The Implications and Consequences of Expulsion for the Jewish People
The Haftorah for our Parsha begins:
“Nachamu, Nachamu Ami yomar Elokeichem” — “Comfort, comfort my people — says your G’d.” (Yishaiya, 40:1) This sentiment seems to be silent, but yet a theme of Parsha Va’etchanan.
In the beginning of Parsha, Moshe Rabbeinu recalls for the B’nai Yisrael how he entreated Hashem for permission to cross the Jordan River but that his request was denied. Instead, he was consoled by viewing the Land from Mount Pisgah. (L’lmod Ul’Lamed – Parsha Va’etchanan, page 161)
A number of years ago, Rav Aba Wagensberg spoke out in a shiur that Sefer Devarim represents Moshe Rabbeinu’s Mussar to B’nai Yisrael as the time of his death drew near. We learned from last week’s doubleheader Parshiyot Matos/Masei that the B’nai Yisrael learns that Moshe would not be leading the B’nai Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. And this author asked if it was that this recognition sunk into the collective consciousness of B’nai Yisrael and they realized, as the oft-recorded 80’s disco tune went, “You don’t know what you got ’til you lose it”? And what, if any, are comparable lessons to be learned in our contemporary generations?
Parshiyot Balak and Pinchas seem to represent a watershed event in the history of B’nai Yisrael. As noted, 1/3 of B’nai Yisrael died either by the hand of the Judges, or by way of the plague which struck some 24,000 jewish men who partook in the Midianite/Moabite bazaar. It couldn’t have gotten much worse, there was only one way for B’nai Yisrael to go from there — Up!
We find that after the rock-bottom event of the Ba’al Pe’or, the B’nai Yisrael finally, unequivocably recognized Moshe Rabbeinu as their leader, as HaKadosh Borchu’s Annointed . The question is; Why only now did the Jews only now finally accept Moshe as Hashem’s Annointed Leader and quit squabbling and rebelling? Was there something connecting the timing of this recognition with acquisition of the knowledge that Moshe would not be leading the B’nai Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael? Was it that this recognition sunk into the collective consciousness of B’nai Yisrael and they realized, as the oft-recorded 80s disco tune went, “You don’t know what you got ’til you lose it”? And what, if any, are comparable lessons to be learned in our contemporary generations?
We learned in Parsha Balak that Bila’am’s scheme to seduce Jewish men to avodah zora by way of immorality (co-habitation) resulted in a plague which killed 24,000 Jewish men until Pinchas’ act brought the plague to a halt. However, Bamidbar, Perek 25, posuk 4 and 5 read;
And Hashem, said to Moshe: Take all of the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto the Hashem in the face of the sun, that (there) may turn away the fierce anger of Hashem from Israel. And Moshe said unto the judges of Israel: Slay you every one his men that have joined themselves unto the Ba’al Peor.
We learn in our Parsha, that after having utterly failed to bring Hashem to curse B’nai Yisrael, Bila’am left Balak with a scheme to seduce Jewish men to avodah zora by way of immorality (co-habitation), thus evoking Hashem’s wrath. The resultant plague killed 24,000 Jewish men and was only ended by Pinchas’ zealous act in slaying Zimri and Kosbi in one stroke of his spear.
The Midrash Says (by Rabbi Moshe Weissman, Parsha Balak, pages 350-351) indicates that Bila’am’s Ba’al Peor scheme began by attracting airev rav — those who accompanied the Jews out of Mitzrayim. But, then the attraction lured members of Shevet Shimon. The account states that Hashem revealed those who sinned by removing The Clouds of Glory from above the guilty ones.
The Midrash Says, by Rabbi Moshe Weissman writes regarding Parsha Chukas (Sefer Bamidbar, pages 245-247):
There are numerous examples of chukim…. Since they contain apparently contradictory elements, they are liable to be ridiculed by a rational thinker. The Torah advises the Jew to tell himself, It’s a chok; I have no right to question it.”
Nevertheless, chukim are not “laws without reasons”; rather their logic is Divine. The greatest among our people were able to understand some of them.
Parsha Korach may seem to the reader to be a logical continuation of Parsha Shelach as it would seem very much that Korach and his attempted power grab is a logical after-affect, a consequence of the denial of Eretz Yisrael by 10 of the 12 miraglim (spies).
In fact, Yehuda Nachshoni’s “Studies in the Weekly Parsha” (pages 1032-1033) cites Ramban’s view that the cause of the rebellions of our Parsha; Korach’s, Dasan and Aviram’s and the First Born’s was:
Our Parsha Shelach brings to mind the evolution of Israel’s political governmental scene today, particularly in light of last week’s Knesset vote-down, and abandonment by many herteofore supporters, of legislation which would have legalized, retroactively, previously governmentally approved construction in the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El and in other locations. That such former vocal and high profile supporters of that legislation, such as Yisrael Beiteinu, many Likud and national religious cabinet ministers, backed down upon the threat of being fired for lack of coalition discipline shows clearly that the politicians have yet to learn and internalize the lessons which should have been gleaned after Jew expelled Jew from Gush Katif.
Our Parsha notes:
“And Aaron did so, toward the face of the Menorah he kindled the lamps, as Hashem had commanded Moshe.” (Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 8, posuk 3 translation as rendered in the Artscroll Chumash, page 775)
Many commentators including Rashi and the S’fas Emes, as cited by by R’ Zelig Pliskin in “Growth Through Torah”, note that this posuk expresses the epitomization of the enthusiasm and constancy of Aaron HaKohen’s Service in the Mishkan as a paradigm for B’nai Yisrael to emulate.
This year, our Parsha Naso falls out on the Shabbos after Shavuot, but the lessons regarding national unity as expressed by the Kohanim in the Birchat Kohanim, and fairness, honesty in dealings and interelationships between all types of Jews are pertinent for all-time, not just as paradigm for Mattan Torah.
The importance of these common threads in carving out national unity would, or should extend to the nuture and acceptance of Ba’alei Teshuva into the observant community, as well as to an attitude of respect, acceptance and cooperation by an indigenous Jewish kehal, be it on a national level or a local one, for new arrivals — be they Ger Tzaddikim or Olim Chadashim.