Naso

This week’s parashah is the longest in the Torah. Yet over half of the verses are repetition of the identical offerings brought by each of the twelve tribal leaders for the dedication of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

This repetition is a lesson for us on the importance of the individual. Each leader was unique and brought his own special brand to the offering. Therefore, although it appeared as if each offering was identical, in reality, each was totally different from the other. Like members of an orchestra, each individual played a unique role in bringing out the symphonious whole. Had one been missing, the symphony would have been flawed.

Any scribe will tell you that when writing a Sefer Torah one must be most careful not to miss out a single letter, for a Torah scroll with even a single letter missing is rendered unfit for use.

Each letter of the Torah represents a member of the Jewish people and, if one letter is missing, it is as though we are missing out on one of our brothers or sisters. Each individual is important and unique.