The second half of Parshas Pinchas deals exclusively with korbanos tzibbur - the communal offerings brought daily, on Shabbos, and on yom tov. There is a seemingly technical question concerning the status of these korbanos which relates not only to the korbanos themselves but also to a fundamental principle concerning the relationship between the individual and the community.
Do we participate in a korban tzibbur as a collection of individuals, or as a single entity? A group of individuals can join together to offer a korban, so perhaps a korban tzibbur is merely a very large group of individuals, namely the entire Jewish People, each donating a half-shekel annually (as described in Maseches Shekalim) to jointly purchase the korbanos tzibbur. Alternatively, one could understand that the korbanos tzibbur are not brought by a large partnership comprised of many individuals, but rather by a distinct entity known as Klal Yisroel. According to this understanding, by giving the annual half-shekel one becomes a member of the tzibbur, i.e. Klal Yisroel, and in turn participates in the korbanos tzibbur which are owned and brought by that entity.
This question is not merely academic, but has a practical implication that is discussed in the mishna (Shekalim 1:4.) The Torah (Vayikra 6) tells us that a korban mincha belonging to a kohen may not be eaten. There are certain korbanos tzibbur that are a korban mincha and must be eaten, such as the lechem hapanim placed weekly on the shulchan, the omer brought on Pesach, and the shtei halechem brought on Shavuos. The mishna (ibid) records a view that kohanim should not contribute a half-shekel annually, since if a kohen would become a partner in all korbanos tzibbur through such a donation, the aforementioned menachos would partially belong to him and therefore it would be forbidden to fulfill the mitzvah of eating them, just as it is forbidden to eat any mincha belonging to a kohen. We reject this view, and yet Chazal do not explain why.
We can suggest that this disagreement concerning a kohen's contributing a half-shekel emanated from the two ways to view a korban tzibbur. We are not concerned with a kohen's monetary contribution toward the purchase of korbanos tzibbur because we view these korbanos as not belonging to a collection of individuals but rather to the distinct entity of tzibbur / Klal Yisroel. As such, the prohibition of not partaking from the korban mincha of a kohen is not relevant. We adopt the view that a tzibbur is not merely a group of individuals who happen to partner together, rather a tzibbur is an institution in and of itself.
Extending the role of tzibbur from the laws of korbanos to the realm of tefillah can enable us to understand an important aspect of hilchos tefillah. After davening Shmone Esrei as individuals, the chazzan recites the chazaras hashatz. The Rambam describes this as "tefillas hatzibbur - the prayer of the community." The Rav expounded on this idea that we approach Hashem in two ways. We first speak to Hashem as individuals; although we are davening in a minyan, we each approach Hashem on behalf of ourselves alongside the other members of our group who do so as well. Chazaras hashatz, however, is an entirely different experience. We are no longer davening as individuals, but rather each tzibbur, which is a microcosm of the tzibbur of Klal Yisroel, speaks to Hashem in one voice offering its tefillas hatzibbur.
Tzibbur as a distinct entity has tremendous potential; a tzibbur can accomplish what a group of individuals cannot. Chazal tell us that an individual who does teshuva is only assured his teshuva will be accepted during Aseres Yemei Teshuva. The teshuva of a tzibbur, however, is always accepted. There is a prerequisite to attain this unique status of tzibbur, and that is that all the individuals that comprise the group must be willing to work together as a tzibbur.
In the end of Parshas Naso the Torah lists all the korbanos brought by each of the nesiim (leaders of each tribe.) After delineating the individual korbanos the Torah lists the grand total of all the korbanos offered. The midrash comments that the final total is articulated to highlight that all the numbers of individual korbanos added up precisely to the total. Why would one have thought this wouldn't be the case? Because often even when individuals excel on their own, a group of such talented individuals doesn't necessarily form a successful team. The Torah is alluding to the fact that the representatives of the different tribes joined together to form a cohesive tzibbur. Their korbanos "added up" to create the avodas Hashem of Klal Yisroel.
May we merit once again to offer korbanos both as individuals and as a tzibbur, bringing our personal strengths together to create a Klal Yisrael united in avodas Hashem.