Nasso: Raising Our Heads

As we stand at the eve of Shavuot, it is worth keeping in mind the words of the Sixth Lubbavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson. Before Shavuot, he would always bless his fellow Jews with a "Kabalas HaTorah Besimcha U’bPnimius” (an acceptance of the Torah in a happy and in an internal/internalizing way).

This blessing is also related to this week's parasha, Nasso, which starts with an exhortation to "lift up the head." The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson states that this implies that "God will lift up the aspect of the soul which is truly a "head" and cause it to control every aspect of a Jew's behavior. This is done by Moshe, the spark of Moshe which every Jew possesses within his soul."

The Rebbe also explains that one of the key characteristics of our acceptance of the Torah at Sinai was our unity as a people. When depicting our arrival at Sinai, the Torah states "Israel camped," using the singular form of the verb. Rashi explains that the entire people camped "as one man, with one heart," expressing true unity. (For more on this, click here).

It is also important that we each participate in our own way in this raising of the heads of our fellow Jews. One of the easiest ways to do this is quite simple: giving each other the proper respect. As is the custom, we just finished completing the entire tractate on "Ethics of our Fathers." There we read, "Who is honored? The one who honors the creations." As we honor others, raising the head of others, we raise our own level in the process.

This all goes back once again to Rebbe Nachman's teaching, in Likutey Moharan I:282, about judging others (and oneself) favorably. We have to have faith in others and in ourselves, and keep focusing on our good points, raising ourselves to the level of the verse: "I will sing to my God as long as I live," "with the good that is in me." (For a more complete rendering of this teaching, click here).