![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. The primary focus of our parasha is the rebellion of Korach and his minions against Moshe, Aharon, and Hashem: Korach the son of Yitzhar, the son of Kahat, the son of Levi took [himself to one side] along with Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eliav, and On the son of Pelet, descendants of Reuven. They confronted Moshe... They assembled against Moshe and Aharon, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves…” Therefore [said Moshe], you and your entire company who are assembled are against Hashem, for what is Aharon that you should complain against him? (Sefer Bamidbar 16:1-3 11, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining and brackets my own) These individuals were punished by being swallowed by the earth: [Moshe said:] “If these men die as all men die and the fate of all men will be visited upon them, then Hashem has not sent me. But if Hashem creates a creation, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they descend alive into the grave, you will know that these men have provoked Hashem.” As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the earth beneath them split open. The earth beneath them opened its mouth and swallowed them and their houses, and all the men who were with Korah and all the property. (16:29-32) In his interpretation of this narrative in Toldot Yitzchak, Sefer Bamidbar, chapter 17, Rav Yitzchak ben Rav Yosef Karo zatzal (1458-1535), uncle of the author of the Shulchan Aruch, focuses on three specific topics: The identity of those who rebelled, their goals, and the substance of their complaints. He identifies four factions in the rebellion: Korach, Datan and Aviram, the levi‘im, and the bechorot (first born sons), asserting that these distinct groups shared the same objective: to be recognized as bona fide kohanim. He then presents the key elements of each of their claims to the kahuna. According to Rav Yitzchak, the bechorot sought the kahuna, since they had initially been the ones to offer the korbanot. “As a result of the Chet HaEgel (Sin of the Golden Calf), however, the Holy One blessed be He removed the kahuna from them and gave it to the Tribe of Levi.” (This and the following translations and brackets my own) Moreover, Rav Yitzchak maintains the bechorot did not trust Moshe, “as he was from the Tribe of Levi, and [they] claimed that it was he, and not the Holy One blessed be He, who took the kahuna from them and gave it to the members of his tribe.” In Rav Yitzchak’s view, the group of rebellious levi‘im demanded to be kohanim, since, after all: “They were from the Tribe of Levi and direct descendants of Levi; as such, why were they not kohanim like Aharon and his sons—all of whom were from the Tribe of Levi? They mistrusted Moshe, and claimed that he chose his brother, Aharon, for this position [himself, instead of this having been a direct command from the Almighty].” Rav Yitzchak describes Datan and Aviram as “gedolim b’Yisrael,” in the sense that they had gravitas in the eyes of the nation. He notes that they were from the Tribe of Reuven, who was the bechor of The Tribes of Israel, and that, on this basis, Datan and Aviram insisted that they had full rights to the kahuna. In addition, like the bechorot, and the relatively small group of breakaway levi’im, they believed that Moshe had chosen Aharon and his descendants for the kahuna for nepotistic reasons. In Rav Yitzchak’s estimation, Korach demanded the kahuna based upon two prerogatives: Like Aharon, he was from The Tribe of Levi, and he was a bechor. Korach believed these two “facts on the ground” made him destined for the kahuna, and given his overall egotistical orientation, deserving of being chosen as the Kohane Gadol. Rav Yitzchak’s analysis of Korach’s rebellion is a conceptual tour de force. With penetrating insight, he demonstrates that, while various claims for the kahuna were presented, all four segments of the insurrection were equally blind to the anavah (humility) that was the heart of Moshe’s very being. Moreover, each group failed to comprehend that their participation in the uprising was, in essence, a revolt against the Master of the Universe Who had commanded that the kahuna be entrusted to Aharon and his descendants forevermore. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org. Please contact me at [email protected] to be added to my weekly email list. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah, Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav
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![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. The namesake of our parasha is found in its second verse: “Send out for yourself (shelach lecha) men who will scout the Land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel. You shall send one man each for his father’s tribe; each one shall be a chieftain in their midst.” (Sefer Bamidbar 13:2, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) asks the following celebrated question based upon Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Shelach Lecha 5: “Why is the section dealing with the spies (meraglim) juxtaposed with the section dealing with Miriam?” and answers: “Because she [Miriam] was punished over matters of slander (iskei dibbah), for speaking against her brother, and these wicked people [that is, the spies] witnessed [it], but did not learn their lesson.” Herein, Rashi suggests that just like Miriam spoke slanderously against Moshe and was punished for this act, so, too, should the meraglim have known that if they spoke in a degrading manner about Eretz Canaan they would be punished. Most readers take Rashi’s answer at face value, that both Miriam and the meraglim engaged in speaking iskei dibbah and were punished for their actions; therefore, the narrative of the spies follows Miriam’s ignominious story. Yet, we are left wondering how Miriam and the meraglim could have erred so grievously. My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the “Rav” by his students and followers, addresses this concern in his novel interpretation (chiddush) of the above-cited passage from Midrash Tanchuma: [What lesson should the spies have taken from Miriam?] It was not the lesson of lashon hara, of not engaging in slander. Miriam had overlooked the segullah [chosen and unique] element in Moses, and they overlooked the segullah element in the land. Miriam ignored the chosenness of her brother Moses, his numinous character and charisma. The spies, likewise, could not grasp the secret of a segullah land and its unique metaphysical relationship to the people. There was a common denominator in the two episodes, in her protest against Moses and in their report submitted to Moses. The element of segullah was absent from both. (Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses, David Shatz, Joel B. Wolowelsky, and Reuven Ziegler editors, page 186, brackets and underlining my own) The Rav further expands the concept of segullah when he contrasts Moshe’s perception of Eretz Canaan with that of the meraglim: Moses regarded the land not only in a political or physical light, but also as an exalted everlasting union. A singular segullah people, special to God, was being joined to a singular land, from which God’s attention is never withdrawn. Destinies were being joined… Moses expected the scouts to note the segullah singularity of the land, to perceive its worthiness in terms of Abraham’s covenant with God. Sadly, the meraglim represented the polar opposite of Moshe’s perspective: They explored the area from the desert of Zin to Rehob, leading to Hamath, but they viewed the land as one would appraise property. Their report was that of spies, not that of scouts; they balanced debits against credits and declared the entire enterprise hopeless. With grandeur looking down on them, all they could see was the mundane. (Reflections of the Rav: Lessons in Jewish Thought, Vol. I, Rabbi Abraham R. Besdin ed., pages 122-123, underlining my own) As I write these words, many among us are, once again, challenged in their perception of Medinat Yisrael. A great number of Jews today believe that Israel is just another country, a political entity and nothing more. In my view, this is a continuation of the meraglim mentality that, according to Chazal, is inextricably connected to Tisha b’Av, the destruction of the two Holy Temples, and the seemingly never-ending period of Galut. In contrast, I believe the proper response to the miracle of Medinat Yisrael can be found in the stirring words of Yehoshua and Kalev, the two true scouts in the midst of the meraglim, who were the sole individuals to recognize the segullah nature of the Land: “They spoke to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying, ‘The land we passed through to scout is an exceedingly good land. If Hashem desires us, He will bring us to this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (14:7-8) May the time come soon, and in our day, when, like Yehoshua and Kalev, our entire people will recognize the segullah qualities of Eretz Yisrael; and may we be zocheh to behold the complete fulfillment of kibbutz galuyot: “Sound the great shofar of our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles and gather us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who gathers in the dispersed of His people Israel.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur) V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org. Please contact me at [email protected] to be added to my weekly email list. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah, Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav ![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. Our parasha contains Hashem’s command to Moshe to create the first Sanhedrin (Supreme Court of Jewish Law), to assist him in his juridic responsibilities: Then Hashem said to Moshe, “Assemble for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the people’s elders and officers, and you shall take them to the Tent of Meeting, and they shall stand there with You. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will increase the spirit that is upon you and bestow it upon them. Then they will bear the burden of the people with you so that you need not bear it alone.” (Sefer Bamidbar 11:16-17, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Shortly thereafter, Moshe fulfilled Hashem’s charge: “Moshe went out and told the people what Hashem had said, and he assembled seventy men of the elders of the people and stood them around the Tent.” (11:24) Hashem, in turn, conferred Moshe’s additional spirit upon them: “Hashem descended in a cloud and spoke to him [Moshe], and He increased some of the spirit (haruach) that was on him and bestowed it on the seventy elders…” (1:25) This ruach hakodesh immediately enabled them to prophesy: “And when the spirit rested upon them [the 70 elders], they prophesied, but they did not continue.” At this juncture we are met with Eldad and Medad, whose story diverges from the seventy men of the elders of the people: “Now two men remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the second was Medad, and the spirit rested upon them. They were among those written, but they did not go out to the Tent, but prophesied in the camp.” (11:26) In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) interpreted the cryptic phrase, “they were among those written,” as “among those chosen for the Sanhedrin.” As such, instead of joining their peers “around the Tent” and vying for a seat in the Sanhedrin, Eldad and Medad remained in the camp, received ruach hakodesh, and began to prophesy. Why did Eldad and Medad elect to remain in the camp? This question is addressed by Rabbi Shimon in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 17a: ... at the time the Holy One blessed be He said to Moshe, “assemble for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel,” Eldad and Medad said: “We are not fitting for this greatness.” The Holy One blessed be He then said: “Since you have rendered yourselves small [that is, humbled yourselves], I will add greatness to your greatness.” And what greatness did he add to them? All the other prophets [that is, the seventy men of the elders of the people] prophesied and then ceased so doing, they, however, prophesied, continued, and did not stop. (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 17a, translation and brackets my own) According to Rabbi Shimon, Eldad and Medad did not believe they were worthy of being members of the Sanhedrin; accordingly, Hashem recognized their exceptional anavah (humility) and, like Moshe Rabbeinu, rewarded them with the gift of ongoing prophecy. While the Torah is silent regarding the substance of their prophecy, our Gemara presents three possible answers, in this order:
These approaches differ both in timeframe and content. Abba Chanin in the name of Rabbi Eliezer focused on the immediate future, wherein the s’lav would be dumped before the lusting people and eventuate in a “makka rabah m’ode—very mighty blow” as punishment for their unfettered hedonism. (11:33) The anonymous opinion maintained Eldad and Medad prophesied that Yehoshua, rather than Moshe, would lead the people into Eretz Yisrael. In stark contrast to these views, Rav Nachman suggested that Eldad and Medad did not speak about the foreseeable future at all but, instead, gave voice to the violent war and universal upheavals that would precede the coming of Mashiach. On the aggadic level, this plurality of interpretations is an outstanding example of “eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim chayim—these and those are the words of the living G-d,” one of the essential principles of Rabbinic analysis that contributes to the dynamic nature of the Torah. Each of these prophecies reflect the extraordinary level of ruach hakodesh bestowed upon Eldad and Medad. As noted earlier, their divine gift was a spiritual middah k’neged middah (quid pro quo) that resulted from their thoroughgoing humility. As such, they were true students of Moshe Rabbeinu, who is described in our parasha as the master of anavah: “Now this man Moshe was exceedingly humble (anav m’ode), more so than any person on the face of the earth.” (12:3) I believe this anavah is the key to understanding the radically different ways Moshe and Yehoshua reacted to Eldad’s and Medad’s prophesying: The lad ran and told Moshe, saying, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” Yehoshua the son of Nun, Moshe’s servant from his youth, answered and said, “Moshe, my master, imprison them!” Moshe said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all of Hashem’s people were prophets, and Hashem would bestow His spirit upon them!” (11:27-29 with my emendations) The narrative of Eldad and Medad teaches a crucial lesson: Authentic anavah leads to genuine greatness. This idea was given powerful voice by the Ramban (1194-1270) when he declared humility the most valuable middah (behavioral trait) one can cultivate: “When you consistently act with the middah of anavah… the spirit and divine illumination of the Shechinah will rest upon you, and you will [merit] the World to Come.” (Iggeret HaRamban, translation my own) V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org. Please contact me at [email protected] to be added to my weekly email list. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah, Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav ![]() Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. Our parasha concludes with the following pasuk: When Moshe came into the Ohel Moed to speak with Him (l’dabare eto) he would hear the Voice (HaKol) speaking to him from between the two cherubs (me’bain shnai HaK’ruvim) on the ark cover over the Ark of Testimony; He [Hashem] thus spoke to him (vayidabare aluv). (Sefer Bamidbar 7:89, translation, The Living Torah, Rav Aryeh Kaplan zatzal, with my emendations) This verse contains several exegetical challenges: What does the phrase l’dabare eto connote? Why does the Torah write “HaKol--the Voice,” with the definite article, “the?” Why did Hashem speak to Moshe, “me’bain shnai HaK’ruvim,” rather than from a different part of the Ohel Moed? Then, too, what is added by the expression, “vayidabare aluv,” since the beginning of the verse makes it quite clear that it refers to Moshe? Our first question is answered by the Netziv zatzal (Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893) in his Torah commentary, HaEmek Davar. (Sefer Bamidbar 7:89, s.v. u’v’vo Moshe) He maintained that the expression, “eto,” implies “the two of them [Hashem and Moshe] spoke [directly] to one another.” Moreover, their dialogue focused on “Torah She’Ba’al Peh (Oral Law), wherein Moshe asked [his questions] of the Holy One blessed be He and He responded.” Alternately, the Netziv suggests eto could mean, “Moshe learned through the divine illumination of the holy spirit that went forth from Heaven (b’shefa Ruach HaKodesh min HaShamayim). Both of these interpretations lead the Netziv to suggest, “Moshe’s came to the Ohel Moed on a daily basis[to learn] Torah She’Ba’al Peh [from the Almighty], as it is both boundless and endless.” (Translations my own) This analysis coincides with the Netziv’s consistent emphasis upon the exceptional import of Torah She’Ba’al Peh. Answers to our second question, “Why does the Torah write “HaKol--the Voice?” were offered by Rashi (1040-1105) and the Sforno (c. 1450-c.1550) in their Torah commentaries on our verse. Rashi writes that “one might have thought that it was a quiet voice; the text, however, states, ‘HaKol,’ the same Voice with which He spoke to him [Moshe] at Sinai,” that Dovid HaMelech describes as powerful and magnificent. (Sefer Tehillim 29:4) The Sforno also interprets this term as referring to a highly specific voice. He maintains that it was “the very same Voice that he [Moshe] heard prior to the [grievous] actions associated with the Eigel (Golden Calf).” He notes, as well, that this voice was truly unique in the sense that, “it was not present in the first Beit HaMikdash, and all the more so, in the second Beit HaMikdash, as in these cases, a prophet could not go to the Mikdash to prophesize and immediately receive a prophetic vision.” (Translations my own) While Rashi and the Sforno identify “the Voice” in different ways, both analyses stem from the singularity of Moshe’s prophecy, which was different in kind and degree from that of all other nevi’im. In his Torah commentary, Bat Ayin, the Avritcher Rebbe zatzal (Rav Avraham Dov Baer of Ovruch, Ukraine, d. 1840) directly addresses the question, “Why did Hashem speak to Moshe, “me’bain shnai HaK’ruvim,” rather than from a different part of the Ohel Moed?” This entire matter is based upon the notion that the indwelling of the Shechinah takes place solely with broken-hearted and people of crushed spirit, as the text states: “Hashem is close to the broken-hearted and He will save the crushed of spirit.” (Sefer Tehillim 34:19) … And this was the level that Moshe Rabbeinu, aluv hashalom, achieved. As such, he merited to receive the Torah, and it is called after his name, as the text says: “Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant.” (Sefer Malachi 3:22) [Why was this so?] — because he achieved the ultimate level of humility. As the text states: “And the man, Moshe, was exceedingly humble, more so than any other person on the face of the planet.” (Sefer Bamidbar 12:3) … And all our words are hinted at in the text when it states, “…he would hear the Voice (HaKol) speaking to him from between the two cherubs on the ark cover over the Ark of Testimony.” For Moshe was like the shnai K’ruvim [that had faces like young children]… who represented flawless humility. [Therefore, Hashem’s Voice spoke to him from between the K’ruvim whom he emulated on the human level.] (Parashat Behalotecha, s.v. vayitba’er zot, translation and brackets my own) Our final question, “What is added by the expression, ‘vayidabare aluv,’ since the beginning of the verse makes it quite clear that it refers to Moshe?” is explained by Rashi as, “l’ma’ate et Aharon min hadibrot — to exclude Aharon from these words.” This statement is a brief synopsis of a much longer midrashic passage found in Midrash Sifrei Bamidbar 58, wherein Rabbi Yehudah ben Baterah cites “thirteen exclusionary statements [in the Torah] that prevented Aharon from participating in many of the prophetic declarations from Hashem,” one of which is “vayidabare aluv.” In my estimation, Moshe, alone, was vouchsafed these prophecies because of his unequaled status, as illuminated in next week’s parasha: Hashem descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called to Aharon and Miriam, and they both went out. He said, “Please listen to My words. If there be prophets among you, [I] Hashem will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. Not so is My servant, Moshe; he is faithful throughout My house. With him I speak mouth to mouth; in a vision and not in riddles, and he beholds the image of Hashem. (Sefer Bamidbar 12:5-8, translation, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with my emendations) On measure, our pasuk bespeaks the true greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu. According to the Netziv, Moshe is Hashem’s dialogical partner in the exploration and understanding of Torah She’Ba’al Peh. For Rashi and the Sforno, he is the sole human being in the post-Har Sinai world capable and worthy of hearing the direct Voice of the Almighty. As we have seen, “With him I [Hashem] speak mouth to mouth; in a vision and not in riddles, and he beholds the image of Hashem.” Then, too, for the Avritcher Rebbe, Moshe emerges as the one person in history with whom Hashem’s Shechinah could always dwell, due to his boundless humility. Little wonder, then, that in the concluding verses of Sefer Nevi’im, Malachi the Prophet urges, “Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant--Zichru Torat Moshe avdi.” Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org. Please contact me at [email protected] to be added to my weekly email list. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah, Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav |
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