Parshat Masei seems, at first blush, to
be reiterating the itinerary of the Bnai Yisrael from Egypt to Eretz
Yisrael. In fact, in the opening chapter, 42 times HaShem tells Moshe
to insert Vayasu - the Bnai Yisrael journeyed. Vayachanu - and they
encamped. Yet, all of Sefer Bamidbar tells the story of Klal
Yisrael�s travels and travails. Is it really necessary to repeat it?
Rashi HaKadosh, quoting from the Medrash of Rebbe Tanchuma, gives the
analogy of a king who takes his sickly son on a distant journey to a
place where he becomes cured. On their return home, the king begins
to point out to his son the various places at which they stopped: �At
this place we slept� at this place you had fever� at this place you
had pain, etc.� So, too, says Rebbe Tanchuma: HaShem points out the
various places where Bnai Yisrael were sickly and stopped along the
way during their journey.
Yet, a question must be asked: Parashat Masei is the concluding
parasha in Sefer Bamidbar. Klal Yisrael are at the end of their
journey - not merely 40 years in the desert - but nearly 500 years
since HaShem promised Avraham: �Lzaracha Nasati Es HaEretz Hazos� (To
your descendants have I given this land). With the conclusion of the
parasha, we proclaim: Chazak Chazak V�NisChazek - we are euphoric
that we have reached our destiny.
Finally, at the banks of the Jordan River, with the dream only
seconds away, HaShem insists that we re-hash our past failures and
shortcomings in public? What chizuk could possibly be achieved from
the sad reminder of our sick and painful journey?
I believe the Torah wants to teach us an important lesson about the
journey of life. Human nature is such that we are always attempting
to put the past behind us. Living in a modern world, we are enamored
with the future and take no responsibility for our past. Perhaps one
of the greatest tragedies today is our disconnect from yesterday. For
many, history is ancient. �Don�t judge me by my past but see me for
what I am today, and where I'm going tomorrow.�
It is this threatening reality that many of our fellow Jews see
themselves as Americans, Europeans and Israelis, but not Jews - the
people of the Torah, the Living Book.
Parashat Masei isn't a log book nor is it an embarrassing journal of
a sad trip taken by a sick people. It is a cheshbon ha-nefesh - an
accounting of the soul, to see the progress of an enslaved people who
became a nation on their way to reaching their destiny - our
homeland, Eretz Yisrael.
HaShem asks of us at the banks of the Jordan River to look back on
our journey and to see where we were within the context of where we
are today. How can one not appreciate now what one was going through
then? Think back to how sick you were and see the Hashgacha - Divine
providence - then, as clearly as you see it now. Each journey and
encampment cannot be viewed through human eyes, but with a Torah
vision - not a day in one's life, but in the lifetime of the entire
Klal Yisrael.
This Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh. During the year, the Haftara of Rosh
Chodesh supersedes the weekly parasha�s Haftara - except during the
month of Av. As in our earlier thought, perhaps we can say that Rosh
Chodesh, which represents renewal, will be read in some future week.
But if we do not read from the Haftorot, d'puranusa - the Haftarat of
affiliction (which describe in detail the tragedies of our Holy
Temple), if we do not do a Din V�Cheshbon (a true accounting) of how
we see ourselves in this great loss, then we will never be able to
fulfill the words of the Navi: �all who mourn the loss of
Yerushalayim, will merit the joy of seeing it rebuilt.�
Chazak, Chazak, V�Nischazek.
