Illustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
The end of our parashah gets super repetitive. All 12 נְשִׂיאִים (nesi’im, chiefs) bring the same offerings to the Mishkan (Bemidbar 7:12- 7:83). Why does the Torah repeat each offering, word for word, when they’re all the same?!
Ramban offers two explanations:
רָצָה לְהַזְכִּירָם בִּשְׁמָם וּבִפְרָט קָרְבְּנֵיהֶם וּלְהַזְכִּיר יוֹמוֹ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד…לְהַגִּיד שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁקוּלִים לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
וְעוֹד בָּזֶה טַעַם אַחֵר בְּמִדְרָשָׁם כִּי לְכָל אֶחָד מֵהַנְּשִׂיאִים עָלָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה לְהָבִיא חֲנֻכָּה לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְשֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּזֶה הַשִּׁעוּר, אֲבָל נַחְשׁוֹן חָשַׁב בְּשִׁעוּר הַזֶּה טַעַם אֶחָד וְזוּלָתוֹ כָּל אֶחָד מֵהַנְּשִׂיאִים חָשַׁב טַעַם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ
God wanted to mention each one by name with the details of their offerings on each day…. to express that they were all equally valuable in God’s eyes.
There is another explanation in the midrashim that each of the nesi’im had the idea on their own to bring each offering in that amount, and each one had their own reasons for doing that: Nahshon had a particular reason for bringing his offering, and each of the other nesi’im had their own reasons.
According to Ramban’s first explanation, the repetition is to show that all the offerings were equally appreciated. The Torah stresses how identical they were to show how God loved them all the same.
Ramban’s second explanation is that the offerings were not really identical. Each nasi put their own effort into thinking about what to bring and why. Somehow, they all miraculously chose to bring the same offering! But each one was appreciated and valued on its own terms as a unique contribution.
- How does each of Ramban’s explanations express the importance of seeing each nasi as an individual?
- Could both explanations be right? How so?
- How does it feel to be appreciated for your individual contribution to a group project or accomplishment? Why is it important to recognize each individual as having their own contribution to make?
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