Parsha Nasso: Numbers 4:21-Numbers 7:89

Parsha Nasso: Day 3: (Numbers 5:1-10) (Study Notes)

In this portion of our Parsha study, we make a sudden shift from census-taking to mitzvot-giving. With all of the fighting-aged men accounted for, the service-aged Priests numbered, and the total number of first-born redeemers tallied Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) through Moshe Rabbeinu begins communicating the laws which the listed individuals (and their family members) must keep, and thereby live.

(Numbers 5:1-4)

The first mitzvot (or covenantal vow) given by Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) after the counting was completed were laws pertaining to those people whom the Israelites are to remove from their camp. These people included individuals who:

1. Have an eruption (see Leviticus 13)

2. Have a discharge (see Leviticus 15)

3. Anyone defiled by a corpse (see Leviticus 21, specifically for the priests).

The mitzvot specifies that both males and females with any of the above afflictions are to be put "outside of the camp." Here, "the camp" refers to the Israelite community,

We learn from the above declaration that because Hashem dwelled among the Jewish people, anyone with any form of external defilement that could be passed to others through contact had to be removed from the population so as to keep the camp clean. This tells us that Hashem draws close to His people when He dwells on earth. He does not stand far off.

Throughout history, when Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) dwelled among His people, issues arose when the Jewish people refused to cleanse themselves and their communities in the Holy Land. When our ancestors refused to cleanse the camps (both physically and spiritually through teshuvah--often called for by the prophets), Hashem was forced to act. Since the people would not remove uncleanness from the Holy Land (where He dwelled among them in the Holy Temple), Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) was forced to remove the people and His physical presence from the Holy Land. Such action is what lead to the first and second exiles (Babylonian and Roman respectively) as well as the destructions of the First and Second Holy Temples.

But, Hashem (the Holy One, Blessed be He) has not removed Himself, nor His people forever. Indeed, He has promised that He will come as the Redeemer to those In Jacob who repent of our sins. We saw the beginning of this promise being fulfilled in the miraculous reestablishment of the Nation of Israel in 1948, when, in a single day, the Jewish Nation was reborn (as was promised in Isaiah 66:8 and Ezekiel 37).

However, there is yet a greater and more miraculous fulfillment of this promise yet to come. A day is coming, promises Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) when the nation of Israel will be reestablished in ALL of her land. At that time, The Third Holy Temple will be rebuilt, never to be removed (see Ezekiel 40-48), and all Jews from around the world will be gathered back to The Nation of Israel, never to leave again (Amos 9:13-15). This will not only be a time of great blessing for all Jews, but for the globe at large. For in that day, Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) will work in such a manner that every heart on earth will be changed. Everyone will know and serve Him as G-d alone. This will bring a love of His Torah, which by keeping, only blessing comes.

As such, all wars, pain, sorrow, suffering, murder, rape, theft, abuse, neglect, poverty and all evil will cease and eternal, global shalom will reign. At that time, the promised moshiach will be established as the earthly Davidic king as Hashem will sit as Universal King over the earth. Then, all defilement will be removed not only from the "camps" of Israel, but from the entire world. (May it be speedily in our days!)

(Numbers 5:4)

We learn that as Hashem had spoken to Moshe Rabbeinu, so all of the Israelites did.

Meaning, the Israelites did not question Moshe nor Hashem (the Holy One, blessedf be He). Instead, they simply moved to put all of the defiled persons outside of the camp. The specifics of the mini-exiles for the unclean as well as for the terms, Levitical tests, and conditions for reentry into the camp have previously been studied in our studies of the Book of Leviticus. Specifically: Double Parsha Tazria-Metzora and the beginning of our studies of the Double Parsha Achrei Mot-Kedoshin.

(Numbers 5:5-10)

The second group of mitzvot communicated by Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) after the census-taking was completed, were laws pertaining to a

Prior to giving any specifics of the mitzvot regarding this topic, Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) makes clear that when we wrong another human (especially another Jew), we not only harm the person, but we also

This truth ties into the statement made through the prophet Zachariah in Zachariah 2:12, where Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) declares that anyone who harms or touches a Jew, actually harms and/or touches the apple of Hashem's own eye--meaning they not only harm the Jew, but they also harm G-d Himself.

This teaches us that the Jewish people are inseparable from Hashem. "Bone of Hashem's proverbial Bone," we are one with the Creator, G-d, and King of Heaven and Earth. Every person, creature, and speck of creation on earth (but especially a Jewish person) has within him, her, or it a spark of Hashem. So, when anything on earth is harmed, Hashem too is harmed. This is one of the main reasons that in Judaism, we place such a high value on love, life, and kindness to all creatures, creation, and humanity. For Hashem is in everything; without Him nothing exists.

(Numbers 5:6-7)

When a Jew REALIZES that he or she has harmed a fellow human, he or she must:

1. Confess the wrong that he or she has committed.

2. Make restitution in the principle amount.

3. Add 1/5 (or 20%) of the principle amount and give the restitution plus the additional amount to the one that they harmed.

These laws are those of the trespass guilt offering that we have learned about previously in our studies of Leviticus 5:17-26 (In Parsha Vayikra).

*Note the word REALIZES. This word indicates that the types of sins Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) is referring to here are sins that are not done on purpose--they are unintentional sins. They are sins committed without premeditation nor evil intent. The harm to another was a mistake. These unintentional sins can be forgiven through the sacrificial system set in place within the Torah.

(Numbers 5:8-9)

We learn in these two verses that even if the person who was harmed passes away, the restitution must still be made to the kinsman of the one who was harmed. The kinsman is a close relative or family member.

If the person who was harmed passes away and there is no kinsman to whom the restitution can be paid, then the amount to be paid as restitution shall be given to Hashem for the priests.

From this mitzvot we can understand the connection between harming a Jew and harming Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He). For, when we harm a Jew, we harm Hashem. If the Jew passes without a relative, then the redemption price is paid directly to Hashem--the other party harmed. But, Hashem then gives the due to the Priests, who (as we learned previously) are the kinsman redeemers of the first-born of Israel.

Hashem (the Holy One, blessed be He) through Moshe Rabbeinu makes clear that these restitution monies are in addition to the ram of expiation, which is the means of sacrifice that provides atonement when the fat of the ram is turned to smoke.

(Numbers 5:9-10)

Lumped together with the restitution payment mitzvot are two mitzvot pertaining to "gifts" given as sacred donations to the priests.

We learn that these sacred donations

1. Are given to Hashem FOR the priests

2. Each Priest shall retain all of the sacred donations that are given to him.

From these two verses, we learn that the "gifts" are like the redemption payments because (as mentioned above), the Priests are the kinsman redeemers of the first-born of Israel (which we learned about in our studies of Parsha Bemidbar, specifically Numbers 3:11-51).

Am Yisrael Chai!

Kimberly Davis

Notes for: 5/26/2026