B’ezem Ha’yom (in the middle of the day) (Devarim 32:48)

Rashi makes a lengthy comment on the words B’ezem Ha’yom found in this week’s parsha stating that these words are found three times in the Torah. The three places are by Noach entering the ark, the Jews leaving Egypt, and when Moshe is about to pass away. Years ago, when I lived in Boston, I was reading through Parshas Vayera and I found that the words B’ezem Ha’yom were not only in that parsha once, but twice. At the end of Vayera when it speaks about Avraham giving himself a Bris Milah, it says that he performed the Bris in the middle of the day. I was greatly bothered by this. Rashi knew the Torah better than anyone. He is constantly quoting obscure verses that few people have ever learned. Of course, he would have known this story of Avraham giving himself a Bris and of course, he would have noticed the words B’ezem Ha’yom. I walked around my shul that day and asked numerous people if they knew why Rashi did not mention these words appearing by Avraham’s Bris in his commentary on this week’s parsha. No one had an answer for me. I tried looking in a few of the books that were at my shul, but I did not find an answer in any of them. My question remained unanswered.

Two years later, I was now in a new setting. I was living in North Miami Beach and was in a shul with different books. I had forgotten about my question and randomly picked up a book by Rav Moshe Feinstein with commentary on Parshas Ha’azinu. I began reading it and it was quoting my question word for word. It then continued and gave a beautiful answer to my question. (I might give Rav Moshe’s commentary at a different time but want to focus on a different message right now).

Sometimes we see something happen in the world and it makes no sense to us. We cannot find any answer for what is happening. We search and search for a reason but it seems unexplainable. But what we must realize is that there is an answer for everything. Sometimes the answer comes a short time later. Sometimes it takes two years like my story. Sometimes it takes an entire lifetime until we find the answer to a specific question. Sometimes we never even find the answer at all. But there is an answer – I can guarantee it. G-d does not randomly make things. Everything has a reason, just we do not always know the reason.

There is a true story of a man that lived past 100 years old. One of the great rabbis of his generation asked him how he had merited to live so long. He responded and said that many of his friends had many questions in life and demanded G-d show them the answer. G-d listened to them and showed them the answers. Unfortunately, the only way to get those answers was to take them from this world. I never questioned G-d. I know that there is a reason for everything He does. I might not understand the reason right now, but I know that there is one.

I think this is an important lesson for all of us to think about as the Book of Life is open before us.

Good Shabbos! Shana Tova!
-yes
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