Our Torah portion this week, Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89), contains 18 mitzvot (commandments). Each day Rabbi Woznica is choosing one of the 18 mitzvot to explore.
And to the sons of Kohath he did not give, because the service of the holy things belonged unto them: they bore them upon their shoulders. (Numbers 7:9)
This mitzvah was understood to mean the Levites were to transport the ark on their shoulders. The Levites, from the tribe of Levi, served in various roles in the Holy Temple. Imagine them carrying the ark with the Torah on their shoulders.
Carrying weight on one’s shoulders can be seen as a responsibility, a burden, and/or a privilege. A good parent, dedicated worker, leaders, all carry weight on their shoulders. Indeed, any Jew who takes his or her religion seriously carries a weight. There is a well-known Yiddish phrase Schwer zu sein ein yid: “It’s tough to be a Jew.” Yes, at times it can be tough. It was especially true when Jews lived in countries where they were persecuted.
For Jews today living in free countries such as ours it is wonderful to be a Jew. We should be mindful not to forget our good fortune and to be sure to communicate it to our children—and to resist against forces that would curtail these freedoms. We can openly practice and celebrate our Judaism, and we should.
There are times when religion, like anything valuable that includes responsibility, may place a weight on our shoulders. And yet, far more than any burden, for the contemporary Jew, being Jewish is an extraordinary privilege.
— Rabbi David Woznica