One Word Could Have Silenced Eldad And Meidad The Gemara in Megila 18b says, “Mila B’Sela Shtikusa B’Trein,” if each word a person uttered would cost one coin then silence would cost two coins. The Vilna Gaon plays on these words to explain the story of Eldad and Meidad who Chazal say were prophesizing that Moshe would die, and Yehoshua would take Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. Moshe was barred from entering Eretz Yisrael because he hit the rock at Mei Meriva rather than talk to it.
The Vilna Gaon explains that the word Sela also means rock in addition to coin. “Mila B’Sela,” had Moshe said one word to the Sela as opposed to hitting it, “Shtikusa B’Trein,” he would have silenced two, both Eldad and Meidad who said he would not enter Eretz Yisrael.
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Rioting Over Food? After travelling a few days in the midbar, certain elements of Bnei Yisrael got a craving for meat and complained to Moshe. Moshe spoke to Hashem and Hashem sends them an abundance of meat with which they stuff themselves with and die. However, right in middle of this narrative, Hashem tells Moshe to gather seventy men whom Hashem will grace with the spirit of Moshe. Why do these pasukim interrupt right in middle of this seemingly non related story?
Rav Shamshom Rephael Hirsch answers that Bnei Yisrael were complaining about their physical conditions and their hunger for materialism. To this Hashem told Moshe that it is not meat that they lack that is causing them to revolt, it is their lack of spirituality. They feel empty but don’t understand the true cause. Gather seventy representatives and feed their starving souls with Torah and Mitzvos. Then their appetites will be satiated with the true pleasure of dveykus in Hashem and they will no longer riot over food.
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Two Explanations For Moshe’s Shocking Question After Bnei Yiroel complain about the Man, Hashem tells Moshe that he will send them meat. Moshe Rabbeinu asks Hashem from where can he find enough meat for 600,000 men? Moshe Rabbeinu of all people, was doubting that Hashem can bring enough meat?
The Daas Zekeinin answers that we see in the gemara that it was forbidden to eat meat in the Midbar. If someone wanted to eat meat he needed to bring a Koraban Shlamim. and eat the meat that is apportioned to the owner. Moshe’s question was, “How can only three Kohanim (Aharon and his sons) manage to be makriv shelamim for so many people?” As an answer to this, Hashem sent the quail which was permitted to be eaten, since it cannot anyway be brought for a Korban.
The Ramban takes a different approach. He explains that Hashem only performs a Nes if it is pure Chesed or pure Din. He brought Man from the sky and water from a rock out of Chesed. He wiped out Mizrayim with Krias Yam Suf out of Din. Here Hashem, on one hand will bring meat, but on the other hand, it will kill those who complained. This Moshe Rabbeinu knew cannot come through a miracle, only through natural means. His question was, “How can Hashem bring meat for so many people in the desert without a miracle?” This is why Hashem answers, “You will see if My words will happen.” (Hayikricha from the lashom of “Keri”; happenstance.) Indeed Hashem brought birds that tasted like meat, and which flew in without any obvious intervention.
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Why Is Wealth a Requirement For Greatness? “ViHaIsh Moshe Anav MiKol Adam,” Moshe’s greatness was that he was more humble than any other person. The Gemara in Nedarim (38a) says that the Shechina only rests on someone who is wise, strong, wealthy, and humble. The MiShulchan Gavoah says that Rav Chaim Volozhin asks, “Why is being strong and rich mandatory for someone to have the Shechina rest on him?”
He answers that the real key is humility, just like the pasuk says about Moshe. However, if a person is weak and poor, his humility is not as telling, since he doesn’t have much to be haughty about. A person who is wise, strong, and wealthy, yet is still humble, he is truly deserving to be a sanctuary for the Shechina.
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Bnei Yisroel’s Inconvenient Travel Schedule “Al Pi Hashem Yisu Bnei Yisroel V’Al Pi Hashem Yachanu- on the word of Hashem, Bnei Yisroel traveled and on the word of Hashem, Bnei Yisroel stayed in their place.” (Bahalosicha 9:18)This seems clear enough, yet the following five pasukim seem to discuss excessively how Bnei Yisroel stayed as long as they were told, whether it was one day or many days. Why the redundancy?
The Ba’al HaLeshem, Rav Shlomo Elyashiv, says that he heard from Rav Itzele Volozhin that these pasukim are telling us the greatness of Klal Yisroel. The Midbar was the home of the Yetzer Hara. It was filled with all sorts of tumah of diffenret natures and varying degrees. Bnei Yisroel were sent on a very difficult mission: to conquer the Yetzer Hara on enemy ground, and rid the world of these desires, purifying it and preparing it for perfection. Not all places were equally tamei.
When Bnei Yisroel arrived in a stronghold of a certain Yetzer Hara, a place steeped in tumah, they immediately felt their madreiga fall and wanted to run away. Yet, they stayed, following the command of Hashem. Once they managed to overcome this tumah, they would have liked to stay a bit, but nevertheless they got up and moved on as soon as Hashem commanded. In less tamei places, they did their work quickly, and were immediately on their way to the next mission without complaint.
These pasukim, says Rav Itzele, speak of the praise of Bnei Yisroel, whose total submission to the will of Hashem caused their high level of kedusha to waver, without giving them a break to relax and enjoy. So too, says Rav Itzele, must we understand that in life Hashem sends us on missions, and some times they entail us being put in places of great spiritual danger. We learn from here, that we must accept every mission with love, no matter what it does to our spiritual or physical well being. “Al Pi Hashem Yisu Bnei Yisroel V’Al Pi Hashem Yachanu.”
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Created By Avrohom Sherman
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