Thursday, July 28, 2022

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshios Matos & Maasei

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=198896). 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.

There is a curious exchange between Moshe and the members of the tribes of Gad and Reuvein. Moshe tells them in Bamidbar 32:6 that if they want the land on the other side of the Jordan River, they must go to war to conquer the land of Israel, stating -  הַֽאַחֵיכֶ֗ם יָבֹ֨אוּ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאַתֶּ֖ם תֵּ֥שְׁבוּ פֹֽה. In response, the members of the tribes say we will go fight, stating in 32:17 - וַֽאֲנַ֜חְנוּ נֵֽחָלֵ֣ץ חֻשִׁ֗ים לִפְנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִם־הֲבִֽיאֹנֻ֖ם אֶל־מְקוֹמָ֑ם. And then in 32:18 - לֹ֥א נָשׁ֖וּב אֶל־בָּתֵּ֑ינוּ עַ֗ד הִתְנַחֵל֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֖ישׁ נַֽחֲלָתֽוֹ.

But for some reason, Moshe is unwilling to accept this and he responds to them in 32:23, if you don't go  -  וְאִם־לֹ֤א תַֽעֲשׂוּן֙ כֵּ֔ן הִנֵּ֥ה חֲטָאתֶ֖ם לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וּדְעוּ֙ חַטַּאתְכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּמְצָ֖א אֶתְכֶֽם. Why does Moshe again tell them that they must go?

R' Kallus answered by quoting R' Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld who is doresh in the pesukim. When they  say in 32:17 וַֽאֲנַ֜חְנוּ נֵֽחָלֵ֣ץ חֻשִׁ֗ים, they don't mention Hashem, they don't say B'Ezras Hashem. To this Moshe responds numerous times with words that indicate that its Hashem who will go with you, saying in 32:20 אִם־תֵּחָֽלְצ֛וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לַמִּלְחָמָֽה and in 32:21 - וְעָבַ֨ר לָכֶ֧ם כָּל־חָל֛וּץ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה and in 32:22 וְנִכְבְּשָׁ֨ה הָאָ֜רֶץ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙. He then says in 32:23 - וְאִם־לֹ֤א תַֽעֲשׂוּן֙ כֵּ֔ן הִנֵּ֥ה חֲטָאתֶ֖ם לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה - if you don't do it this way with a cognizance that Hashem is involved וְאִם־לֹ֤א תַֽעֲשׂוּן֙ כֵּ֔ן הִנֵּ֥ה חֲטָאתֶ֖ם לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה.

We see that they did get the message, stating in 32:31 - וַיַּֽעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־גָ֛ד וּבְנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶל־עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ כֵּ֥ן נַֽעֲשֶֽׂה  - they recognize that they are doing what Hashem commanded Moshe.

R' Kallus quoted a Medrash which states that Eliyahu HaNavi met a man in the marketplace. He asked him where are you going? The man responded, I am going to buy oxen to plow in the field. Eliyahu says - say B'Ezras Hashem. The man responded, I have the money, I am going. But he did not get there as he was mugged and lost his money.

The man went home and got more money and again encountered Eliyahu. He was again asked where he was going and he said, to buy oxen. Again, Eliyahu said - say B'Ezras Hashem and again the man said - I already have my money and it was again taken away from him. 

This repeated itself three times, but on the fourth time when he encountered Eliyahu he said - I am going Im Yirtzeh Hashem. This time he was successful and even was able to recover all his lost money.

We sometimes hear people say that they are doing things with invoking Hashem or even when they do, without meaning what they are saying. We need to do more than just say Thank You Hashem, we need to feel that all that we do is because of Hashem.

If you have seen this post being carried on another site, please feel free to click http://www.kosherbeers.blogspot.com to find other articles on the kosherbeers blogsite. Hey its free and you can push my counter numbers up!

No comments: