parashas naso

The Parshah begins with the completion of the census (counting of the population) that moshe started in last week's Parshah (Bamidbar). Here, hashem tells moshe to count the the leviim from ages 30 to 50, because they're the ones who will do the service of carrying the parts of the Mishkan, and he gets a total of 8,580 men. (Like we said last week, the family of Gershon carries the curtains, the Mishkan's coverings and the screens for the courtyard; the family of Merari carries the planks and pillars of the walls; and the family of Kehat carries the vessels.)

We also read about a nazir--a person who wants to be extra holy and so agrees to keep away from certain things, even though they are allowed. The nazir is not allowed to cut his hair, drink wine or grape juice, or become tuma through contact with a dead person.


Next hashem tells Moshe about a special mitzvah that Aaron and his sons have: to give a bracha to the People of Israel. We still do this in the shul, at the end of holiday services--it's called Birkhat Kohanim.

The last thing the Parshah tells us is about how each nassi brings an korban for the inauguration of the altar. The korban brought by each of them is exactly the same, but the Torah repeats every one to show that hashem values each offering as special.

parashas emor

The Parshah begins by telling us that a kohen must always be careful to remain tahor, pure, so that he can serve in the Holy Temple. In order to do this, he must make sure not to come in contact with a dead body because that would make him impure. He is only allowed to become impure by going to a funeral or cemetery if a close relative of his passes away. That means his father, mother, son, daughter brother, or unmarried sister. A kohen is also not allowed to marry somebody who was married before and got divorced.

The kohen gadol--the "high priest" or "head kohen," is never allowed to become impure, even if a close relative passes away. Also, he's not allowed to marry anybody who was married before at all.

When an animal (a cow, sheep, or goat) gives birth (to a calf, lamb, or kid) nobody is allowed to take the newborn away for seven days. Also, an animal and its offspring may not be killed on the same day.

The Jewish Calendar

The Torah then tells us about the special times of year on the Jewish calendar

First it discusses Shabbat. For six days we do work and the seventh is a day of rest.

Next is Passover, in the Hebrew month of Nissan. For seven days we eat matzot, and the first and last of those days are days of rest on which we're not allowed to do any work.


Next is the Counting of the Omer, which begins on Passover and counts down until Shavuot.

The fiftieth day of the Omer is the festival of Shavuot.

Next comes Rosh Hashanah, the "head of the year" on the first day of Tishrei. This is when we blow the shofar.

Ten days later is the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, a fast day when we pray for forgiveness for our sins.

Next is Sukkot, a joyful festival when we eat in a booth called a sukkah and make a blessing on four types of plants gathered together.

The Parshah ends by telling us about somebody who cursed G-d. Moses asked G-d what his punishment should be and G-d said that he must be killed. We also read that somebody who kills a person is punished with death and that somebody who hurts a person or animal must pay money to compensate for the cost.

vayigash

yehuda comes to yosef and begs him to free binyamin he even offers himself as a slave yes he offers to stay in egypt as yosef yosef`s slave instead of binyamin! as long as binyamin is set free and allowed to return to his father`s home in canaan at this point when yosef sees how much his brothers care about another he can no longer hold back his feelings he sends all his servants and guards out of the room when he and his brothers are left alone he cries and says "i am yosef is my father still alive?" the brothers are silent they are shoked and terrified is this man the second to most powerful man in all egypt really their brother? and so yosef begs them to come closer and repeats himself "iam yosef!" the brothers finally realize that it is true this is their brother but they are so ashamed at what they have done to him that they sold him into slavery but yosef comforts them and makes them feel comftorbale telling them that it was hashem`s will that he end up in egypt so that he would become powerful and have a chance to save his entire family from the terrible famine wich was still going on at that time yosef then sends his brothers home to tell yakov that he is alive as well as to invite him to come to egypt where he will able to live in peace paroy sends along carriages to help yakov move when yakov sees the wagons and hears the good news he is overjoyed and stops the long 22 years of mourning for his beloved son yosef yakov travels to egypt together with his entire family exactly 70 people(the 70th is born as they enter the city gates the newborn is yocheved mother of moshe ) on his way too egypt hashem promises yakov that he will make yakov`s children into a great nation and that he will take them out of egypt yosef goes out to meet his father as he gets closer to egypt and when they met each other yosef hugs and kisses yakov they then go to meet paroy who gives the land goshen to yakov wich is where yakov and his family will live throughout the next generations yakov gives a brocha to paroy