Rabbi Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi, Kehillat New Hempstead
STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
VAESCHANAN/SHABBOS NACHAMU 5774
“THE
LITTLE THINGS”
“Here is one of the most interesting
stories that Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick ever told – a story about the battles
won and lost by a giant forest:
“On
the slope of Long’s Peak in Colorado Columbus
landed at El Salvador , and
half grown when the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth
“Aren’t
we all like the battling giant of the forest? Don’t we manage somehow to
survive the rare storms and avalanches and lightning blasts of life, only to
let our hearts be eaten out by little beetles of worry – little beetles that
could be crushed between a finger and a thumb?”[1]
Ramban explains that after Moshe spoke passionately
and poignantly about the privilege and obligation to observe the commandments,
he demonstrated that dedication and passion by commencing a mitzvah despite the
fact that he would be unable to complete it during his lifetime.[2]
“Then Moshe set aside three cities on the
bank of the Jordan
The Chofetz Chaim explains that Moshe
personified the words of the Sages: “Do not distance yourself from a
characteristic which has no end, or from work which has no completion.”[5]
The Evil Inclination constantly lures people away from self improvement by
rationalizing that it will be an exercise in futility. It convinces us that we
will never master our shortcomings or sins anyway. So why set yourself up for
failure and disappointment in the first place?
The Chofetz Chaim notes that this is one of
the core reasons why people do not accept upon themselves to work on not
speaking loshon hora, despite the numerous transgressions involved in slander. This
statement of Chazal comes to counter that inner voice. That negative attitude
is analogous to an individual who is walking on the beach and notices that
every time a wave sweeps across the shore it leaves behind dozens of pearls and
diamonds. Would any rational person not gather whatever he could because he
will only be able to be there for a limited amount of time?
After the Torah’s brief interlude about the
cities of refuge, the verse continues, “This is the Torah (lit. teaching) that
Moshe placed before B’nei Yisroel.”[6]
The Chofetz Chaim explains that by juxtaposing this verse with Moshe’s enacting
the three Cities of Refuge, the Torah is emphasizing Moshe’s conduct as an
example for proper Torah observance generally. People generally only like to
busy themselves with extravagant and ostentatious endeavors which accord them honor
and praise. Moshe demonstrated that even the little things - even those things
which one cannot complete - are invaluable, and worth engaging in.
The gemara[7]
records some of the tragic events that transpired during and after the
destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. The gemara introduces the topic by stating,
“As a result of (the incident involving) Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, Jerusalem Judea ) was
destroyed. As a result of (the incident involving) the side of a carriage,
Bethar (a large city with an immense Jewish population) was destroyed.” The
common denominator connecting all three tragic epochs is that they were caused
by seemingly relatively insignificant commodities/events.
In a sense it was the “beetle-like sins”
that destroyed the Bais Hamikdash. The holy Bais Hamikdash which was impervious
to the natural order and transcended this world with constant miracles in the
end was destroyed by the relentless sins of the nation which had lost respect
for each other in baseless hatred for each other.
In Tehillim[8],
Dovid Hamelech wrote: “The stone which the builders despised became the
cornerstone.” The commentators explain that Dovid recited this verse about
himself. When the prophet Shmuel announced that one of Yishai’s sons was to be
appointed king, no one even thought of summoning Dovid, who was tending the
sheep.
Klal Yisroel too is referred to as a stone[9],
for Klal Yisroel is the cornerstone for G-d’s design for the world. The world
endures based on the virtue of Klal Yisroel’s observance of the Torah and
adherence to the mitzvos. But the builders, i.e. the nations of the world,
despise the cornerstone, claiming that the Jews are parasites who contribute
nothing to the common good. When the dawn of redemption arrives however, the
world will recognize that the Jews are indeed the cornerstone of creation.
The Belzer Dayan zt’l offers a novel
interpretation of the aforementioned verse: The twelfth of the Rambam’s
thirteen principles of faith states: “I believe with complete faith in the
coming of the Messiah, and even though he may delay still-in-all I wait for him
each day that he may come.” After almost two millennia of exile it is only
natural for one to be somewhat skeptical about the advent of Moshiach. There
have been tremendous scholars who lived and died without meriting to witness the
coveted era of Moshiach, including such Torah giants as Rashi, Rambam, Ramban,
Rabbi Yosef Karo, Rema, Vilna Gaon, Ba’al Shem Tov, Chasam Sofer, Chofetz
Chaim, etc. (to name a mere few). If their righteousness was insufficient to
herald the redemption, how can we have the audacity to even entertain the
notion that our good deeds and service will be sufficiently meritorious to
bring about the Messianic era?
The difference is that in days of yore when
buildings were constructed out of stone, when an architect began construction
on a building he searched for the biggest stones that he could find. At that beginning
smaller stones were cast aside and “despised”. However, as the building neared
completion the architect no longer needed big stones. At that point he needed small
stones and pebbles to seal up the gaps and complete the top of the structure.
Thus, those same stones which before were cast aside and chagrined, are later
enthusiastically retrieved, as the vital material necessary to complete the project.
It is true that throughout the long and
bitter exile Klal Yisroel required tremendous merits and extreme acts of piety
and sanctity. However, when we are at the threshold of the Messianic era all of
the boulders of spiritual energy, as it were, are in place.[10]
Now all that is still needed are our relatively small good deeds and service.
Those pebbles which in generations gone by were insignificant and repulsed now
are the cornerstones, i.e. the only remaining components necessary to herald
the utopian Messianic era.
It may be true that our actions and good
deeds are incomparable to those of our forbearers. Still however, when those
actions are done wholeheartedly and to the best of our ability they compose the
pebbles which will complete the third eternal Bais Hamikdash.
It was the constant ‘beetle-like sins’ that
destroyed the Bais Hamikdash over so many decades and it will be the collective
‘beetle-like mitzvos and good deeds’ that bring it back. That is the greatest
consolation for us.
During the Shabbos after Tisha B’av, after
recounting all of the terrible tragedies that have befallen our people since
the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash so many years ago, we recount the
prophets encouraging words, “Be consoled! Be consoled, my people!” The greatest
solace we can have is the knowledge that we ourselves have the ability to bring
Moshiach… one pebble at a time!
“Then
Moshe set aside three cities on the bank of the Jordan
“The stone which the builders despised
became the cornerstone”
[2] If one murdered inadvertently he was
obligated to flee to one of the ‘Cities of Refuge’. In total there were six
such cities, three in the Land proper and three in TransJordan .
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