You Make a Difference!

If the Mitzvot apply equally to everyone, is there room for a person’s unique contribution? Which is more important, the individual or the collective? I am always moved by the Midrashic interpretation of an event described in Parshat Naso that addresses these important questions.

 

When the Mishkan (Sanctuary) in the desert was dedicated, the Heads of the tribes brought gifts for twelve straight days, a different tribal leader coming forward each day… to bring the exact same offering as the day before.   

“The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.

And his offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering.

One spoon [weighing] ten [shekels] of gold filled with incense.

One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering.

One young he goat for a sin offering.

And for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.” (Bamidbar 7:12-17.)

 

Then comes day two.  The President of the tribe of Issachar brought his offering:

“He brought his offering of one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering.

One spoon [weighing] ten [shekels] of gold filled with incense.

One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering.

One young he goat for a sin offering.  And for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year…”

The Torah continues until we read each of the twelve days in full, making this week’s Parsha the longest in the Torah.  It would seem that everyone is doing the exact same thing to dedicate this most important building where Hashem’s presence was revealed.

 

But there is a fascinating discussion in the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah beginning chapter 13) explaining that while the physical offerings were the same, the intent behind each was completely different.  Take, for example, the spoon weighing ten shekels of gold.  For the tribe of Judah, the tribe of the monarchy, it represented the ten generations from Judah’s son Peretz until King David was born.  

For Issachar, the tribe most associated with Torah study, the same ten shekel spoon represented the Ten Commandments.  For Zevulun it was the ten words of Jacob’s blessing to their ancestors.  Reuven saved himself and his nine brothers from killing Yosef, hence the weight of ten shekels. 

For other tribes, the spoon represented the ten utterances with which the world was created, the ten plagues that Moshe brought to the Egyptians, etc.

 

Yes, there are commandments that apply to all of us equally, but we each have talents and abilities that make our observance special.  A Minyan is a group of ten people, but each one prays with their own intention and feelings.  Hashem created each individual with the ability to bring their own creativity and meaning to the world, while following the Mitzvot as they were given to all of us. 

 

Each of us has talent and special strength that can’t be expressed by anyone else.  You make a difference!