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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- B’HA’ALOSCHA
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
While the Torah generally gives us very good character descriptions of personages therein, our Rabbanim of blessed memory, have often revealed to us additional aspects of such individuals, which more than often, wind up dealing with the subject of concern for others, a topic of extreme importance to any true Ben Torah.
Whereas everyone is well aware of the devotion that Moshe Rabbeinu and his disciple Y’hoshua had for each other, the relationship of these two men in this week’s Sidra, goes well beyond what is often thought. But, we shall shortly return to this matter.
Two very great Tzadikim (righteous men), Eldad and Maidad, are mentioned in this week’s Sidra, both having been exceptionally unassuming, and normally fleeing from any honor. They only received N’vuah (prophecy), as a result of it having been thrust upon them by HaShem, without any choice of their own. The Passuk (verse) informs us:
“But, there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Maidad; and the spirit rested upon them; and they were among those who were inscribed, but went not to the Tent; and they prophesized in the camp.” (Bamidbar 11:26)
What was it that these two Tzadikim prophesized? The answer is found in the Gemarah of Sanhedrin 17a:
“Rabban Shimon said, ‘They remained in the Camp. For, when HaKadosh Baruch Hu ordered Moshe, “Gather unto Me seventy of the elders of Yisroel (Bamidbar 11:16),” Eldad and Maidad observed, “We are not worthy of that dignity!” Thereupon, HaKadosh Baruch Hu said, “Because you have humbled yourselves, I will add to your greatness yet more greatness!” And how did He add to their dignity? In that all (the other prophets) prophesized and ceased, but their prophesying did not cease. And what did they prophesize? They said, “Moshe shall die, and Y’hoshua shall bring Yisroel into the land.”
As soon as he heard this N’vuah of Eldad and Maidad, Y’hoshua reacted in the following manner:
“And there ran a young man, and told Moshe, and said, ‘Eldad and Maidad are prophesying in the camp!’ And Y’hoshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moshe, one of his young men, answered and said, ‘My lord Moshe, forbid them!’” (Bamidbar 11:27-28)
What did Y’hoshua mean by his suggestion to Moshe, about ‘forbidding’ Eldad and Maidad to continue prophesying? Rashi on this Passuk, offered two possibilities:
“‘My lord Moshe, forbid them!’…..Put upon them (Eldad and Maidad) the fear of the congregation, and, they will stop by themselves!”
That is, in LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue), the language of ‘forbid them’ is ‘K’la’aim,’ which has within it the root word ‘K’liya,’ which translates into making an end to something. Y’hoshua, who did not want these two prophesying about the imminent death of his teacher, suggested to Moshe that together with the rest of the B’nai Yisroel, he ought to shut them up. As well, Rashi offered this from the Sifri (Tzav):
“…..Another explanation…..Place them in detention! For, they prophesize, ‘Moshe shall die, and Y’hoshua shall bring Yisroel into the land!’”
As we have seen so many times prior, words in LaShon HaKodesh have multiple meanings. In addition to the word ‘K’la’aim’ meaning to put an end to, it also has within it the term ‘Keleh,’ which means a place of detention. Again, Y’hoshua resented this prophecy of Moshe’s imminent death, and suggested to his teacher that Eldad and Maidad be placed in custody.
Yet, whether Y’hoshua suggested that either Moshe silence Eldad and Maidad, or place them in custody, one major difficulty remains. N’vuah is obviously communication straight from HaShem, and although the decrees of certain N’vuos (prophecies) did not come about because T’shuva (repentance) altered them (i.e. Ninveh in the time of Yonah), ‘Moshe shall die, and Y’hoshua shall bring Yisroel into the land’ was not the type of N’vuah which demanded a decision from anyone. It was simply an announcement of the inevitable imminent death of Moshe. How could Y’hoshua then, possibly have thought that by Moshe silencing Eldad and Maidad, or detaining them, Moshe’s imminent death would not come about?
To resolve this formidable difficulty, the very scholarly work K’hilas Yitzchak, supplies us with a most erudite answer to this query, by beginning with the denunciation of Shmuel HaNavi (the prophet) of King Shaul, for not having accomplished what he was commanded concerning the nation of Amalek:
“And Shmuel said to him, ‘HaShem has torn the kingdom of Yisroel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you!’” (Shmuel I 15:28)
The ‘neighbor’ referred to here was Dovid. Now then, posed the K’hilas Yitzchak, when addressing a Melech, a king, as Shaul was, one must be very economic with his words, and very careful not to be overly loquacious. Had Shmuel HaNavi simply stated, “HaShem has torn the kingdom of Yisroel from you this day,” that would have been quite sufficient. What need was there for Shmuel to add the expression, “And has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you,” which is nothing more than pouring salt into a wound?
In the K’hilas Yitzchak, we find the words of Rav Yisroel Salanter (Lipkin- 1810-1883) of blessed memory, who resolved this entire matter in the following very scholarly manner.
It is a known fact, that in certain circumstances, we do not take seriously the T’shuva (repentance) of one who has this moment just sinned. For, in such circumstances, the sin is still figuratively in his hands, and he has certainly not had time to adequately reflect on what he did. Now, this requires some degree of explanation concerning two possible paths.
First, one’s sin did not inconvenience another. If he proclaims to accomplish T’shuva directly after sinning, his T’shuva may be taken seriously. For, he is extended a kindness from Shamayim (heaven). That is, as he has removed from himself the thought of committing this sin again, so too, is he considered to have removed from himself the actual act of the sin. His T’shuva may be taken seriously.
However, one whose sin proved to be an inconvenience to another, may not have his T’shuva, given directly after sinning, taken seriously by us. This is exactly what occurred to Shaul. For, directly after his sin concerning Amalek, Shaul desired to do T’shuva. But, it was too late, for, the result of Shaul’s sin already inconvenienced Dovid to have the responsibilities of the entire kingdom placed on his shoulders. That is why Shmuel said to Shaul, “And has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you,” to show Shaul that his actions already inconvenienced Dovid, and, because of that, nothing could reverse Shaul’s loss of his kingdom, not even T’shuva, which should have been accomplished in any event.
In essence then, if A’s actions inconvenienced B, any decree G-d forbid, against A from Shamayim (heaven) at this time, cannot be stopped.
So too, continued Rav Yisroel, was it with Y’hoshua. For, as soon as Y’hoshua heard the N’vuah of Eldad and Maidad which stated, ‘Moshe shall die, and Y’hoshua shall bring Yisroel into the land!’ he was afraid that since Moshe would inconvenience him by ordaining him the next leader of the nation, placing the entire burden of the B’nai Yisroel upon his shoulders, the N’vuah of Moshe’s imminent death, could then not be halted.
Therefore, Y’hoshua, prior to being ordained, suggested that either Moshe silence Eldad and Maidad or detain them, for the purpose of convincing Moshe that he was not at all interested in a leadership position.
For, Y’hoshua reasoned, if Moshe could be persuaded that his disciple was not capable or interested at all in leadership, Moshe would not inconvenience him by ordaining him, and with T’shuva, Moshe’s imminent death would not come about. That is, just as there is an acceptance of the T’shuva of anyone who hasn’t inconvenienced another with his actions, so too should there be an escape from the decree of imminent death for Moshe, who hadn’t yet inconvenienced another with his actions.
And so, if it meant Moshe continuing to live, Y’hoshua was prepared to give up any position of leadership, while Moshe, who was well aware of this, was prepared to accept his imminent death in order that Y’hoshua, the only proper candidate, lead the B’nai Yisroel after him.
And here, is a brief but very telling further glimpse of the relationship between these two men, where one, at virtually any cost, was instantaneously prepared to sacrifice himself for the other. While that may be quite a high target for which to strive, it certainly does enhance our understanding of the importance of relating to others.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.
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