Parashat Naso
Sivan 14, 5783 / June 2-3, 2023
Torah: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the Children of Israel: A man or woman who commits any of mankind's sins, to commit sacrilege against the Lord, and that person becomes guilty - they shall confess their sin that they committed - they shall make restitution for their guilt plus an additional one-fifth, and give it to the one whom they have wronged.'" Numbers 5:5-7
In his Mishneh Torah - Hilchot Teshuvah, Rambam (Maimonides) says that the commandment to confess is the foundation of teshuvah, repentance. For sins against God, we confess to God. For "mankind's sins", i.e., sins against our fellows, we confess to the person we injured and also to God - for sins against others are also sins against God.
Why confession? In part, one must convince both humans and God that one will not commit the sin again. But many of us can be convincing actors. We might even convince ourselves. An answer may be found in the Hebrew grammar for the word "confess" which appears in verse 7. The word is hitvadu, a reflexive form of the verb. The point is to cause introspection, to find the true source of the wrongdoing, to avoid the blame game. Someone who has confessed, both outwardly and inwardly, who has thoroughly examined the self, is much less likely to commit another offense. Some things money can't buy! True repentance, the changing of one's attitudes and actions, comes from within.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom - DD (HC)
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My weekly divrei torah are available through free subscription to the Cyber Torah e-mail list. No salesman will call!
Haftarah: Judges 13:2-25
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It's a mostly Rabbi Flom weekend at Temple B'nai Hayim - I'm conducting the Shabbat evening and morning services while Reb Jason has Shabbat off. And on Sunday is our genizah burial service that Reb Jason and I will be conducting, with congregation participation. I hope to see as many of you as possible at one or two or all of these services. Come see our beautiful new davening space in the Deiber Chapel at Adat Ari El. The burial of holy books that are no longer usable can be a learning and also very moving experience.
Shabbat evening service: Zoom and Facebook Live - 7:00 pm
Shabbat Morning Service: In person, Zoom, and Facebook Live - 9:00 am
Genizah burial service: In person only - 12:00 noon - Sholom Memorial Park, 13017 Lopez Canyon Rd, Sylmar, CA 91342
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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live.
We're continuing to read and discuss Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Book of Genesis.
On June 1, we'll be at https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3?lang=bi It is helpful to also have a chumash with Rashi or other commentary on hand.
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Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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REPENTANCE FROM WITHIN
REPENTANCE FROM WITHIN
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the Children of Israel: A man or woman who commits any of mankind's sins, to commit sacrilege against the Lord, and that person becomes guilty - they shall confess their sin that they committed - they shall make restitution for their guilt plus an additional one-fifth, and give it to the one whom they have wronged.'" Numbers 5:5-7
In his Mishneh Torah - Hilchot Teshuvah, Rambam (Maimonides) says that the commandment to confess is the foundation of teshuvah, repentance. For sins against God, we confess to God. For "mankind's sins", i.e., sins against our fellows, we confess to the person we injured and also to God - for sins against others are also sins against God.
Traditional depiction of Ramban (1194 - 1270)
Traditional depiction of Rambam (1135 - 1204)
Why confession? Shouldn't restitution, especially with an additional amount, be sufficient? If the guilty party has made the victim whole, what is the point of confession? Compare this with the American legal system. Every day, hundreds of lawsuits are settled with the payment of settlement money (not called "damages"), but with no admission of wrongdoing. We accept this as a way to end litigation, but we know intuitively that it is not the solution to the problem. It seems like the guilty party is buying a license - perhaps to sin yet again.
Why confession? In part, one must convince both humans and God that one will not commit the sin again. But many of us can be convincing actors. We might even convince ourselves. An answer may be found in the Hebrew grammar for the word "confess" which appears in verse 7. The word is hitvadu, a reflexive form of the verb. The point is to cause introspection, to find the true source of the wrongdoing, to avoid the blame game. Someone who has confessed, both outwardly and inwardly, who has thoroughly examined the self, is much less likely to commit another offense. Some things money can't buy! True repentance, the changing of one's attitudes and actions, comes from within.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom - DD (HC)
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B'nai Hayim
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1------------------------------------------------------
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