Since there are no Rabbi Frand shiurim on the Parsha until Elul, I would like to substitute a vort from other Rabbanim each week, rather than leaving the blog without a vort for shabbos. This week, I am attempting to repeat a vort heard from R' Shraga Kallus as recorded on torahanytime.com (https://www.torahanytime.com/#/lectures?a=87687). Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce the 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 the maggid shiur.
R' Kallus began the vort by creating his own mashal. He suggested that there was an Israeli boy who grew up in Gaza before the Israelis withdrew from Gaza. After his family was removed to Israel he joined the army and was deployed to Gaza in the 2014 war. He was then tasked with leading an attack, but said that he could not because he grew up in Gaza and could not attack its beaches.
R' Kallus tied this into a Medrash on the pasuk in Bamidbar 31:2 where Moshe is told to destroy Midyan before he will die. The Medrash relates that Moshe greeted Pinchas after the war as Pinchas brought them to battle. Why? It is not because Moshe was too weak. Instead the Medrash says that Moshe states that he can't do battle with them because Midyan was his safe haven when he fled Egypt.
R' Kallus remarks that this meant at a high level that Moshe had a middah of appreciation, HaKaras HaTov, which prevented him from taking the Jews into battle into Midyan, even though they had wronged the Jews and the war was Ordered by Hashem.
R' Kallus stated that the Jews will not be able to achieve the Geulah until they show appreciation for all that Hashem does for them and Moshe is an example of the high level of appreciation that is required.
R' Kallus gave an example of a father who brings home a lavish dinner and puts it on the table. The kids don't really acknowledge him, even though its a fancy dinner. He tries to engage them in conversation to get them to appreciate his action and the kids barely look up at him. He has two options - he can retreat to his room and cry, or he can get mad. L'havdil, Hashem just wants our appreciation for all that He gives us.
R' Kallus tied this into a story about R' Shach ZT'L who was supposed to travel to another city for a bris. Someone tried to arrange a ride for him, but he insisted that he wanted to take a bus. The man protested that it was not befitting R' Shach, but R' Shach responded that it would be bittul Torah if he accepted the ride. The man said - there is greater bittul Torah if you need to wait for the bus and get on and off the bus. R' Shach responded - no, if I accept the ride, I will need to show HaKaras HaTov for the driver by engaging him in conversation. I will do better learning on the bus where I can just keep to myself and learn.
R' Kallus also told a story about the father of R' Dovid Grossman from Migdal HaEmek. When his father was growing up, Israel was in abject poverty. His father had one boy in his cheder who was from a wealthy family and he always brought extra food for the classmates who did not have what to eat. The boy moved away and R' Grossman's father did not see him again. 70 years later, he was giving a shiur and was approached afterwards by a member of the audience. When he asked the man his name, the name he was given was the same as that boy. R' Grossman said - I have been looking for you for 70 years to say thank you for bringing the food!
R' Kallus noted that the Modim D'Rabannan prayer is said as way to say thank you to Hashem for all that He does and built into the tefillah is a recognition that we are thanking Him and hoping that as a result He will bring the Geulah.
R' Kallus closed the vort by stating that during the three weeks we should be showing appreciation for our parents, our rebbeim, and all that other do for us, so that we are trained in saying thank you and can IYH bring the Geulah.
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