Shabbat Shalom,
BDS
