Rabbi Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi, Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance Counselor – ASHAR/ Yeshiva Bais
Hachinuch
STAM
TORAH
SHAVUOS/
PARSHAS BEHA’ALOSCHA 5774
“STRENGTH
OR WEAKNESS”
Louis “Buck” Newsom was a pitcher
in Major League Baseball during the late 1930’s. He was fondly known as “Bobo”
because that was what he called everyone else. He had a witty personality that
led to some humorous anecdotes.
Bobo was given the honor of pitching the
1936 season opener for the Washington
In another game, after the home plate
umpire repeatedly called some of his best pitches balls, he finally got a call
strike. Bobo genially walked off the mound toward home plate, stood in front of
the umpire, bowed to his waist, and said, “Thank you my dear fellow.” He was
immediately ejected from the game.
On one occasion when the mighty
Yankees were in town, Bobo vowed that he was going to find Joe DiMaggio’s
weakness and overpower him. He told everyone that DiMaggio couldn’t hit low
curve balls. That day DiMaggio ripped two doubles off of Bobo’s low curve
balls. After the game his teammates chided him by asking him if he had
discovered DiMaggio’s weakness. Bobo unflinchingly replied, “Yep, I discovered
that he has a weakness to hit doubles!”
The firstborns were originally slated
to be the elite kohanim of Klal Yisroel. However, when they participated in the
egregious sin of the golden calf, they forfeited their status to the Levites.
To assume their new status as the substitutes for the firstborn in serving G-d
and transporting the Mishkan, the Levites had to undergo a one time sacrificial
ritual.
After the Torah describes the consecration
process it delineates the different tasks that the Levites had throughout their
life. “This shall apply to the Levites: From twenty-five years of age and up,
he shall join the legion of the Service of the Tent of Meeting. From fifty
years of age, he shall withdraw from the legion of work and no longer work. He
shall minister with his brethren in the tent of Meeting to safeguard the
charge, but work shall he not perform.”[1]
Rashi notes that when the pasuk states that
Levites over fifty years of age shall “no longer work” it refers to the
‘service of the shoulders’, i.e. carrying the vessels and performing the daily
service, “- אבל חוזר הוא
לנעילת שערים however they would return to the task of
locking the gates.”
The Chiddushei Harim questions why
Rashi specifically says that they would return to the task of locking the
gates. The truth is that it was their responsibility to open the gates as well.
Why didn’t Rashi simply say that they were in charge of managing the gates?
The Medrash relates that before G-d
offered Klal Yisroel the Torah, He offered it to every other nation in the
world. Each nation responded by questioning its content. To each one G-d
replied by telling them about a prohibition that countered their nature. To the
descendants of Yishmael He replied that it was prohibited to steal, to the descendants
of Esau He replied it was prohibited to murder, and to the descendants of Amon
and Moav He replied that adultery was prohibited. Upon hearing the prohibitions
each nation rejected the Torah, until Klal Yisroel proclaimed, “We will do and
we will hear!”
It seems unfair that each nation was
challenged to accept the Torah except Klal Yisroel. Why did G-d not tell them
that the Torah would challenge their nature as well, to see if they were truly
accepting it?[2]
Shem MiShmuel explains that G-d did
indeed challenge Klal Yisroel from the outset. Prior to His revelation on
Sinai, G-d commanded Moshe to explain to Klal Yisroel the enormity and greatness
of the imminent event. “Let them be prepared for the third day, for on the
third day G-d shall descend in the sight of the entire people on Mount Sinai . You shall set boundaries for the people
roundabout, saying, ‘Beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge; whoever
touches the mountain shall surely die’.”[3]
There was a fatal prohibition for anyone to ascend Mount
Sinai while G-d’s Presence was on the mountain.
Following that warning the Torah
continues its narrative: “It was on the third day when it was morning, there
was thunder and lighting and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of
the shofar was very powerful, and the entire people that was in the camp
shuddered….it’s smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire
mountain shuddered exceedingly…. Moshe ascended the mountain into the smoke, G-d
spoke to him and said, “Descend, warn the people, lest they break through to
G-d to see, and a multitude of them will fall…Moshe said to G-d, ‘The
people cannot ascend Mount Sinai, for you have warned us, saying, ‘Bound the
mountain and sanctify it’.” G-d said to him, ‘Go descend. Then you shall
ascend, and Aharon with you, but the Kohanim and the people – they shall not
break through to ascend to G-d, lest He burst forth against them.”
G-d repeated the warning no less than
three times. Why was this prohibition so severe that it warranted so many
warnings?
Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh explains that at
the time of the revelation of Sinai the people’s love and devotion to G-d transcended
all else. Their supreme desire was to draw as close as they possibly could to
G-d’s Presence. Therefore, the people might rationalize that it was worth it
for them to ascend the mountain even at the cost of their lives just to have
that momentary sublime connection with G-d’s Holy Presence. The nation had
reached a level where they felt that there could be nothing greater than to die
clinging to the Presence of G-d. Therefore, G-d repeatedly warned them that if
they were to ascend the mountain, not only would they die, but they would
“fall”. It would be a disastrous display of disobedience and treachery, not a
passionate testament of their love and devotion.
This was a tremendous test for Klal
Yisroel. For a nation whose greatest desire is to cling to G-d, bridling and
restraining themselves was exceedingly challenging.
The potent message was that a Jew cannot
lose himself to his emotions and passions, even when they are noble and worthy.
Even his love of G-d must follow the dictates of G-d!
Chiddushei Harim explains that
although the elderly Levites also opened the gates of the Temple
The verse states, “מה
יפו פעמיך בנעלים בת נדיב – How beautiful are your (pa’amayich) footsteps in the (na’alayim)
shoes, O daughter of nobles.”[5]
Chiddushei Harim notes that the word “pa’amayich” can also refer to
heartfelt devotion and an awakening of the heart, and the word “na’alayim”
can also refer to locks. Thus an alternative understanding of the verse is that
it is saying, “How beautiful is your passion and excitement, when it is locked,
i.e. when it is grounded and maintained, in the proper perspective.”
The older Levites were
to teach their younger brethren how to keep their passion to serve G-d in check.
That is what Rashi refers to when he notes that they would ‘lock the gates’. Their
role was to lock-in and safeguard the passion and devotion of the younger
generation.
This is not merely a nice discourse.
This idea is at the root of understanding some of the most heinous events that
transpire in our world, on an individual and global level.
One of the most appalling anecdotes that I
ever heard helps illustrate this idea. It is a story that often elicits a gasp
from those who hear it:
A man who had tragically lost a child
a few months prior was talking in shul during davening. The fellow next to him
turned to him and said, “Is it not enough that G-d took away one child from you
that you’re still talking during davening?!”
How could a person be so cruel and
heartless? How could a person say such an insensitive comment to someone who
had suffered so much? The answer is that he meant it “לשם
שמים
- for the sake of G-d’s Name”.
In fact, the most vicious and vile
atrocities committed are done in the name of G-d. One needs look no further
than at the pain and anguish we suffer at the behest of Arabs terrorist - may
their names be erased - who purportedly acts “in the name of god”.
It was with this in mind that the
great Kotzker Rebbe quipped, that when the Mishna states, “כל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים- all of your actions should be for the
Name of Heaven,”[6]
it means that “even your לשם
שמים must be לשם שמים.” In other
words, even - or rather - especially when one acts for the sake of sanctifying
G-d’s Holy name, he better ensure that his actions are truly for the
sake of G-d’s Holy Name, and not merely out of unbridled religious zeal gone
awry.
G-d wanted
to instill this lesson in Klal Yisroel before they even accepted the Torah. One
cannot and may not serve G-d in the manner which he deems appropriate. He must
rigorously follow the guidelines and expectations that the Torah itself
describes. Even something as vital and important as serving G-d with emotion
and feeling is a potential weakness and danger.
Shavuos is the holiday
when we reaccept the Torah with renewed love and passion. One of the hidden
messages of Parshas Beh’aloscha, which is always read shortly after Shavuos, is
that we must be careful not to “run away” with our passion. A strength can
become a weakness if it is not kept in the proper perspective. It requires the wisdom and insight of the
elderly Levites to ensure that the younger generation does not become carried
away with their own ideas and excitement. G-d did not give His beloved nation
His Torah until they had learned this vital lesson.
Despite all of the
outpouring of love that was present at the revelation of Sinai, without the
accompanying awe and fear that the thunder and revelation provided the giving
of the Torah could never have occurred. Love without limits and a certain
measure of fear can be lethal!
“They would return to the task of locking
the gates”
“That all of your
action should be for the Name of Heaven”
[1] 8:24-25
[2] The
truth is that the nations of the world deserved to be dissuaded the moment they
questioned the content of the Torah. When G-d offers a priceless gift one’s
initial response shouldn’t be to question it. Klal Yisroel, who immediately
accepted the Torah exuberantly, were not deserving of the same dissuasion.
Nevertheless, it seems logical that G-d would challenge them from the outset to
determine the genuineness of their acceptance of the Torah.
[3] Shemos
19:11
[4] like
Nadav and Avihu, the two sons of Aharon, had died when they offered their own
fire on the altar
[5] Shir
Hashirim 7:2
[6] Avos
2:12
0 comments:
Post a Comment