Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English - Parshas Chukas – 7 Tamuz 5784
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Chukas – 7 Tamuz 5784
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
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“The Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelled in the south, heard that Yisroel had come by the way of the Atarim, he battled against Yisroel and took captives. Yisroel made a vow to Hashem and said, ‘If You will surely deliver this people into my hand, I will consecrate their cities’. Hashem heard the voice of Yisroel and delivered the Canaanite, and it consecrated them and their cities” (Bamidbar 21:1-3).
The Recanti states that since the Attribute of Judgment battles on behalf of Yisroel, it must receive an appropriate portion. Similarly, when Yericho was conquered the city was consecrated. In addition, since Yericho was the first city to be conquered in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel, Hashem did not want the Attribute of Justice to turn against them. This might also be why Yehoshua sent spies to Yericho, even though the walls of Yericho were to fall miraculously, because the sending of righteous spies rectified the Sin of the Meraglim from the previous generation.
The word ‘Cherem’, to consecrate something to Hashem, is familiar to those of you learning Erchin now in Daf Yomi. The root חרם ‘Cherem’ has another meaning in Tanach, that of destruction and annihilation, such as the blemish of a ‘broken nose’ (Vayikra 21:18), or the Pasuk “you must utterly destroy them, not making any treaty with them” (Devarim 7:2). Perhaps that things consecrated to the Mikdash are also called חרם ‘Cherem’ because they become prohibited for non-consecrated use or benefit, as if it ceases to exist vis-à-vis the one who consecrated it. This is also why the term ‘to put in Cherem’ is used to describe one who is excommunicated from the community, as if that person ceases to exist vis-à-vis the community, until that person has done Teshuva to allow them ‘to return’ to the community. It is clear that the intention in our Pasuk is ‘to consecrate’ and not ‘to destroy’ from the words, ‘vow to Hashem’, which indicate one who is consecrating to Hashem.
Since the Baal Hafla’ah’s Yahrtzeit falls out this year on Motzai Shabbos of Parshas Chukas, let us mention something from his Sefer on Chumash. Regarding this vow that Yisroel made to Hashem, the Panim Yafos adds that even though normally one cannot consecrate something that has not come into this world yet (Kesuvos 58b), nevertheless, one is obligated in such a vow of consecration. Even though the consecration did not happen immediately upon their utterance of the vow, since these objects were not yet in their possession and would qualify as something that has not come into the world yet, nevertheless the vow is valid. When Hashem ‘delivered the Canaanite’, Yisroel then consecrated the captives and the cities in fulfillment of their vow.
The Ramban maintains that king of Arad was one of the 31 kings that Yehoshua killed in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel (Yehoshua 12:14). The consecration of the cities could take place immediately since Eretz Yisroel was an inheritance from our Patriarchs (Avodah Zara 53b), however since they consecrated them and their assets before they possessed them, it was similar to objects that have not come into the world yet. The rule is that one who attempts to transfer ownership of objects in this world, together with objects not in this world, none of the objects transfer ownership (Choshen Mishpat 209:4). This is why they had to consecrate the items again once they came into their possession to fulfill their vow.
The Alshteiter Rav asks why we find Yisroel vowing without any involvement or instruction from Moshe Rabbeinu. Usually, Moshe Rabbeinu is involved in battles, such as the previous encounter with Amalek (Shemos 17) or the later encounter with Og king of Bashan (Bamidbar 21:35). He cites the Belzer Rav zt”l that the prayers of Yisroel were not only for their generation but for future generations as well. This explains the double language of נתן תתן ‘if You will surely deliver’ to signify continuous action (see Bava Metzia 31a). Hashem should help Yisroel in all future battles as well, which required the prayers of Klal Yisroel and not the prayers of Moshe Rabbeinu alone.
We find Yisroel’s prayers were answered later in the Parsha, “the rivers of Arnon” (Bamidbar 21:14). As described in the Gemara (Brachos 54) and the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 19:14) the Emori soldiers hid in the caves overlooking the valley of Arnon to ambush Yisroel. As Bnei Yisroel approached the valley, Hashem miraculously had the mountain ranges on each side of the valley move together and the jagged rocks protruding from the mountains entered the caves and crushed all the soldiers hiding inside. Klal Yisroel did not understand what had happened until they saw the Arnon River, red with the blood of these soldiers. As opposed to Kriyas Yam Suf, which Moshe Rabbeinu led the signing of Az Yashir, here it was Yisroel alone that sang in praise, ‘Ali Be’er Enu Lah’ (Bamidbar 21:17)
May it be His will that we should merit to see open acts of kindness from Hashem with the coming of the Go’el Tzedek, speedily in our days.
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