Why Nachshon Offered First and the Reward of the Humble

Pesikta Rabbati 7:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And he that offered his offering the first day was Nachshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah" (Numbers 7:12). Let our master teach us: one who goes up to the altar, which way does he turn his face? Our masters taught: all who go up to the altar go up by the right and circle and come down by the left. You find that when the Holy One, blessed be He, said they should make the Tabernacle, they were at once diligent in it, as it is written, "and every wise-hearted man did" (Exodus 36:8); and once the Tabernacle was set up, the princes came to offer. They said to Moses: who shall offer first? Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, let the one who sanctified Me at the sea offer first — this was Nachshon — and he offered first at once. From where? From what we read: "And he that offered his offering the first day was Nachshon the son of Amminadab." "And he that offered" — thus Rabbi Tanchuma opened, by the holy spirit through Solomon: "A man's pride shall bring him low, but the humble in spirit shall uphold honor" (Proverbs 29:23). "A man's pride shall bring him low" — this was Adam, who transgressed the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and ate from the tree. The Holy One, blessed be He, wished him to repent and opened an opening for him, but Adam did not ask for it. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: what is "and now" (Genesis 3:22)? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, even now repent and I will receive you, and Adam said, I do not wish to. So "a man's pride brings him low": once he prided himself against the Holy One, blessed be He, and refused to repent, He brought him low and he was driven from the Garden of Eden. Another interpretation: "a man's pride shall bring him low" — this is Pharaoh, who prided himself against Moses and said, "who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?" (Exodus 5:2); "but the humble in spirit shall uphold honor" — this is Moses. Another: this is Amalek, who prided himself against the Holy One, blessed be He, with insults and blasphemies; "the humble in spirit" — this is Joshua and Eleazar. Another: "a man's pride" — this is Tabor and Carmel, who came from the ends of the earth boasting, We are tall, and upon us the Holy One, blessed be He, will give the Torah; "but the humble in spirit" — this is Sinai, which humbled itself, saying, I am low; and through this the Holy One, blessed be He, upheld honor upon it, and the Torah was given upon it. Another interpretation: "the humble in spirit shall uphold honor" — this is Judah, who humbled himself before Joseph for the sake of Benjamin, "let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears" (Genesis 44:18), and "let your servant remain instead of the lad" (Genesis 44:33). Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Levi said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, you humbled yourself before your younger brother for the sake of your youngest brother; by your life, when the Tabernacle is set up and the tribes come to offer, no one shall offer first before you. I share honor with you, and you shall offer first — "And he that offered his offering the first day was Nachshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah." Thus, "the humble in spirit shall uphold honor." Another interpretation: "on the first day" — Rabbi Shmuel bar Mata said: what is "on the first day"? From the first day that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He desired to dwell with His creatures below. See what is written at the creation of the first day, "and there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Genesis 1:5) — it does not say "the first day" but "one day," because while the Holy One, blessed be He, was alone in His world He desired to dwell with His creatures below. Once the Tabernacle was set up and He caused His Presence to rest in it and the princes came to offer, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: let it be written that on the first day the world was created. Another interpretation: why did Nachshon offer first? Because he sanctified the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and went down into the surging of the sea first. All the tribes stood at the sea when it split, and of them all Benjamin gave his life to enter it and sanctify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He — "there is little Benjamin their ruler" (Psalms 68:28); do not read "ruler" (rodem) but "he went down to the sea" (rad yam). When Judah saw him, they began stoning him for going down first. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: since Judah went down first to the sea and sanctified My name, he shall offer first — "And he that offered his offering the first day."

Themes

HumilityTribesRedemption

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