Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Shlomo Zargari
Shalom…
Imagine a mighty and powerful king notices a young man, beaten and dirty, poor and sickly, lying in the gutter. The young man caught the attention of the king and he commanded the young man be brought to the palace, washed and attended to until completely healthy. Once he was fine, he was clothed in royal garb with fine stones and taught the ways of royalty and with time responsibilities were given to him. He eventually married the princess and all ministers had to serve him and pay him due respect.
Surrounded by his advisers and entourage, he embarked on an outing and noticed a group of boys playing in the gutters. Reminiscing about his past, he became jealous of them. He separated from the pack and joined them in the gutter and mud and started to play with them…
His reprimand will be great! He disgraced the ministers, advisers, and above all, the king himself and all his kindness. He disregarded all the kind acts the king did for him for the sake of a game in the gutters!
It is a great joy, privilege, and merit – and at the same time responsibility- that came our way leaving Shavuot, the feast and holiday of the giving of the Torah, with all it’s glory and going into the holy Shabbat. True, everyone must learn Torah everyday and have a set time… However, many are too preoccupied with their livelihood and feel they are forced into not being able to set the time daily.
For six days we are busy- but Shabbat, we are all tired because of our work during the week…might be an excuse but it’s an excuse. We need to introspect and to be real and honest with ourselves. Now that we celebrated the giving of the Torah and we are thankful for this best of gifts, we will be tested for our genuine intentions. Are we really happy with the gift? The Shabbat after Shavuot we won’t be tired or beat… Are we going to dedicate our time to Torah study? Or will we go to the gutters and play childish games? Reading newspapers or doing mundane useless activities…
Parashat Naso is the longest in the Torah and there are many commentaries on it. Why? Because after Shavuot the thirst for Torah gets multiplied and we can all test that for ourselves this Shabbat!!!!
Shabbat Shalom