26 May NASO: PEACE

In this week’s
parashah there is
birkas kohanim,
which emphasizes
shalom, peace, as
the final words state
(6:26) “Hashem
will… establish
peace for you.”
Chazal say, “If there
isn’t peace, there
isn’t anything.”
Immediately following birkas
kohanim, the Torah tells us about the
nesi’im who brought korbanos for the
chanukas hamizbeiach. It states (7:12)
“The one who brought his korban on the
first day was Nachshon ben Aminadav
of Shevet Yehudah. And his korban was
one silver basin…” The Kli
Yakar notes that it doesn’t state Nasi
by the first korban brought, unlike the
other eleven nesi’im, that each day, it
states Nasi before their names. Also,

it states V’Karbano, his korban, with
a Vov at the beginning of the word, as
if others brought korbanos before him,
although he was the first one to bring
korbanos. This is all to avoid pride and
haughtiness. Nachshon ben Aminodov
shouldn’t feel proud that he brought
the korbanos first, because haughtiness
leads to dispute. Instead, he should feel
like he is next to bring the korbanos,
and not first. Also, it doesn’t state the
word nasi by his name, so he should
feel humble. This is also the reason
all the nesi’im with their korbanos are
mentioned, although they all brought
the same korban. The Torah could have
written the korbanos once and stated
that each nasi brought the same korban.
The Kli Yakar explains that the Torah
sought to honor each nasi, as this sense
of the importance of each individual
fosters peace, whereas haughtiness
leads to dispute.
The concept of peace is also seen in the

parashah of Sotah.
Among the words
written in the Torah
when it discusses
Sotah is Hashem’s
name. Nevertheless,
the parashah was
erased, together with
Hashem’s name, and the erased ink was
placed into water. The sotah drank the
water, and if she didn’t sin, she wasn’t
harmed by the water. This proved her
innocence, and she was permitted
to return to be a wife to her husband.
Chazal (Makos 11a) say that Hashem
says, “My name… should be erased
over the water, to make peace between
husband and wife.” Hashem prefers to
have his name erased, chalilah, as long
as there will be peace in the family.
The halachah is that the process of the
sotah, with erasing the parashah and
drinking the water, is done specifically
when there were no witnesses. No one

testified that that the woman sinned.
So, in truth, she would be permitted
to return to her husband even without
the water. Why was it necessary to
erase Hashem’s name, etc., and to have
her drink the water? What did this
accomplish? She was permitted to her
husband without it!
The miforshim explain that although
she was permitted to return to her
husband, he would have a negative
feeling towards her. For years to come,
he might suspect that she sinned, and
the love between them would have
been lessened. To avoid this, the Torah
teaches the parashah of sotah. This is to
demonstrate the importance of peace.