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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- NASO
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
While we in the current day are most regrettably not a generation who has ever witnessed a Bais HaMikdash (Temple) or a Sanhedrin, we are at least physically safer, by the grace of G-d, than a generation of European Jews in the time of the Holocaust, or a generation of Spanish Jews, who were expelled from their land in 1492, or a generation of mid 14th century European Jews, who served as the scapegoats for the Black Death. The list of course, goes on.
What with almost every food having a Hechsher (seal of Kashrus) in these times, it is effortlessly simple for us today to keep Mitzvos. Additionally, we live under a benevolent government in the United States, which does not interfere at all with our keeping the dictates of the Torah, through the separation of church and state. Thank G-d, we are relatively safe here.
Yet, one cannot help but wonder though, how strong our devotion to the Torah would be, if we lived in the time of a Bais HaMikdash, or, were compelled to live, G-d forbid, in another age more hostile to Jews.
But, most basically, it is fascinating to ponder the great Torah dedication of a generation which kept all the Mitzvos during a time of a Bais HaMikdash, when all Jews lived In Eretz Yisroel, and, another generation wherein a concentration camp internee tried desperately to locate a pair of T’fillin (phylacteries). While humanly impossible to calculate, this matter of Torah commitment in different ages is addressed in this week’s Sidra, wherein Moshe is commanded to take a census of the tribes of the three sons of Laivi- Gershon, K’has, and M’rari. We begin with Gershon:
“Take a census of the sons of Gershon, they as well, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families.” (Bamidbar 4:22)
At first glance, there are several oddities here:
1. When it comes to the tribe of Gershon, what is this very degrading language of ‘they as well,’ as if they are undeservedly included in the census?
2. Concerning the tribe of Gershon, we see first ‘the houses of their fathers,’ and then ‘by their families.’ However, concerning the tribes of K’has and M’rari, we see the reverse:
“Take a census of the sons of K’has from among the sons of Laivi, after their families, by the house of their fathers.” (ibid. 4:2),
“As for the sons of M’rari, you shall count them according to their families, by the house of their fathers.” (ibid. 4:29)
To resolve these difficulties, we turn to the Chassam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer [Schreiber] 1762-1839) of blessed memory, where in his text Toras Moshe, he explained the following. By name, these three sons of Laivi are symbolic of the complete history of Jews, in times good, indifferent, and bad. Of course, since these sons lived at the same time, each does not so much represent a different historical chronology, as they do represent the above three historical times, whenever they may have been.
The language of K’has in LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue), translates into gathering, as seen from the following Passuk (verse):
“The staff shall not depart from Y’huda, nor the scepter from between his feet, until Shilo come; and to him shall the people gather (V’lo Yik’has Amim).” (B’raishis 49:10)
Hence, expounded the Chassam Sofer, K’has is reminiscent of Jews who were gathered in Eretz Yisroel in the time of a Bais Hamikdash, when society itself was based on, and ruled by the dictates of Torah. Only in such a magnificent time for Jews, was it possible to fulfill all 613 Mitzvos of the Torah, without exception. Only in such a glorious time, was the inspiration and influence of Torah so powerful upon the masses.
M’rari, on the other hand, translates into bitter, and is emblematic of times G-d forbid, wherein Jews were in harsh exiles, and suffered constantly under merciless rulers. Yet, even though they were brutally treated, and, many died Al Kiddush HaShem (martyred for HaShem), those that lived, remained firm in their devotion to Torah, regardless of the circumstances.
Last, Gershon is the language of strangers, denoting Jews who live in a quiet exile, without persecution from evil rulers. Yet, while there is no direct hatred of them and their Torah devotion, these Jews do reside among the nations, the influences of which, are certainly powerful forces upon them, and, make complete Torah devotion all the more difficult.
Now, continued the Chassam Sofer, if we look closer at these three distinctions, we find that as per K’has, those Jews who lived in Eretz Yisroel in a time of a Bais HaMikdash, were certainly to be counted as righteous, for by being fully capable of completely dedicating their lives to Torah, in a society where one was expected to do so, a son merited his father. The Passuk of K’has states ‘After their families, by the house of their fathers.’ So great was their Torah devotion, that they honored their families who were of this world, without having been dependent on the honor of their fathers, who were in the next world. Because of their total devotion to Torah, this generation of K’has needed not rely on Z’chus Avos (merits of their departed fathers), which is why their present families are mentioned first, not their deceased ancestors.
The generation of M’rari, which experienced bitter exile, replete with persecutions, pogroms, and worse, could not be deterred from their devotion of Torah, their resolve having been so strong. Because they suffered such bitterness to keep the Torah, they too are counted as being righteous, and not dependent on Z’chus Avos. And, that is why the M’rari Passuk states as well, ‘According to their families, by the house of their fathers.’ Here too, so great was their Torah devotion, that they honored their families who were of this world, without having been dependent on the honor of their fathers, who were in the next world.
Yet, the devotion to Torah by a generation of Gershon, a generation such as ours, is to a lesser degree, because there is no Bais HaMikdash, and because of the powerful influence of living among the nations. Therefore, since the generation of Gershon cannot fully dedicate their lives to Torah as did K’has, nor do they suffer drastically to keep the Torah as did M’rari, G-d forbid, they are only counted as righteous through Z’chus Avos. And, that is why the Gershon Passuk states ‘Throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families.’ Such a generation must first rely on their departed fathers for Z’chus Avos. But, one way or the other, ‘They as well’ are counted as being righteous.
And so, whatever the historical times in which Jews have ever lived, every generation was always capable of devoting themselves to the Torah in their own way. Today, we are ‘wired’ into this digital world where information, good and bad, travels at the speed of light. There is simply no escaping the constant bombarding influence of an outside world that has gone technologically hyper, which distracts us to some degree, away from the Torah.
Yet, regardless of how un-impressively our Torah devotion may stack up against the generations of K’has and M’rari, we ‘as well’ are quite capable of acquitting ourselves favorably, and also being counted as righteous.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.
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