A thought on Parshas Naso
"...va'yasu ken Benei Yisroel va'yishalchu osam...""...and the Chlldren of Israel did just that, sending away..." (5:4)
HaShem instructed us to identify all of the ritually impure and contaminated men and women in the Camp of Israel, and to send them away to await full purification before being readmitted within the sacred confines around the mishkan. Those deemed unclean and impure could not stay within the Camp.
The Chezkuni cites a midrashic source that from the words at the end of the verse "ken asu Benei Yisroel" - "so did the Children of Israel" - seemingly redundant given the earlier phrase which I cite at the beginning - we are meant to derive the following lesson: "even the impure did not protest."
It seems from the Chezkuni that the novelty of our verse is this message: when HaShem instructed us to build a pure encampment and to maintain its sanctity and sacred atmosphere, the pure among us were commanded to stay within its confines, and the impure were ordered to leave. What would it be like for someone who has been part of the Exodus, who has been a participant in miracles and wonders, and who has stayed alongside his or her people during rough times and nisyanos and now, at the culmination of all that we had hoped and prayed for, with the establishment of the mishkan and the sacrificial order, he is ordered to leave? He has to be sent away and wait on the outskirts, excluded from the service and isolated from the nation. What would you do? How would you respond? Begrudgingly? Shamefacedly?
Chezkuni tells us that everyone, including the people with tuma, responded to HaShem's bidding. Everyone followed their respective orders, for these were not a matter of whim or opinion, but commandments from HaShem Himself. If one has this perspective, that whatever HaShem's will is, then it is right and it is right for us, then being ordered to leave is as much a fulfillment of Divine will as is being commanded to stay. Thus, "even the impure did not protest."
I remember the story of my great rebbe's father, Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt'l who was in attendance at the great Kenessia of European Jewry some years before the war. At one point, the chairman announced that there was going to be a special meeting of the gedolei roshei yeshiva and that everyone else should please leave the auditorium. It seems that as the droves of Jews obediently filed out of the room, Rav Elchonon exited with them. He seriously had not considered that the announcement that "the great Torah leaders" referred to him! He assumed that he was one of the "commoners" and simply got up and began to leave. The confidante of the Chofetz Chaim zt'l, the lone designee of the gedolim to shepherd the Jews as the war grew near, the rosh yeshiva of Baronovitch whose writings and sefarim are standard material in today's yeshivas - dutifully arose and walked out. He assumed that the order to leave applied to him, and without a second of hesitation, he walked out until the leaders ran after him and told him that he belonged within.
It is a great accomplishment to know one's place. It is a greater accomplishment to accept one's role without misgivings or resentment.
"...va'yasu ken Benei Yisroel va'yishalchu osam...""...and the Chlldren of Israel did just that, sending away..." (5:4)
HaShem instructed us to identify all of the ritually impure and contaminated men and women in the Camp of Israel, and to send them away to await full purification before being readmitted within the sacred confines around the mishkan. Those deemed unclean and impure could not stay within the Camp.
The Chezkuni cites a midrashic source that from the words at the end of the verse "ken asu Benei Yisroel" - "so did the Children of Israel" - seemingly redundant given the earlier phrase which I cite at the beginning - we are meant to derive the following lesson: "even the impure did not protest."
It seems from the Chezkuni that the novelty of our verse is this message: when HaShem instructed us to build a pure encampment and to maintain its sanctity and sacred atmosphere, the pure among us were commanded to stay within its confines, and the impure were ordered to leave. What would it be like for someone who has been part of the Exodus, who has been a participant in miracles and wonders, and who has stayed alongside his or her people during rough times and nisyanos and now, at the culmination of all that we had hoped and prayed for, with the establishment of the mishkan and the sacrificial order, he is ordered to leave? He has to be sent away and wait on the outskirts, excluded from the service and isolated from the nation. What would you do? How would you respond? Begrudgingly? Shamefacedly?
Chezkuni tells us that everyone, including the people with tuma, responded to HaShem's bidding. Everyone followed their respective orders, for these were not a matter of whim or opinion, but commandments from HaShem Himself. If one has this perspective, that whatever HaShem's will is, then it is right and it is right for us, then being ordered to leave is as much a fulfillment of Divine will as is being commanded to stay. Thus, "even the impure did not protest."
I remember the story of my great rebbe's father, Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt'l who was in attendance at the great Kenessia of European Jewry some years before the war. At one point, the chairman announced that there was going to be a special meeting of the gedolei roshei yeshiva and that everyone else should please leave the auditorium. It seems that as the droves of Jews obediently filed out of the room, Rav Elchonon exited with them. He seriously had not considered that the announcement that "the great Torah leaders" referred to him! He assumed that he was one of the "commoners" and simply got up and began to leave. The confidante of the Chofetz Chaim zt'l, the lone designee of the gedolim to shepherd the Jews as the war grew near, the rosh yeshiva of Baronovitch whose writings and sefarim are standard material in today's yeshivas - dutifully arose and walked out. He assumed that the order to leave applied to him, and without a second of hesitation, he walked out until the leaders ran after him and told him that he belonged within.
It is a great accomplishment to know one's place. It is a greater accomplishment to accept one's role without misgivings or resentment.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
HaShem instructed us to identify all of the ritually impure and contaminated men and women in the Camp of Israel, and to send them away to await full purification before being readmitted within the sacred confines around the mishkan. Those deemed unclean and impure could not stay within the Camp.
The Chezkuni cites a midrashic source that from the words at the end of the verse "ken asu Benei Yisroel" - "so did the Children of Israel" - seemingly redundant given the earlier phrase which I cite at the beginning - we are meant to derive the following lesson: "even the impure did not protest."
It seems from the Chezkuni that the novelty of our verse is this message: when HaShem instructed us to build a pure encampment and to maintain its sanctity and sacred atmosphere, the pure among us were commanded to stay within its confines, and the impure were ordered to leave. What would it be like for someone who has been part of the Exodus, who has been a participant in miracles and wonders, and who has stayed alongside his or her people during rough times and nisyanos and now, at the culmination of all that we had hoped and prayed for, with the establishment of the mishkan and the sacrificial order, he is ordered to leave? He has to be sent away and wait on the outskirts, excluded from the service and isolated from the nation. What would you do? How would you respond? Begrudgingly? Shamefacedly?
Chezkuni tells us that everyone, including the people with tuma, responded to HaShem's bidding. Everyone followed their respective orders, for these were not a matter of whim or opinion, but commandments from HaShem Himself. If one has this perspective, that whatever HaShem's will is, then it is right and it is right for us, then being ordered to leave is as much a fulfillment of Divine will as is being commanded to stay. Thus, "even the impure did not protest."
I remember the story of my great rebbe's father, Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt'l who was in attendance at the great Kenessia of European Jewry some years before the war. At one point, the chairman announced that there was going to be a special meeting of the gedolei roshei yeshiva and that everyone else should please leave the auditorium. It seems that as the droves of Jews obediently filed out of the room, Rav Elchonon exited with them. He seriously had not considered that the announcement that "the great Torah leaders" referred to him! He assumed that he was one of the "commoners" and simply got up and began to leave. The confidante of the Chofetz Chaim zt'l, the lone designee of the gedolim to shepherd the Jews as the war grew near, the rosh yeshiva of Baronovitch whose writings and sefarim are standard material in today's yeshivas - dutifully arose and walked out. He assumed that the order to leave applied to him, and without a second of hesitation, he walked out until the leaders ran after him and told him that he belonged within.
It is a great accomplishment to know one's place. It is a greater accomplishment to accept one's role without misgivings or resentment.
"...va'yasu ken Benei Yisroel va'yishalchu osam...""...and the Chlldren of Israel did just that, sending away..." (5:4)
HaShem instructed us to identify all of the ritually impure and contaminated men and women in the Camp of Israel, and to send them away to await full purification before being readmitted within the sacred confines around the mishkan. Those deemed unclean and impure could not stay within the Camp.
The Chezkuni cites a midrashic source that from the words at the end of the verse "ken asu Benei Yisroel" - "so did the Children of Israel" - seemingly redundant given the earlier phrase which I cite at the beginning - we are meant to derive the following lesson: "even the impure did not protest."
It seems from the Chezkuni that the novelty of our verse is this message: when HaShem instructed us to build a pure encampment and to maintain its sanctity and sacred atmosphere, the pure among us were commanded to stay within its confines, and the impure were ordered to leave. What would it be like for someone who has been part of the Exodus, who has been a participant in miracles and wonders, and who has stayed alongside his or her people during rough times and nisyanos and now, at the culmination of all that we had hoped and prayed for, with the establishment of the mishkan and the sacrificial order, he is ordered to leave? He has to be sent away and wait on the outskirts, excluded from the service and isolated from the nation. What would you do? How would you respond? Begrudgingly? Shamefacedly?
Chezkuni tells us that everyone, including the people with tuma, responded to HaShem's bidding. Everyone followed their respective orders, for these were not a matter of whim or opinion, but commandments from HaShem Himself. If one has this perspective, that whatever HaShem's will is, then it is right and it is right for us, then being ordered to leave is as much a fulfillment of Divine will as is being commanded to stay. Thus, "even the impure did not protest."
I remember the story of my great rebbe's father, Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt'l who was in attendance at the great Kenessia of European Jewry some years before the war. At one point, the chairman announced that there was going to be a special meeting of the gedolei roshei yeshiva and that everyone else should please leave the auditorium. It seems that as the droves of Jews obediently filed out of the room, Rav Elchonon exited with them. He seriously had not considered that the announcement that "the great Torah leaders" referred to him! He assumed that he was one of the "commoners" and simply got up and began to leave. The confidante of the Chofetz Chaim zt'l, the lone designee of the gedolim to shepherd the Jews as the war grew near, the rosh yeshiva of Baronovitch whose writings and sefarim are standard material in today's yeshivas - dutifully arose and walked out. He assumed that the order to leave applied to him, and without a second of hesitation, he walked out until the leaders ran after him and told him that he belonged within.
It is a great accomplishment to know one's place. It is a greater accomplishment to accept one's role without misgivings or resentment.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 4:08 PM
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