04 Jun PARASHAT NASO: WE ALL HAVE AN IMPORTANT JOB TO DO

Parashat Naso
begins in the
middle of the
section that tells of
the census taken
of the tribe of Levi. This tribe was
assigned special roles, including
the role of transporting the Mishkan
when Beneh Yisrael traveled in the
wilderness. Last week’s Parasha,
Parashat Bamidbar, concluded with
the counting of Kehat, one of the
three families of Levi. The people
of Kehat were assigned the task
of carrying the sacred articles of
the Mishkan, including the most
sacred of the articles – the Aron,
which contained the stone tablets
upon which G-d engraved the Ten
Commandments. Our Parasha
continues with the counting of the
other two families of Leviyim –
Gershon and Merari.
G-d begins by commanding Moshe,
“Naso Et Rosh Beneh Gershon Gam
Hem” – “Conduct a headcount of the

people of Gershon, too.”
A number of commentators noted the
words “Gam Hem” (literally, “them,
too”), which imply that G-d had to
emphasize that the people of Gershon
were indeed to be counted. It seems
that Moshe might have intuitively
thought to count only the people of
Kehat, but not the families of Gershon
and Merari, and so G-d clarified
that they, too, were worthy of being
counted.
Rav Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986)
explained that Moshe might have
assumed that only the people of Kehat,
who were given the special privilege
of carrying the Aron and other sacred
articles, were deemed important
enough to be counted. The other two
families transported the other parts
of the Mishkan, such as the planks,
the pillars, the ropes, the cloths, and
so on, and not the furnishings which
were actually used in the service of
Hashem. As such, Moshe might have
thought that they did not earn the

distinction of a special census like the
people of Kehat did, because their job
was less important.
G-d therefore emphasized that “Gam
Hem” – even the other two families
were to be counted. Everyone who
faithfully and competently fulfills
his role, no matter what that role is,
deserves respect and admiration. We
should not reserve our respect for
great Rabbis, prominent lay leaders,
or public officials. Every individual
has an important job to do, a crucial
role to fulfill. Only a small group of
people are like “Kehat,” fulfilling
prestigious roles. The vast majority of
people have roles which do not bring
them fame or distinction, but their
roles are not one iota less important
than anybody else’s. Anyone who
does what they need to do is worthy
of great respect.
We are now in graduation season,
when some students are named
valedictorian. Certainly, outstanding
academic achievements should

be recognized, and students who
excelled deserve to be recognized
for their unique accomplishments. At
the same time, however, it is crucial
that we convey the message that all
students are worthy of admiration for
their achievements, however modest
they may be. All that is expected of
any student – or any adult – is to exert
effort, to work hard, to do the best her
or she can. As long as we put in the
work and do our best, we are doing
our job, which is no less important
than anybody else’s job.