30 May NASSO: HARMONY, EXPULSION, FRUSTRATION DON’T GET FRUSTRATED BY YOUR FRUSTRATION

The Levi Family
Tree
Levi, one of the
12 sons of Yaakov
(the third of our
forefathers, a
grandson of the first Jew Avraham),
had three sons – Gershon, Kehas and
Merari – as well as a daughter,
Yocheved. While Yocheved mothered
Moshe and Aaron, the teacher and
Kohen Gadol, her three brothers
fathered the Levi tribe who dedicated
their lives to the spiritual service of the
Mishkan and at a later point the Beis
Hamikdash in Jerusalem, an abode the
Jewish people erected for the manifest
presence of G-d.
In this week’s parsha, Naso, the Torah
relates how these three Levi families
were charged with the mission of
carrying the Mishkan and its
accessories when the Jewish people

traveled in the Sinai desert for 40 years.
Kehas carried the holiest items of the
Mishkan: the ark, candelabra, table,
altars and all their utensils. Gershon
was given the job of carrying the
coverings and curtains of the Mishkan.
The third of the Levi families, Merari,
was responsible to carry the planks,
bars, pillars and sockets of the Mishkan
structure.
Three Personalities
One of the axioms that define
traditional biblical scholarship is the
idea that each event recorded in the
Torah may be understood also from a
psychological and spiritual point of
view, granting all biblical events
timeless significance.
This obviously is valid for our subject
as well. While on the surface, the
intricate description of the three Levi
families as the movers of the Mishkan

bears no relevance to our
lives today, a deeper
look at the spiritual
meaning behind their
respective roles allows
us to glean wisdom and
inspiration for our daily
challenges and struggles.
Let’s examine for a
moment the names of
the three brothers who
fathered the Levi
families — since names of people do
express something of their inner soul.
The translation of the Hebrew name
Kehas is harmony.
The meaning of the name Gershon is
expulsion. The third name Merari is
translated as frustration. Now, the
spiritual Divine soul existing within
each of us is defined in the Kabbalah as
a “microcosmic Tabernacle,” a sacred
and vulnerable place in the depth of our
hearts where G-d is manifestly
present.
Gershon, Kehas and Merari
personify three distinct
psychological and spiritual states of
man, each of which may become in
its own unique way a carrier and
porter of the spiritual Mishkan
existing in the human heart.
Kehas — Harmony
Kehas — the name of the Levi
family that carried the sacred items
and utensils of the Mishkan —
represents the human being who
succeeds in integrating all of the
facets of his personality into a
cohesive and harmonious whole.
This remarkable individual manages
to transform all of his traits and
characteristics into sacred items and
all of his limbs and organs into
sacred utensils, housing the
presence of the Divine reality.
Gershon — Expulsion
Gershon – the name of the Levi
family assigned to carry the
coverings and curtains of the

Mishkan – personifies the human being
who constantly needs to expel and
drive away the immoral impulses and
sensations that intrude on his psyche.
This individual cannot define himself
as harmonious and complete. His job in
life is ensuring that the sacred Mishkan
existing within his heart remains
protected and shielded from the many
physical and emotional hazards that
threaten to undermine it (expressed by
the fact that Gershon carried the
coverings and curtains).
Merari – Frustration
Merari – the name of the family that
carried the pillars and planks of the
Mishkan – personifies that individual
who may not even be expelling the
negative patterns of his daily life. Yet
he is not apathetic to his lowly
condition; he is frustrated and disturbed
by it. He longs for wholesomeness and
redemption. One may think that a
human being in this state of mind is not
one of the carriers of the Divine
Mishkan. After all, he is so distant from
the spiritual sacredness of his soul.
Yet, in truth, it is this disaffected and
frustrated human being who carries the
very foundations of the Divine
Mishkan. This is because the beginning
of all healing and the foundation of all
change is a feeling of frustration and
yearning. The disappointment and lack
of contentment with one’s present
condition is what propels man to
discover new horizons in his life.
Simply put, if you are truly frustrated
by your present situation, you are in a
place far better than you can imagine.
Now get on with the journey in stride.