The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha 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.
In Bamidbar 21:4-10, the Torah recounts the story of the Jews' complaint about the manna and the Jews punishment for speaking out. This is not the first time that the Jews complained about the Manna as they had complained in Parshas Behaalosecha as well. But why did they complain again and why complain about the manna at all? The manna tasted like whatever the consumer wished it to taste. If he wanted meat it would be meat and if he wished for dairy it would taste like dairy. The medrash explains that the manna's miracle also included that it would not become waste in a person's body. So why did the Jews complain about the manna?
R' Frand's next question was --why did Hashem punish the Jews with snakes? There were many other punishments during the time the Jews were in the desert?
R' Frand quoted the Gemara in Yoma which asks why did the manna fall every day (other than Shabbos) instead on once per year. The Gemara answered by way of a mashal about a King who needed to provide for his son. The king would give his son an allowance once a year. Not coincidentally, this was also the only time that the king would see his son. The king changed his habit and began to give his son his needs on a daily basis. As a result, he would see his son much more often.
R' Frand then connected the mashal to the Jews in the desert. Since the manna fell daily and would spoil if kept an extra day, the Jews needed to go out and gather manna every day. The Jews complained about the manna because they did not want to be beholden to Hashem and need to seek Him out for sustenance on a daily basis.
R' Frand next discussed the reason that the snakes were chosen as punishment. He quoted R' Shimshon Refael Hirsch who observed that the Torah uses the word וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח (Bamidbar 21:6) as opposed to וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח? He explains that the word וַיְשַׁלַּ֨ח is Pi'el - and the conjugation means that Hashem released the snakes as opposed to sending them. The snakes had always been there, but Hashem held them back and protected the Jews. But once they said that they did not want the connection with Hashem the snakes were released. This is also why they are referred to as הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים the snakes (as a definite article) because they were always there.
R' Frand also quoted R' Bukspan from Miami who observed that the snake was previously mentioned in the Torah in Bereishis where he received a curious punishment. As explained by the Sfas Emes, Hashem tells the snake that he will crawl on his stomach and eat dirt. On the surface, this appears to be a blessing as the snake will never want for food. However, on a deeper level it is apparent that it was truly a punishment. Hashem in effect said to the snake - I don't want to see you ever again. You can eat eat all the dirt you want, just don't come back to me. This was the message to the Jews who did not want to have a connection with Him. Hashem was saying to the Jews - you don't want to depend on Me on a daily basis for food? Well, if you want to be like the snake, then I will send the snakes after you.
R' Frand concluded the vort by stating that the cure for the plague of snakes was more than just looking at a copper snake. It was looking at a snake which was raised up on a pole. Hashem was thus hinting to the Jews - if you look up and recognize that it all comes from Me, then you will be saved.
R' Frand closed the vort by telling a story he received by email from a woman who had made Aliyah from Baltimore and lived in a neighborhood in Israel which had both Kollel families and an army base. There was a Kollel husband who was shopping in the supermarket with a cart loaded with 1500 NIS of groceries. An army officer offered to pay for his groceries and the Kollel husband asked why. The officer explained that he had recently gone to Ukraine to install the Iron Dome and that after he returned he received a request to come back. It seemed that in Ukraine the system was intercepting at a 50% rate whereas in Israel it was 95%. He went back and tested the system but it was working fine. The officer then explained to the Kollel husband that the difference was that in Israel the men learning in Kollel were protecting the country and that was why the interception rate was much higher. As such he wanted to thank the Kollel husband and pay for his groceries.
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