Nasso
Leadership Qualities
Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan
In Parshat Nasso, each Israelite
tribal chieftain comes forward to make a gift to the mishkan, the
newly-completed sanctuary at the centre of the camp. All twelve gifts are
identical: a silver bowl, a silver basin, a golden spoon, four animals for the
sanctuary, and seventeen animals to be eaten by the people at a celebratory
meal.
The first leader to bring forward
his gift is Nachshon ben Aminadav of the tribe of Yehudah. Nachshon is best
known to us as the star of a famous midrash (interpretive story) in which the
Israelites stand frozen at the edge of the Sea of Reeds, with the Egyptian army
closing in behind them. Only Nachshon jumps into the sea. At that moment, the
waters part, and the Israelites follow Nachshon across dry land to the other
side.
Why was Nachshon chosen as the star
of this story of courage? Perhaps to continue the Torah's teaching about the
importance of strong sibling bonds: Nachshon is Aharon's brother-in-law, and
assists Moshe-Miriam-Aharon with their leadership duties. Perhaps to teach that
our virtues of character, once developed, serve us well in any situation. Torah
tells us that Nachshon was appointed to lead the entire Israelite army in
battle; midrash thus teaches that Nachson also led the entire Israelite people
to safety.
Nachshon's name means
"snake." A snake skeleton is a long spine; thus snakes are very
flexibile. Snakes are sensitive to vibrations, infrared light, and the chemical
composition of air particles around them; thus they notice details that escape
most human beings. Nachshon's ability to lead came from his sensitivity and
flexibility...offering us all a lesson in how best to move forwards.
Return to Reb Laura's "Taste
of Torah" list.
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