Parashas Bamidbar

In this weeks' parashah, the Torah directs us to count the Jewish nation from the age of 20, but to count the children of Levi from the age of 30 days.

 

Rashi notes משיצא מכלל נפלים הוא נמנה ליקרא שומר משמרת הקדש, once [the child] is viable. he is counted to be called 'a guardians of that which is sacred ." Rashi then cites a Midrash: R' Yehudah b'R' Shalom observed that Shevet Levi had a history of being counted from infancy, as we find that Yocheved, who was born as Yaakov entered Egypt, was counted among the 70 family members who descended.

 

It would seen that Rashi  and the Midrash he cites are teaching us an important lesson.

 

Initially, the firstborn were to have the distinction of being "guardians of that which is sacred." The sanctity of the firstborn is also a distinction that comes at birth. But following the episode of the eigel, the Golden Calf, Moshe called out "Whoever is for Hashem, come to me." And although all of Shevet Levi responded to Moshe's call, not all the firstborn of the other shevatim did.

 

Apparently, they were unprepared for their mission and lost their opportunity. They forfeited their unique role. It was then that Levi was chosen to be the "guardians of that which is sacred."

 

Shevet Levi, on the other hand, seems to have been imbued with a different set of values. Even in Egypt they were committed to Torah study and were therefore never ensnared into the subjugation there. The chinuch they received inspired every one them to respond to Moshe's call.

 

Every Jew is special and is counted. But if we want our children to become all that they can, if we want them to become part of the honor guard of guardians of that which is sacred, we must, from childhood on, inspire them with a sense of distinction and mission.

 

May we all inspire ourselves and our children to be our best, and at this year's kabbalas HaTorah, may we truly recognize that we are an integral member of Hashem's "Kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation."

 

Gut Shabbos and gut Yom Tov.

Behar-Bechukosai

First my apologies (to those who missed them) for not having posted the past two weeks due to deadlines at work.

There is a seeming contradiction in the berachos the Torah promises at the start of Parashas Bechukosai.

First the Torah tells us that if we toil in Torah and do the mitzvos, Hashem will make peace in our land. In fact, it tells us that things will be so peaceful, armies will not even pass through our land to attack other countries.

Then the Torah tells us that five of the weakest of us will successfully chase a hundred of our enemy and a hundred will chase 10,000.

But who are these enemies? Will be living in peace and tranquility. Why would we have to chase anybody?

Perhaps the Torah is teaching us the following: When Klal Yisroel as a whole does what’s right, when we toil in Torah and we do mitzvos, there will be peace. We won't have challenges physically and we won't have challenges spiritually. And when the core of the nation is strong, even those individuals who are personally weak, will succeed in overcoming their challenges with no problem.

It is only when we fail as a nation, when the strong ones fall short in their commitment and responsibilities, that those on the wayside are unable overcome their challenges. It is then that we all run in fear, but “there is no pursuer”; when we flee from “the sound of a rustling leaf.”

When we fail, we seek bogeymen, but there is no problem on the outside, the problem is on the inside. But we don’t see that.

Until we recognize the truth, as long as we look elsewhere for the cause of our own failings, we cannot correct ourselves. And that is the greatest curse of all.

As Pogo famously said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”

May Hashem give all of us the wisdom and the discernment to correctly identify our problems improve ourselves, so that even those on the margins will be able overcome their challenges, and so Hashem will again make it evident to all that we are His children and His nation.

Gut Shabbos.