Parshas Beha'aloscha
FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN
Rabbi Pinchas Avruch
This week's parsha records the first travels of the Jewish nation, after
they spent almost a year encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. At the
beginning of the year at Sinai, they experienced the miraculous revelation
of G-d's presence, hearing the first two of the Ten Commandments from G-d
Himself. But of great significance was the fantastic statement of faith and
trust declared by the new Nation of G-d: "Na'aseh v'nishmah", we will
fulfill and we will understand. The Children of Israel had a complete trust
in G-d's love for them, keenly aware that the Creator of the Universe had
only their best interests "in mind", much as a child has complete trust in
his parents. With this confidence in G-d, they accepted the Torah and its
commandments from the outset (na'aseh/we will fulfill) with the goal of
eventually gaining an understanding of the meaning of its contents
(nishmah/we will understand). Yet, the impact of the Sinaitic experience
diminished quickly as, soon after the departure, the Egyptian mixed
multitude of not-so-sincere converts enticed the Jewish nation to complain
against G-d twice about the quality of their Divine accommodations.
Immediately after the departure, before the complaints are recorded, the
Torah relates the declaration Moshe made each time the nation traveled, one
statement when the Holy Ark was uprooted to move and the second when the Ark
came to its new resting place. Strangely, these two verses have two upside
down "nuns" (fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet), one at the beginning
of the interruption and one at the end. Nachmanides (R' Moshe ben Nachman;
1194-1270; of Gerona, Spain; one of the leading Torah scholars of the Middle
Ages) quotes the Medrash that explains this insertion really belongs in the
narrative in chapter 2 discussing the design of the Jewish encampment and
the regimen for moving the camp. Nevertheless, it is placed here to break up
the string of three successive sins for which the nation received severe
punishment.
We know that after this insertion are the two complaints against G-d for
which they are punished, but immediately previous to this was the departure
from Sinai. What was the sin and what was the punishment? The Medrash
explains that the Jews feared that G-d was going to add mitzvos
(commandments) to the Torah, adding to the awesome responsibility the Jews
had so willingly accepted a year earlier. Commentaries explain that this
anxiety was rooted in the normal human apprehension to embrace spiritual
growth to the detriment of our enjoyment of the physical pleasures around
us. Therefore, when they left Sinai, they excitedly fled, "as a child who
flees school." Indeed, at the moment of departure, G-d was also "rushing":
His plan was to expedite the nation's journey to the Land of Israel, which
they would have swiftly conquered and the Messiah would have come - no forty
years in the Wilderness, no first exile by the Babylonians, no second exile
by the Romans, no two thousand years in the Diaspora. Nachmanides
conjectures that this entire plan was suspended because of this sin.
This clarifies why the interruption was needed, but why with "nuns" and why
are they upside down? Me'am Lo'ez (monumental Ladino commentary on the
entire Tanach by Rabbi Yaakov Culi of Constantinople; 1689-1732) elucidates
that following the declaration of "na'aseh v'nishmah", the Children of
Israel were more beloved to G-d than angels and had accomplished spiritually
almost to the level of angels. But considering their identification and
connection to the Master of the Universe, their hasty departure a year later
was akin to throwing off the entire responsibility of Torah and mitzvos.
Na'aseh and nishmah, which both start with the letter "nun", had effectively
been flipped upside down.
Rabbi Yosef Granofsky (Rosh Yeshiva/Dean of Yeshiva Or David, Jerusalem)
compares personal growth to mountain climbing. At the beginning, the grade
is not steep and it is easy to take big steps. As one reaches higher
heights, the steps are smaller and demand greater calculation and
contemplation. But standing still and maintaining the status quo are not an
option because eventually the footing will crumble. One must continue to
move upward or risk the inevitable tumble downward. Angst accompanies every
step, but the alternative is even more frightening.
Have a good Shabbos!
Copyright © 2002 by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch and Project Genesis, Inc.
Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish
Studies 5007 West Keefe Avenue; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 414-447-7999
