Be'Ha'aloscha- Moshe: Modest Man

In Parashas Be’ha’aloscha we encounter the infamous incident of Miriam and Aharon’s little chitchat about Moshe (just to be correct the pasuk doesn’t actually make sense grammatically to mean that both Miriam and Aharon were speaking lashon harah; the pasuk says “ותדבר מרים ואהרן וגו'”, so, Ibn Ezra explains that Aharon’s participation was marked by his silence or agreement- it only says “ויאמרו” in the plural by the second pasuk when they exclaim that both of them were also neviim; see also Da’as Zekeinim Mi’ba’alei Ha’Tosfos).  The Torah tells us that Hashem was well aware of what was taking place, “וישמע ה'”. Following this is the well known verse describing Moshe Rabbeinu as the penultimate emulator of Humility- “והאיש משה ענו מאד מכל האדם אשר על פני האדמה”. Now, just to understand what was going on in the story here, it should be noted that the Targum Yonasan [Yerushalmi], Ramban, and the Or Hachaim HaKadosh make note of the fact that Aharon and Miriam were speaking not just about Moshe, which would be pointless gossip, but rather to Moshe as a form of rebuke for his behavior (unlike Ibn Ezra). Ramban brings this down from the Sifri which explains that the pesukim here can be merged to be read as “וישמע ה' והאיש משה וגו'”. And Moshe bore this rebuke in humble silence (Rashi) and did not take heed as to be offended (Targum Yonasan). And it was because of his anivus that Moshe Rabbeinu himself could not respond with the proper refutation to their rebuke: that he was the greatest, the most humble. That is why Hashem Himself said it in the Torah to us (and in different words to Aharon and Miriam- “לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא”) (Or HaChaim HaKadosh). Similarly, the Ramban brings down that the placement of this pasuk here is an explanation of Hashem’s kana’us, so to speak, on Moshe’s behalf. That is to say, since Moshe would not respond on his own, out of great humility, Hashem stepped in directly.

אמר ר' יוחנן אין הקב"ה משרה שכינתו אלא על גבור ועשיר וחכם ועניו וכולן ממשה גבור דכתיב (שמות מ) ויפרוש את האהל על המשכן ואמר מר משה רבינו פרסו וכתיב (שמות כו) עשר אמות ארך הקרש וגו' אימא דאריך וקטין אלא מן הדין קרא דכתיב (דברים ט) ואתפוש בשני הלוחות ואשליכם מעל שתי ידי ואשברם ותניא הלוחות ארכן ששה ורחבן ששה ועביין שלשה עשיר פסל לך פסולתן שלך יהא חכם רב ושמואל דאמרי תרוייהו חמשים שערי בינה נבראו בעולם וכולם נתנו למשה חסר אחת שנאמר (תהילים ח) ותחסרהו מעט מאלהים עניו דכתיב (במדבר יב) והאיש משה עניו מאד 

The Gemara in Nedarim 38a says as follows (paraphrase): Hashem does not rest His Shechinah on just anyone, but only one is mighty, rich, wise and modest. And from where did R’ Yochanan get these criteria? Why, from Moshe Rabbeinu! And the last one, that one must be an anav, is learned out from the pasuk of “והאיש משה”. Now, both R’ Yaakov Emden and the Torah Temimah write that this Gemara is only referring to one whom Hashem “rests” on bi’kvius, always. But there certainly were many that didn’t posses all these qualities who received nevuah, just that it was in a more irregular manner. On top of that, the Torah Temimah asks a very important question. Granted, on the lists of qualities that Hashem is looking for in someone that He can “rest His Presence on” anavah makes sense. But what do gevurah, ashirus, and chochmah have to do with any of this? On top of this, he cites the Gemara in Shabbos 92b which says almost the same exact lashon as the Gemara in Nedarim except that it substitutes being an anav with being a ba’al komah, “one of measure” (see the Gemara there). Certainly this trait does not exactly align with humility. In fact, Reb Shlomo Eiger in his glosses on the Gemara in Shabbos points out this difference between the two Gemaros, although perhaps not from our angle, but nonetheless does not offer a resolution. However, the Torah Temimah says as follows; one who is poor, weak, and unlearned, and manages to maintain humility (although it is commendable), is not the same as one who is strong, rich, and wise, and who despite all of his ma'alos  still maintains humility. All of these traits listed in the Gemara are really a means by which to evaluate the level of anavah and in essence show that the anavah is of a higher level. That is why Moshe, who possessed gevurah, ashirus, chochmah, and who was a ba'al komah, and on top of that reached a level of self-annulment beyond all other beings on the face of the planet(!), was truly the greatest and was zoche to his level of nevuah- בכל ביתי נאמן הוא.

 It's ok to be awesome, just don't let it go to your head! A gut Shabbos!

Thoughts from Vayera: Hachnasat Orchim

A gut voch! As we just read this past Shabbos, Avraham Avinu was a paradigm for chesed and the great mitzvah of hachnasat orchim. B'ezrat Hashem Yitbarach we should try to emulate this middah in the ways of Avraham Avinu. Chazal even tell us that if one does not have the middah of chesed he should be wary because he may not actually come from the line of Avraham.

וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו, וַיַּרְא, וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים, נִצָּבִים עָלָיו; וַיַּרְא, וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל, וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה

"And Avraham raised his eyes, and he saw, and there three men standing upon him. And he saw, and he ran to greet them from the entrance of the tent, and he bowed to the ground."

Why is there a double usage of the word "va'yar", and he saw? Did Avraham Avinu not see something the first time? What was different the second time he "saw"? Rashi explains thats first Avraham saw the men standing there. Then again he "saw," meaning he realized that they were standing at a distance so as not to trouble him. Upon realizing this he immediatley got up and ran to them. I learned from Rav Moshe Taragin, that similarly the 2nd "va'yar" is not refering to a physical sight. Avraham Avinu looked up and saw men standing there. But he didnt just see them as men standing there. He realized that this meant he had a mitzvah to do. He envisioned that he had to now hurry to do hachnasat orchim. He didn't just see what was before him, but visualized what it meant and what he had to do with it. He was immediatelt mezarez to do this great mitzvah as quickly as possible and ran over to them.

The Medrash (according to R' Levi) says that when the 3 mal'achim came to Avraham Avinu they appeared not only as men, but specifically in the forms of a bread seller, a sailor, and an Arab. The Torah Temimah points out that there seems to be no allusion to any of these in the psukim. He gives his own explanation based on the psukim to resolve this. First, Avraham says to the the greatest of the mal'achim, "Please my lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, pass not from your servant." According to the first interpretation offered by Rashi based on the Gemara in Shvuot, this request is addresed towards the guests as opposed to Hashem. However, the wording which Avraham used, תַעֲבֹר, shows that he appeared to be a sailor. How so? This is implied from the fact that עבר is commonly used by crossing water: "va'yavru b'toch hayam", "va'yavor et haYarden". Secondly, when Avraham offers them water to wash their feet, Rashi comments that he thought them to be Arabs who worshipped the dust of their feet and he didn't want them bring their avodah zarah. Thirdly, Avraham says וְאֶקְחָה פַת-לֶחֶם, "I will fetch (take) a piece of bread." Instead of v'ekcha it should have said v'eten, "I will give." But Avraham saw that one of them was a bread merchant and we learn from here that he was actually offering to buy bread from him if he had any.

It is so amazing to see the great extent to which we should perform this mitzvah. Avraham Avinu paid attention not just to the fact that he had guests whom he could serve but what type of people they were and he acted accordingly! He didn't just see people before him, he envisioned and realized beyond that how he needed to act. This shouldn't be taken lightly at all. The Gemara (Bava Metzia 66b) says: Tana d'bei Rabbi Yishmael- As a reward for three things [that Avraham did, Bnei Yisrael were] zoche to three things. Avraham brought his guests cream and milk; Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael the mann. Avraham stood over them as they sat under the tree eating (עומד עלהים); Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael the Ananai HaKavod (עמוד הענן). Avraham gave them water; Hashem gave Bnei Yisrael the Be'er Miriam.

Avraham Avinu was simply careful to do the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim properly to the best of his ability and in merit of this HaKadosh Boruch gave reward to an entire nation of children.

The Gemara (Shabbos 127a) says that Hachnasat Orchim is greater than receiving the Divine Prescence. "גדולה הכנסת אורחים מהקבלת פני שכינה". The Baal Shem Tov zy"a taught that even though this mitzvah can lead to bittul Torah or the speaking of lashon hara, or anything of that sort, nonetheless Hachnasat Orchim is greater.
(Toldot Yaakov Yosef)

Vayerah: The Ahavah of Avraham Avinu

The medrash (Bereishit Rabbah 56:4) says that when Avraham Avinu was going to do the Akeida, the Satan came to him to dissuade him. He kept calling him crazy for going to kill his own son whom he had waited so long for. Avraham kept ignoring his antagonizing remarks, intent on doing Hashem’s will. The Yetzer HaRa then discouragingly asked, “If you are tested anymore, will you be able to withstand it?”

A person needs to familiarize himself with the tactics of the Yetzer HaRa so that he can defend himself against it. Rav Henoch Leibowitz tz”l teaches (Chiddushei HaLev Vayerah) that we learn from this medrash, that one of those tactics is that the Yetzer HaRa is to make a person give up. He will tell a person that he will never amount to the level a tzaddik gamur, and therefore should not bother to do any mitzvot. This is what the Yetzer said to Avraham; that he would not be able to do anymore difficult tests, and therefore should not bother with even doing the Akeida. This is certainly a discouraging thought that affects many people.

However, what the Yetzer HaRa says doesn’t make so much sense. Even if Avraham Avinu had done just the Akeida and not been able to do any greater tests after, he would still be a great tzaddik, even if he wasn’t a tzaddik gamur. What is the Yetzer HaRa’s logic in telling Avraham that since he won’t be a tzaddik gamur for doing the greater, harder tests, he should not even attempt to be a regular tzaddik by doing the Akeida? We know that inside every person is the desire to attain shleimut, completeness. If one doesn’t reach this he can become very upset and perhaps even stray from his Avodat Hashem in despair. [We know that despair, ye’ush, is the lowest negative middah and is associated with Amalek.] The Yetzer Hara’s intent in his words to Avraham was to put despair in Avraham that he would not be able to accomplish anything past the Akeida and therefore he would not reach the great level he yearned towards. From this feeling of incompleteness and failure to reach the ultimate goal, Avraham would lose hope and give up doing the Akeida, even though he had reached such a high level. This logic of the Yetzer Hara is strong and he felt this would be effective even against Avraham Avinu. Even his love for Yitzchak didn’t stop him from doing the Akeida, so he could only be dissuaded by something more powerful. But Avraham Avinu was so rooted in his Avodat Hashem; he was unwavering in bending to His will! The Yezter HaRa was not able to have any hold over him.

The Gemara (Yerushalmi Taanit Perek 2 Halacha 4) says in that when Hashem told Avraham to carry out the Akeida he said to Him, “Master of the World, You know that when You said bring him [Yitzchak] up as an olah, I had what to respond. Before You told me that through Yitzchak I would have children, and now You tell me to bring him as a korban. But I conquered my Yetzer HaRa to do Your will…” If one were to just think about this for a moment he would realize that this doesn’t seem right for Avraham Avinu to say HaKadosh Baruch Hu. After all, the ways of Hashem are truthful and just. The Torah Temimah writes, that perhaps we can resolve this based on the Gemara in Shabbos (55b) which says that a good thing was never said by Hashem that was then changed to bad. The Rambam writes that if a navi has a prophecy that good will turn to bad, “shinuy m’tovah l’ra’ah,” he need not heed it. Furthermore, it is asur to listen to a navi who proclaims such a prophecy for it is not a the way of Hashem to do such a thing. Perhaps this was what Avraham Avinu meant. L’halacha, he didn’t have to listen to the ruach hanevuah which told him to take Yitzchak; nor did Yitzchak have to listen to his father. After Hashem’s first promise to Avraham of his posterity, the instruction to do the Akeida was a change from good to bad. But despite this Avraham Avinu said he conquered his own will, “elah she’kavashti ritzoni.” His love of doing the mitzvot Hashem was so great that doing the Akeida was not in his eyes tovah l’raah, rather it was tovah l’tovah! It was all good to him because of his great Ahavat Hashem! He conquered whatever there was inside of him that said this was bad.

We should strive to emulate Avraham Avinu and overcome our Yetzer HaRa. Sometimes his tactics are clever and strong, but we must always keep Hashem before us and overcome him. Sometimes things may seem too hard for us to do, and sometimes things may be presented in a way where it seems like we don’t even have to do them (this happens a lot). However, we must try to internalize the same Ahavat Hashem which Avraham Avinu had so that we can succeed in our Avodat Hashem and bring ourselves even closer to Hakadosh Boruch Hu.