“It’s All Spiritual”
By: Hadassah Kolchin, West Hempstead NCSY
“And the children of Israel did all that Hashem commanded Moshe, that is the way they encamped according to their flags, and that is the way they traveled, each person to his family together with the house of his father.” (Bemidbar 2:34)
Wouldn’t we expect that B’nei Yisrael would listen to Moshe? Why would they have not listened? Why does the Torah, which never wastes a word, have to even state this point?
Oznayim LeTorah states that Bnei Yisrael did not fight over who got what place to camp in. They readily accepted the will of G-d. They did not quarrel over who would camp in the east or the west, etc.
Many times we fight over who gets to sit where. Usually these arguments are based on arrogance. If there is a valid reason that someone wants a specific seat, then fine. However, if that person is only looking for honor, then he made a big mistake. In Gemara Taanis, our sages tell us “It is not the place that honors the person, but the person who honors the place.” If a person is righteous and is honorable because of his behavior and wisdom, then anywhere he sits will become honorable. On the other hand, if a person is not honored and has bad behavior, he will not become more honorable by sitting in a certain seat. We should focus on our spiritual growth, not on trivial signs of status.
“You Do Your Share, I’ll Do Mine”
By: Jennifer Greenstein — Woodmere NCSY
“Count the children of Levi…from the age of one month and upward…Moses counted them according to the word of G-d as he was commanded (Bemidbar 3:15-16).”
Rashi explains the phrase “according to the word of G-d” as indicating that Moshe had asked “how can I determine the number of infants in each family? Am I to enter people’s tents and invade their privacy?” To this G-d responded “You do your task and I will do mine. You are to stand in front of the door of each tent, and I will tell you the number of infants therein.”
One might ask, since determining the number of Leviim was thus dependent on Divine revelation, why was there a need for Moshe to do anything at all? Why did G-d not just tell him how many there were? The answer is essentially the formula for one’s actions in this world. An omnipotent G-d could do everything and is hardly in need of human acts to accomplish anything. For reasons known only to Divine wisdom, man was placed on earth with a mission that only he can achieve, and it is his responsibility to fulfill that mission. If the fulfillment of that mission appears to be beyond the scope of the man’s capacities, this does not exempt man from doing his utmost toward reaching the goal. Man must do whatever he can and whatever is truly beyond him becomes the responsibility of G-d. This principle is stated in Pirkei Avot (2:16) :”It is not up to you to complete the work, yet you are not free to refrain from it.”
We may now understand the verse preceding this commandment to Moshe: “G-d spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, laymor (saying): Take the count of the children of Levi.” Whenever the Torah says “laymor,” it means that Moshe was to relay that message. But to whom was this message to be relayed, inasmuch as it was only Moshe that was instructed to take the count?
The answer is that Moshe was to relay the content of this commandment to theIsraelites of his and all future generations: “You do your task, and I will do Mine.” We today, as Moshe then, must not retreat from any commandment even if its fulfillment appears to be beyond our abilities. We are obligated to do that which we can and leave the rest to G-d.
Adapted from “Living Each Week” by Rabbi Twerski
Instant Torah Messenger
In Parshat Bemidbar, it says the following: “Se’uh et rosh (Bemidbar1:2)” which literally means, “lift up the head.” It really means “take a census.” These words, “lift the head,” has two implications, one positive, and the other negative. It can mean that the people would be uplifted to an exalted level, or it could mean that their heads would be removed from them, just like Yosef had used the term in the book of Bereishis, when he predicted that Pharaoh’s baker would be executed.
The Rambam sums it up as that the term suggested to the people that if they were worthy, they would be uplifted, but if not, they could suffer greatly.