|
Dear Yeshiva Family:
This week's parshah focuses on the uprising of Korach against Moshe Rabbeinu, challenging Moshe's authority and integrity in appointing family members to leadership positions in the service of Hashem. Chief amongst the accusations of nepotism was the appointment of Ahron, Moshe's brother, as the Kohen Gadol. Later in the parshah, Hashem, wanting to dispel any lingering doubts that perhaps Korach was right, devised a test, instructing the leaders of each shevet to bring their staffs with their names engraved on it to the Ohel Moed. The shevet leader's staff that blossomed would be a sign that Hashem chose that individual and that shevet to serve Him. Sure enough, Ahron's staff blossomed and grew almonds! The pasuk concludes that each shevet leader saw (the results of the test), and took his staff (home).
R' Zalman Sorotskin asks: Why did the leaders take their staffs home after the test? These were the failed sticks, and if anything, they represented an embarrassment to them. What can they possibly gain by bringing it home? This was not a silver trophy from the Olympics for coming in second, and not even a consolation prize; it was surely not something to hang on one's wall.
R' Zalman explains that , in truth,one can ask a question, why did anyone want to be the Kohen at that time? And why were the shevatim in competition with Shevet Levi? As is stated in this week's parshah (18:21), Shevet Levi did not have a land of their own; they would constantly be dependent on other people to supply them with food through ma'aser and other gifts. Working in the Bais Hamikdash as a Kohen itself was only a job for two days per year, while the rest of the year they prepared for those days by learning, etc.. So why would anyone want to give up a life of being self-sufficient and "fight" to serve in the Bais Hamikdash?
The obvious answer is that serving Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash and living a life of ruchniyus was and is worth giving up a self-sufficient lifestyle. Not having land or income of their own (even in an agricultural society) paled in comparison with the spiritual bliss that came from the ability to serve Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash. The other shevatim were fighting for the ability to serve Hashem in the ideal manner. When they 'lost" the test because their staff did not blossom, each man dejectedly took his staff home, which had his name engraved on it, to show the people, and retain as a keepsake, that at least they had "fought" for the best opportunity of serving Hashem, and did not take the appointment of someone else lying down. This was a badge of honor that at least they fought for the highest honor.
The Medrash says that these staffs were part of each shevet's treasury until the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed. That is because it served as a badge of honor to the shevet that they would have preferred to be able to serve Hashem all day, even if it meant they would not get their own portion of the land. (To be clear, the Kohanim and Levi'im still lived in Eretz Yisrael, they just did not receive a portion of land like every other member of Klal Yisrael. Instead, they had to dwell on the other shevatim's land.)
Reb Elya Lopian quotes a statement from Chazal that during the years of the Jews' slavery in Mitzrayim, Pharoh was upset that the Levi'im were not enslaved and spent their entire day learning. To remedy that, Pharoah ordered that no one should be given a stipend of food unless they reported for work. Nevertheless, the Levi'im refused to come and they remained dedicated to their learning. The Medrash asks, where, then, did their food come from? It answers that all the members of Klal Yisrael rationed their food and gave a portion of their food to the Levi'im. Even before the giving of the Torah, the Jews of Mitzrayim were cognizant of what Torah learning does for our nation, and under horrendous conditions agreed to save some of their food allotment to give to their brothers who were learning!!
We see that not only did the enslaved Klal Yisrael not resent the Levi'im for not working alongside them, but they even went ahead and shared their meager rations with them. This is because Klal Yisrael recognized the incredible value of having someone learn Torah for the nation, and how it helps all of us. It would have been a privilege to join them, but if one was unable to join them, then at least one should show a badge of honor indicating his wish to have joined, and then, of course, to support them to the best of one's ability.
Tensions have been rising recently with the Israeli government stopping the funding for Yeshivos and Kollelim who learn Torah full time. In response, six gedolim from Eretz Yisrael travelled to the NY/NJ area to raise funds to help continue the heartbeat of the Nation. In one fundraiser they raised the astonishing sum of $87M from a $107M goal, with over $1M coming from Chicago! This is after they explained that any money donated to this new fund replacing the lost income from the state should not be taken from one's ma'aser or any other fund or monies earmarked for any tzedaka! $87 million! This is also after the incredible Adirei Torah event just two week's earlier, which raised another enormous sum to help support full-time Torah study! (Last year's Adirei Torah event raised $130 million!)
These are funds that are donated by our brethren. Regular people who you could meet by a Mincha minyan, who believe that Torah is our national treasure and is the most important thing we have that we can support and protect. They went above and beyond what they normally gave and put forth another $87 million!
Not everyone is able to dedicate their lives to Torah through sitting and learning full time but everyone in Klal Yisrael can partake in this national endeavor. Just as in Mitzrayim, Klal Yisrael today is coming together to throw their support behind people who dedicate their lives in this world to limud HaTorah. It is a communal commitment to preserve our national treasure!
Around the world, we have people who start off their marriages and the building of their new family by joining a Kollel. This allows the couple to begin the foundation of their home in a structure that has them dedicated to Hashem, in the way the Leviim once did. The rest of Klal Yisrael is privileged to support that endeavor.
May Hashem continue to help His nation dedicate their lives to His Torah, and live glorious happy productive fulfilling lives in His service.
Have a great Shabbos!
Rabbi Moshe Revah Rosh HaYeshiva, HTC - Beis HaMidrash LaTorah moshe.revah@htc.edu | 
No comments:
Post a Comment