Questions in general on Parshas Noso to think about and discuss:

1. Parshas Noso is the longest parsha with 176 pesukim, verses. What are the other two longest places that have the same number of 176?
2. What is the significance of Parshas Noso coming straight after Shavuos (in most years)?
3. When else during the year do we read from Parshas Noso?
4. Why does Parshas Noso start in the middle of describing the different parts of Sheivet Levi, tribe of Levi, that were allocated to carry different parts of the Mishkon, tabernacle? Why does it start with the Bnei Gershoin splitting it up from the Bnei Kohas who are already mentioned last week in Parshas Bamidbar?
5. Why do the people who are tomai, impure, need to be sent out of the camp?
6. What is the significance of what the Nesiyim, leaders, brought?
7. What is the connection between Parshas Noso and the haftora that deals with the informing of the birth of Shimshon?
8. Which important and well known mitzvos appear in Parshas Noso?

Questions on the parsha of Sota, the suspected adulteress – Numbers, 5:11-31:

1. Why do we find in Parshas Noso that the parsha of sota, the suspected adulterous, comes before that of nozir, nazirite, while in the Gemora it is the opposite – Mesechas Nozir comes before that of Sota? (Gemora Sota 2a)
2. What is the reason for the parsha of sota, the suspected adulteress? What is unique about the parsha of sota, the suspected adulteress?
3. Why do we not deal with the sota, the suspected adulteress, nowadays in the same way as described in the parsha?
4. Which woman used parshas sota for her benefit?
5. Where was the parsha of Sota, the suspected adulteress, used to save the whole world?
6. We find two words in the parsha for swearing – Ola and Shevua. What is the difference between them?

Questions on the parsha of Nozir, the Nazarite – Numbers, 6:1-21:

1. Is being a Nozir, Nazarite, a good or bad thing?
2. What things can a nozir, Nazarite, not do?
3. How long does being a nozir, Nazarite, last?
4. What would a person want to become a Nozir, nazirite?
5. We find that the nozir, Nazarite, is forbidden to become tomei, impure, for even his seven close relatives, something that is permitted for an ordinary kohen. Why is the nozir, Nazarite, treated with greater severity than the kohen?
6. Which people in Jewish history are known to be a nozir, Nazarite?
7. Why is the parsha of Nozir, Nazarite, following on from the parsha of the sota, the suspected adulteress?
8. When the Nozir, nazirite, finishes his fixed number of days, why does he need to bring any sacrifices? Sacrifices are brought for atonement of a previous sin? The Nozir, nazirite, is acting to save himself from sinning and instead embraces extra levels of kedusha, sanctity. Why then require him to bring any sacrifices as he should simply just stop and go back to living like before?
9. At the end of the process, the Nozir, nazirite, cuts off his hair and throws it under the Shelomim sacrifice. Why the need to additionally burn it and not simply cut it off?
10. Usually by the Shelomim sacrifice, the chozei, breast, and shoik, thigh, are given to the kohen, priest. Only by the shelomim of the nozir, nazirite, does he additionally give the zeroya, foreleg, to the kohen, priest. Why?
11. What lesson can we take from the parsha of the Nozir, nazirite?
12. The Nozir, nazirite, cannot drink wine. What does he do for kiddush and the four cups of wine for the Seder night on Pesach, Passover?

Questions on the parsha of Chanukas Hamizbayach, the dedication of the Altar – Numbers, 7:1-89:

1. What is the significance that the Nesiyim, leaders of the tribes, each brought one ox and also one wagon between each two leaders? Why not all also bring one wagon or all also bring one ox between each two leaders?
2. What was the big issue about accepting the presents and sacrifices from the Nesiyim, leaders, that Moshe had to first ask Hashem?
3. Why does the Torah speak out separately the same korban, sacrifice, of each Nosi, leader, of each sheivet, tribe? Why repeat each one separately and not simply say that this same korban, sacrifice, was also brought by all the other Nisiyim, leaders?
4. Why after listing each korban, sacrifices, of the Nisiyim, leaders, individually does it then say the total numbers of donations, something that seems unnecessary since we can do the mathematics ourselves?
5. Why when it comes to their shelomim sacrifices do they give five of each animal (rams, he-goats and sheep) while they only give two cattle?

Ideas for answers on the general parsha:

1. The other longest places that have the number 176 is the longest kapital, chapter in Tehillim, Psalms, Number 119. It has each of the twenty-two letters of the Aleph-Beis in eight pesukim, verses. The longest Mesechta is Bova Basra with 176 dapim, pages.
2. Parshas Noso, the longest parsha, comes after Shavuos to demonstrate that coming out of Shavuos we put the love for Torah into practice by having longer and more Torah. This is why the Midrash Rabba on Parshas Noso is so large, much more than other parshious. Also, the Zohar on Parshas Noso is the large Idra Rabba. (See Chidushei Horim in Sefer Hazechus)
3. We also read Parshas Noso during the eight days of Chanuka. Some also have the minhag, custom, to read from it the first twelve days of the month of Nissan. The reading here is the korbonous, sacrifices, brought by the Nesiyim, leaders, during the inauguration of the Mishkon, Tabernacle.
4. The Abarbanel explains that really the order of the tribe of Levi from most important to least was Kohes, Gershoin and Merori, as seen by which parts of the Mishkon, Tabernacle, that they were allocated to carry when travelling. Gershoin was the oldest and in order to placate him not being given the most important job, he instead was made to start the new parsha, Parshas Noso.
5. Purity enables closeness to Hashem while tuma, impurity, acts as a separation to make Hashem distance Himself from us. In order to ensure that Hashem remains close to the Jewish Nation and is not penalised by individuals, people who were in impure states were told to leave the camp, ensuring that the Shechina, Divine Presence, remained with the rest of the people.
7. The connection is that Parshas Noso contains in it the parsha of nozir, the nazarite, while the haftora deals with the informing the parents of Shimshon that he would be a nozir, nazarite.
8. The mitzva of Vidui, confession, with words as part of the teshuva, repentance, process. Also, the mitzva of Birkas Kohanim, the blessing of the priests.

Ideas for answers on the parsha of Sota, the suspected adulteress:

1. Here we touch on the difference between the Torah Shebichsav, the Written Torah, and the Torah Shebaalpeh, the Oral Torah. The written Torah comes from Above down to man. The oral Torah is the reverse where what man says can go upwards and become part of Torah. The written Torah deals with a situation where a sota, suspected adulteress, was seen therefore action of becoming a nozir, nazirite, is appropriate. The oral Torah is dealing with before entering the situation and preparing how to deal with it. Therefore first comes a nozir, nazirite, and then if this fails to work then it ends with a sota, suspected adulteress.
2. Sometimes in life, acts are perpetrated without witnesses and the truth remains hidden. The parsha of sota, the suspected adulteress, is unique in that the truth is revealed by Divine intervention. The Torah usually has laws that govern how to judge each case. By the sota, the judgement comes about through miraculous means. It also comes to take the matter from being in doubt to being definite. If the woman survives the testing water than the husband can be sure she is innocent and truly love her. He can also be certain that all the children born from her are truly his and not mumzerim, a child born from a forbidden union. (Chinuch Mitzva 365 and Ramban to 5:27)
3. The Jews had to be on a high spiritual level for Hashem to openly reveal the truth of the sota, suspected adulteress. Once, the Jews’ spiritual level declined and adultery was more prevalent in an open manner during the second Beis Hamikdosh, Temple, this Divine intervention stopped. (Mishna Sota 47a)
4. It was Chana. She was so desperate for a child that she “threatened” to put herself in a situation of becoming a sota, suspected adulteress. When found innocent she is guaranteed to have children! (Gemora Brochos 31b)
5. The Talmud (Gemora Sukka 53a-b) brings a story how Dovid uncovered a shard that was blocking like a plug the whole of depths. The result was that the waters were realised and threatening to flood the world. Achitoifel learnt from the sota that just like it is permitted to wipe out Hashem’s Name to save peace between husband and wife how much more say is it permitted to write Hashem’s Name on a shard and throw it into the depths to reseal the whole and bring peace to the whole world!

Ideas for answers on the parsha of Nozir, the Nazirite:

1. There is an argument in the Talmud, (Gemora Taanis 11a) if it is something good as it makes a person more spiritual or is it something bad since he is placing himself in a position that he could violate what he needs to do and become a sinner.
2. A nozir, nazirite, cannot do three things. Have a haircut, eat or drink things from grapes and become tomei, impure, for dead people, even his seven closest relatives (with the exception of Meis Mitzva, a dead person found in the middle of nowhere). However, there is also a type of nozir called Nozir Shimshon who can become tomei, impure, by touching dead people. However, he is stricter in that he can never has his haircut while an ordinary nozir can cut his hair when it gets too long.
3. The minimum time to be a nozir, nazirite, (if not specified) is thirty days. However, a person can add on much more time to the extent of even becoming a nozir, nazirite, for life!
4. The Netziv (in Hamek Dovor) says that there are two reasons to become a nozir, nazirite. Either a person wants to elevate himself spirituality and imbue himself with extra kedusha, sanctity. Alternatively, a person finds himself with bad thoughts and in order to combat them he becomes a nozir, nazirite, to impose on himself restrictions to avoid these problems. This can take two forms. If it was just a bad thought then he takes on to become nozir for a limited amount of time. However, if he finds himself naturally inclined towards sinning then he becomes a nozir shimshon – a nozir for life!
5. The Chinuch (Mitzva 376) explains the difference. The Kohen’s kedusha, priest’s sanctity, comes at birth. He still maintains a strong contact with his family and participates in parties and feels close to them. In contrast, the Nozir, nazirite, self imposes his kedusha, sanctity, and secludes himself in his dedication and pursuit of holiness. He therefore does not even socialise with close family members and therefore does not come tomei, impure, in busying himself in their burial.
6. Famous ones are Shimshon and Shmuel. Both were made into a nozir, nazirite, by their mothers from birth.
7. The parsha of nozir, nazirite, following from sota teaches us the importance of seeing things in the world and this should impact us how to act. The nozir, nazirite, perhaps even accidentally saw the sota. This mere sight should make him think into what is going on and see what sin can lead to and result in. Then a person needs to put these thoughts into practice and this is done through actions and building up boundaries to prevent sin. This is what a nozir, nazirite, is all about.
8. When a nozir, nazirite, decides to become extra holy this is a level that should ideally be kept throughout his life. When he stops this high level, this spiritual descent warrants the requirement for bringing sacrifices. Additionally, in his state of nozir, nazirite, he is not able to do certain mitzvos due to his restrictions. For these he must bring an atonement in the form of sacrifices. (Rabbeinu B’Chai, Ramban and Meshech Chochma to 6:13)
11. The Alshich tells us an important lesson from the parsha of the Nozir, nazirite. People can become despondent when they turn around and see the tribe of Levi and the Kohanim, priests, as the chosen one’s who have kedusha, sanctity, from birth. However, we must realise that we can achieve even higher levels. This parsha teaches us how we can become holy based on our own actions as seen by the Nozir, nazirite.
12. For kiddush, bread can be substituted for wine. For the seder, although the four cups of wine cannot be replaced, however, the biblical prohibition of the nozir overrides the rabbinical obligation of the four cups of wine.

Ideas for answers on the parsha of Chanukas Hamizbayach, the dedication of the Altar – Numbers, 7:1-89:

2. The Nesiyim, leaders, brought their donations on the oxen driven wagons. Moshe’s question was what to do with all of them. Hashem told him to split it up between sacrifices and the oxen and wagons to be given to the Leviyim for assisting them in carrying the parts of the Mishkon, Tabernacle, when travelling.
3. Each Nosi’s korban, leaders sacrifice, is detailed again separately to teach us how each individual is special even though externally it appears they are doing the same action. Each person internally is different being made up of different characteristics and strengths. Therefore, each korban, sacrifice, in reality was different!
4. The need to repeat the total of all the donations is to demonstrate a miracle. None of the animals brought were found to have blemishes that would invalidate them or died in between the time they were brought and when they were sacrificed. So too, the vessels brought remained intact and were all used. This meant that all the Nesiyim, leaders, were equal and there would be no room for jealousy.