The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parshios this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
R' Frand said a vort from a former talmid who told him that today is the yahrtzeit of R' Zalman Sorotzkin, who is frequently quoted by R' Frand. R' Frand cited to Bamidbar 20:14-21, wherein Moshe attempts to convince the King of Edom to allow the Jews to travel through his land. Within this discussion, Moshe states in Bamidbar 20:16 - וַנִּצְעַ֤ק אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָ֔ךְ וַיֹּֽצִאֵ֖נוּ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם. Rashi explains that this angel referred to in the pasuk is Moshe himself, as prophets are called angels.
R' Sorotzkin points out that this is incongruous for Moshe who is known as a humble man. He explains how Moshe did this by telling a story of R' Abale Pestiler (sp?) who was walking on the road and saw a Jew whose wagon was being drawn by a horse and a cow. This is a sin, as the Torah bars the use of this pair to pull. R' Abale said to him - don't you know that this sin has a punishment of lashes? The man ignored him. R' Abale then said to him - "do you know who I am? I am the greatest Rav of Vilna, and when I get back to Vilna, I will put you in Cherem." The wagon driver then paid attention.
The moral of the story is that there is a time for everything, even to appear as a Ba'al Gaiva. When Moshe was speaking to the King of Edom, it was the time to impress him to attempt to convince him that the Jews should travel through his land.
R' Frand then told a story about R' Yosher Ber Soloveitchik and when he called a person on the phone, he would say "this is Soloveitchik." But when he called a widow who had just lost her husband, he said "this is Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik" because he wanted her to feel that she was important and getting a nechama from an important person. This is the time to say that you are a great man.
R' Frand said a second vort from R' Bukspan of Florida in connection with a thought from R' SR Hirsch. After the Jews bypassed Edom, the Jews complained again about the Manna. As a result, Hashem sent venomous snakes to bite the Jews and many died. The Jews then came to Moshe and said they were wrong and they asked Moshe to daven to Hashem to end the plague. Moshe was told to make a statue of a venomous snake, put it on a staff and whomever would look at it would be healed.
R' Hirsch asked - if the problem came from the snake, why would looking at the snake solve the problem? R' Frand noted that the symbol of a doctor (the snake on the pole) comes from this story.
R' Hirsch then cited to the language of the pasuk in Bamidbar 21:6 where in sending the snakes, the Torah says Vayishalach instead of Vayishlach. This is the conjugation "Pe'el," Additionally it states "HaNechashim" - the snakes - definite. R' Hirsch compares it to how Pharaoh sent away the Jewish people and Noach releasing the raven and dove. This is a language of releasing, of setting free. R' Hirsch explained that the snakes were released because they were always there in the desert for 40 years, but Hashem stopped them from attacking the Jews. But now that they complained again, Hashem said I won't protect you anymore. And that which was natural, I am releasing. These snakes have been there for 40 years, but you did not see them because I was protecting you from them. So the remedy is to see the image of the snake and understand that I was protecting you from them for 40 years. Once the Jews understood that they were being protect from the snakes they can have teshuva.
R' Frand said that this is another lesson of Covid-19. This virus has always been in bats for generations. The viruses are always there, but Hashem kept them at bay. For some reason Hashem felt that it was time for the virus to be released, but we need to realize that Hashem protects us from things like this 24/7, just like the Jews in the desert needed to see the snake to realize that the snakes were always there.
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