Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English: Parshas Matos Maasei – Rosh Chodesh Av 5785
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Matos Maasei – Rosh Chodesh Av 5785
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
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Parshas Matos ends with a request from the tribes of Reuven and Gad to settle the Eyver L’Yarden, the territory to the east of the Jordan River that had been already conquered by B’nei Yisroel from the likes of Sichon, the King of Emori, and Og, the King of Bashan. Delegates of these two tribes said, “If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as a heritage…” (Bamidbar 32:5). Upon hearing this, Moshe Rabbeinu begins a harsh diatribe against the tribes of Reuven and Gad. Not only does Moshe rebuke them for abandoning the other tribes during their future battles for Eretz Yisroel, but he compares their actions to the sinful Meraglim [spies] whose evil report in Parshas Shelach condemned 600,000 Jews who had witnessed the miracles of Mitzrayim and received the Torah on Har Sinai, to perish in the Desert and never step foot into Eretz Yisroel.
“Why do you dissuade the heart of Bnei Yisroel from crossing to the Land that Hashem has given them? This is what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to reconnoiter the Land. They went up to the valley of Eshkol, and scouted the Land, and they dissuaded the heart of Bnei Yisroel not to come to the Land that Hashem had given them….The anger of Hashem burned against Yisroel and He made them wander in the Desert for forty years until the end of the entire generation that did evil in the eyes of Hashem. Behold! You have risen up in place of your fathers, a society of sinful people, to add more to the burning wrath of Hashem against Yisroel. For if you will turn away from Him, He will again cause them to remain in the Desert, and you will have caused the destruction of this entire people.” (32:7-15)
After Moshe had finished accusing them of instigating a national tragedy on par with the events that occurred on the first “Tisha B’Av” four decades earlier, the tribes of Reuven and Gad replied, “We shall arm ourselves and lead the forefront for Bnei Yisroel until we will have brought them to their place…We shall not return to our homes until Bnei Yisroel will have inherited, every man his inheritance.” (32:17-18). Upon hearing their proposal, Moshe agrees that they may receive the Eastern Bank of the Jordan if they uphold their end of the deal.
Seemingly, it was never the intention of Gad and Reuven to abandon the other tribes after they crossed the Jordan River. If so, why did they remain silent while Moshe went on and on about the history of the Meraglim and rebuked them for a crime that they never had any intention of committing. Why didn’t they politely interrupt Moshe and point out that all along they had every intention to join their brethren in conquering Eretz Yisroel proper?
Once, as a youngster, the Sfas Emes was learning Torah with his Chavrusa [study partner], and they were engaged in their Torah learning until very late at night. At that point, they decided it would be prudent to stay up all night learning, daven Shacharis at the earliest possible time, and then go to sleep. When the usual time for the Sfas Emes to wake up and prepare for Shacharis had past, his grandfather, the Chidushay HaRim, went into his grandson’s room to investigate.
The Chidushay HaRim found the boys fast asleep. He woke up his grandson and began to reprimand him strongly about the importance of Zreezus [alacrity] and getting up on time for Shacharis. The other boy, who also awoke from the lecturing, tried to interject and prodded his Chavrusa to tell his grandfather the truth, but the Sfas Emes motioned to his friend to keep quiet. After the Chidushay HaRim had finished his reproach and left the room, the friend asked the Sfas Emes, "Why did you not speak up and tell your grandfather that you learned all night and Davened K’Vasikin [at sunrise]?”
The Sfas Emes replied that he was modeling his behavior after the tribes of Gad and Reuven. Even though from the outset they had intended to fight alongside their fellow tribes in war, they did not interrupt Moshe’s rebuke. They felt it was worthwhile and beneficial to listen to Mussar [rebuke] from their Rebbe even if in actuality it was unwarranted for the specific reason that Moshe Rabbeinu had intended. The Sfas Emes understood that rebuke from someone as great as Moshe Rabbeinu, or even the Chidushay HaRim for that matter, will necessarily increase one’s Yiras Shomayim [Fear of Heaven].
Certainly when a Talmud Chacham of great stature gives Mussar, one should absorb the words and internalize the spiritual messages regardless of the circumstances. However, even in an instance where one receives rebuke from a simple person, one should likewise attempt to internalize the objective truth of the message, and not reject the admonition based on the status of the speaker.
Once, Rav Yisroel Salanter was once walking past the home of a shoemaker late at night, he saw the elderly man working by the light of candle that was about to go out. R’ Yisroel asked the man, “Why are you working so late by such a dim light?" The shoemaker replied, "As long as the candle burns, I am able to mend." Even though the shoemaker did not intend this to be words of rebuke, Rav Salanter immediately internalized this message spiritually and as he continued on his way repeated to himself over and over again, “As long as the candle burns, I am able to mend". In other words, as long as one continues to live and breathe, one has the capacity to do Teshuva and acquire atonement for one’s sins.
During the first nine days of Av, culminating with Tisha B’Av, may we absorb all the messages we will hear regarding Sinas Chinam and all of the shortcomings of our generation, which have delayed the Final Redemption until this point, and thereby merit to see the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash speedily in our times.