Community Torah Corner - June 6, 2025

Shabbat shalom.

Many of you know that on Wednesday, we came back from our ten-day trip to Israel! Our trip to Israel was an incredible experience that not only strengthened our connection with Israel but also with our peers and even ourselves. We learned new values like leadership, responsibility, and how to work productively in a group. Therefore, today we are going to talk about what we’ve learned on our journey to Israel and how it connects to this week's parsha.

This week's parsha is Nasso, and like our experience in Israel, the Levites are given specific responsibilities for carrying and caring for the Mishkan—each person’s task is important to the whole. Similarly, it is in the hands of each of the 12 tribes’ leaders to bring their tribes’ offerings to the Mishkan. During our time in Israel, we were divided into different sleeping groups. It was the responsibility of the groups themselves to set alarm clocks and wake up at the right times. If you missed breakfast or were behind in packing, you and your group had to take accountability. Another example of taking leadership was when we had to make a bridge and count each member of our grade to make sure they were all present. 

In the Mishkan, the Nazir makes a voluntary choice to separate and take on extra commitments. It’s about self-discipline, purpose, and identity, like the nazir we had to take on extra commitments, like leading mincha or kiddush. During my time on Na’ale, I got the chance to make a personal commitment by going cave-diving. Beforehand, I probably would have never even thought about doing something like that, but I was able to break out of my comfort zone and try something new. 

The parasha ends with the beautiful priestly blessing: “May God bless you and protect you...” During the trip, I felt blessed when we were allowed to go to the wall two days in a row and pray to God. We felt protected when the sirens went off in the airport, and it was as if everyone there became a community, and we all helped each other. Overall, our trip to Israel strengthened our bond with one another, and it created a deeper connection to Judaism and Israel.