This week's Torah portion is Naso which includes further instructions to the Levites.

Moses is instructed to purify the camp in preparation for the dedication of the Portable Sanctuary. The Tabernacle is erected and dedicated on the first of Nissan in the second year after the Exodus. The leaders of each tribe jointly give wagons and oxen to transport the Tabernacle. During each of the twelve days of dedication, the head of each tribe gives gifts of gold and silver vessels, sacrificial animals and meal offerings. As is prescribed, each gives exactly the same gifts as every other. Why? The gifts are the same so that each of the head of the tribes can focus on the accomplishment of constructing the Tabernacle, not on competing with the heads of the other tribes. Ego gives way to the goal of serving G-d. And so it should be with all charitable giving, what we call Tzedakah. Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for charitable acts. In Judaism, giving to the needy is not viewed as a generous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness. Our gifts are inspired by the gratitude we feel for the blessings that come our way. Giving can inspire our friends so that some day they will also give. In the tzedakah system that was part of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, each Israelite would bring an offering to the Temple, and there he or she would select which priest was to be the beneficiary of his sacrificial gift. Each gift was to be equal to everyone elses gift. This way everyone was counted as equal. The Torah says that a persons holy donation shall be his, and what a person gives to the Kohen, shall be his. Giving to charity is the best possible investment in our own security. Whatever we give away will come back to us over and over again. Fortunes are continuously being gained and lost. The wellbeing of individuals and families also cycle from high to low and back again. Only what we give away remains to our glory forever. A healthy relationship to wealth begins in the mind. Money is meant to be shared and not kept to yourself. It is useful in expressing

virtues and signifying priorities. In giving our money away to causes we passionately care about or to institutions we love or believe are important, we build a world in which our wealth is perpetual. What we give to tzedakah is our truest tenure. And only what we give away will be forever linked with our name. We can spend our time and income on amassing things that will fall apart, sit around and collect dust, or pass into the hands of others after us. We can pour our energy and money into bigger, better, and newer. These ultimately will degrade into clutter. Instead, we should reach out to those whose need creates an opportunity to help others. In the act of giving, we make our values real, permanent, and a source of healing. As the Torah reminds us -- whatever we give, that will remain truly our own. I hope some day as I go out into the world, I will always remember to give generously and to help others as I have seen my parents and friends do. My Mitzvah Project was collecting empty ink jet and laser toner cartridges to recycle them as a fundraiser. The money I raise will be donated to the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind. This organization raises and trains seeing eye dogs so that blind people in Israel can achieve mobility and independence. I have used my mitzvah project to tie my love of animals with my desire to help keep the earth a greener place. Finally, I would like to thank everyone for being here today to share this important day with me. I would like to thank my tutor, Dr. Alice Presley, for preparing me for this day. I would also like to thank Rabbi Iser and my Hebrew School teachers for their years of instruction and guidance. Next I would like to thank Aaron and Eliza for being supportive of me and last but surely not least I would like to thank my parents who were kind, supportive, and they paid for everything. Shabbat Shalom.