A THOUGHT ON PARSHIOS CHUKAS-BALAK

A Thought On Parshios Chukas-Balak

"...va'yiru kol ha'eida ki gova Aharon..."

"...and the whole nation saw that Aharon had died..." (20:29)

"...yizal mayim mi'dalyav..."

"...water springs from his buckets..." (24:7)

Since we are reading two Torah portions this Shabbos, I wanted to offer two thoughts of the Ralbag. The first is from Chukas. The Torah tells us of the death of beloved Aharon, older brother of Moshe and our Kohen Gadol. He passed away high atop a mountain where he had been brought by his son Elazar, and by Moshe. After the latter two returned, our verse states that this is when the nation " saw that Aharon had died."

The cryptic word here is "va'yiru" - and they saw. Many mystical as well as homiletic interpretations have been offered in explaining what was seen by the people. Whereas the Ralbag generally aims for an interpretation based on the literal meaning of the words (and he attempts one here as well), he suggests that the best interpretation here is that "seeing" takes on the connotation of "recognizing", which is the seeing of the mind more than of the eye. The nation "saw" what had vanished from among themselves with the passing of Aharon. His practice had been to devote himself to guiding the people with affection and with encouragement. He kept them from straying and intervened when they did. He lived in the pursuit of peace and he kept others from strife and disagreement.

Serving this vital role helped promote a feeling of closeness and care among the people. When Aharon died, it hit them that there was no one doing that for them anymore and the burden of taking charge and building a peaceful community fell upon everyone. This led to the entire nation coming to a mournful halt for a month. The nation "saw" that things no longer looked right. They pondered this and saw that without effort to save relationships, there is pain and sadness. This is when they realized and recognized the implication of Aharon's death.
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The second verse is from Balak. When Bila'am takes up his poetic imagery, he begins talking about the springs and flowing streams which are a metaphor for the gifts and the deeds of the Jewish nation. The Ralbag can handle the metaphor but is puzzled by the shift from flowing brooks to "water springing from buckets." Addressing the words literally, he notes that water may spring from a stream or fountain but can hardly spring or flow from a utensil. People put water into utensils to still them. Where was Bila'am going with this almost twisted image?

The Ralbag suggests that this impossibility - that water will keep moving inside its container - was precisely the wonder which Bila'am was trying to capture. In his vision of the Jews, he realized that when HaShem blesses His people, it does not matter who one is or what his or her skill set is. Each one overflows with bracha and continues to make a positive impression which endures. The blessing even springs forth from the those who have limitations and it goes beyond each one, impacting the next generation and the next. The reality which Bila'am saw about HaShem's gifts to His faithful nation was that we make our mark, we impact, and we give over to others in a manner which baffles the rest of the world. Our waters spring forth even when we are isolated and shunned. The Jewish nation is meant to make a contribution beyond its numbers and its resources. And we do. Boruch HaShem.
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Wishing you a Shabbos spent in the pursuit of peace and harmony, each one making his or her positive mark upon others. D Fox