BS"D Parshas Pinchas 5781

By Rabbi Dovid Caro In this week’s Parsha Moshe Rabbeinu speaks to Hashem and asks Him

Candle Motzaei Rabbeinu about the future leader of Klal Yisrael after he dies. Moshe wanted to appoint lighting Shabbos Tam one of his children. But Hashem told him that the future leader of Klal Yisrael Atlanta, GA 8:34pm 9:36pm 10:04pm would be Yehoshua. It seems from the Parsha and Chazal that this was a surprise for everyone. Boca Racon, FL. 7:59pm 8:57pm 9:30pm First and foremost, if Moshe never chose him, then obviously Moshe never Brooklyn, NY 8:12pm 9:21pm 9:43pm thought that he was the most worthy person to be the future leader.

Chicago, IL 8:09pm 9:21pm 9:41pm The Gemarah in Bava Basra (75.) says that the face of Moshe was like the sun and the face of Yehoshua like the moon. The elders of the generation Lakewood, NJ 8:11pm 9:19pm 9:42pm said, “woe for such shame, woe for such embarrassment.” Leeds, UK 9:21pm 11:03pm - The simple explanation of this Gemarah is that the elders of the generation Liverpool, UK 9:24pm 11:04pm - were crying for their loss. Till recently they had such a great leader who shone like the sun. From one day to the next after Moshe died they had a leader London, UK 9:05pm 10:33pm - that shone only like the moon. They had lost their great leader. Obviously Los Angeles, CA 7:50pm 8:52pm 9:21pm they weren’t worthy anymore of such a great leader and that is why they cried. Manchester, UK 9:25pm 11:02pm - Rabbi Chaim Volozin explains the Gemarah differently. The sun is its own Melbourne, AU 4:54pm 5:56pm 6:25pm source of light. The moon doesn’t have its own light; it reflects the light it Miami, FL 7:58pm 8:55pm 9:21pm receives from the sun. Moshe was a source of light. Yehoshua wasn’t his own source of light, he Montreal, QC 8:28pm 9:44pm 9:59pm was a student of Moshe, and he received all his light from his Rebbi, Moshe. New York, NY 8: 12pm 9:21pm 9:43pm There were people in Klal Yisrael far greater than Yehoshua. They realized that had they merited, they could have also been just like Yehoshua or more. Panama City, PA 6:23pm 7:16pm 7:54pm They understood that it wasn’t just Yehoshua’s own greatness that made him Seattle, WA 8:52pm 10:12pm 10:22pm the leader; he merited to receive extra light from Moshe. This is what they Sydney, AU 4:39pm 5:39pm 6:10pm meant, woe for us that we could have also been like Yehoshua and receive our light from Moshe, just like the moon receives from the sun. Toronto, ON 8:44pm 9:57pm 10:15pm How did Yehoshua merit becoming the leader? Yerushalaim, EY 7:13pm 8:31pm 9:06pm Rashi (Bamidbar 27-16) writes that Moshe asked Hashem that his children should inherit his leadership, and Hashem replied to Moshe, “this is not what I thought. Yehoshua is worthy to receive the reward of him serving you

(Moshe) that he never left your tent.” Rashi concludes this is what Shlomo For questions, comments, or to sponsor, Hamelech writes in Mishlei (27-18) ‘He who guards his dates, eats the fruits.’ dedicate or subscribe please email to: [email protected] The date is a fruit tree that needs constant watching, as the fruits ripen at different times. The date is a symbol of diligence and consistency. Yehoshua was always next to Moshe, always ready to catch another word, another Halacha, another explanation from his teacher.

The Passuk tells us that when Moshe went up to opened the doors and burst into tears, “Hashem, Heaven to receive the , Yehoshua accompanied please have mercy on me. When my friends are having him till the bottom of Har Sinai. He waited there for discussions and arguments in their studies, I don’t forty days; he never went back to his family. The dare mix in. But please Hashem have mercy that at Gemarah in Yuma (76.) writes that Yehoshua merited a least I should merit to understand what they are 2 miracle that his ‘mann’ arrived right next to him. He arguing about!” waited there all that time to be there the moment Moshe Who was this poor boy crying so bitterly? descended the mountain, in order to be able to The world famous and prewar Rabbinical authority, accompany his Rebbi those few minutes back to the Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor zt”l the Kovno Rav. camp, maybe he would hear something new in those few The Rabbi who Rav Elyashiv looked up to as his role moments. model! Yehoshua wasn’t a loud player. He was Moshe’s helper Moshe Rabbeinu thought that the leadership of the and made sure not to miss a moment near his Rebbi. Jews would be passed down to his children. But one’s There were many greater people then Yehoshua, they ancestors don’t determine that one will lead Klal had better brains, sharper memories, deeper Yisrael. understanding, but they never became the leader of Klal The elders of the generation relied on their Yisrael. knowledge and their wisdom, but they too were In Torah when a person maximizes his potential mistaken. Hashem showers with new powers and new unlimited The leadership of Klal Yisrael goes to the one who potential. has the greatest diligence in their Torah study, in their This is an important message for all of us and it has prayers and in working to reach good middos. repeated itself so many times over history. And what about us? Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer once told his student, What rules our life? “when I studied in Volozin Yeshiva there were geniuses that all us students looked up at them with awe.” Are we fine with ourselves because we have great ancestors?! “And what are they today,” asked his student? Are we great because we’re blessed with a brilliant “Nothing,” replied the Rav. “Because a small flashlight mind, sharp brain and amazing memory? that lightens the dark path all night is better than a blinding lightening that disappears in a moment and Neither will make us true leaders or even bring out then leaves darkness.” our maximum potential until we realize that only with diligence does one reach the true success, the rest can Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz writes that Chana who was help, but is in fact irrelevant. childless prayed for a child that would be average. Chazal explain that she prayed that he wouldn’t stand Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner was known as a boy out, not smart, not stupid. Hashem accepted her prayers with a weak brain. He tried and tried but he couldn’t as she said, ‘for this child I prayed and Hashem gave me match up with his friends. When the famous Rabbi my request.” And from an average child grew up Shmuel Meir Shapiro, founder of the Daf Hayomi and Rosh Hanavi, that the Gemarah writes (Taanit 5) was equal to Yeshiva of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin arrived in his Moshe and Aharon. town, the young Shmuel Wosner asked him to enter his Yeshiva. Rav Shapiro explained that the entry exam Once the students of Rabbi Binyamin Diskin (father of was 200 daf in Kodshim. Rav Wosner spent weeks the famous Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin) came and told preparing for his test. When he arrived in Lublin he him that there is a student going through a very difficult was tested by some of the older students and didn’t time, so much so, they heard him crying in the Beis pass the test. Although he was devastated, he sat down Hamedrash in the middle of the night. in the Beis Hamedrash and started studying diligently The Rosh Hayeshiva hid in the Beis Hamedrash that until the next train to go back home. night. A student entered, walked through the dark Beis Hamedrash and went up to the Aron Hakodesh. He

When the Mashgiach saw the diligence of a boy who

had just failed his test, he was so impressed he was After informing his wife that he would be delayed, the allowed to stay for a 30 day trial. No one wanted to learn young Rav spent two hours going through the whole together with the new weak student. But the young Shas, but the onlookers who were there with open Shmuel never gave up. He sat and studied until his eyes Gemarahs and open mouths never caught him out once! 3 were red from so many hours learning. The geniuses of When asked when he learned the Gemarah the Yeshiva would come and ask him the most complex Yerushalmi, he gave an amazing answer. Every day the questions that he had no clue what they meant, in order boys stood in line to receive their dinner. It could take

to make him feel stupid and realize he didn’t belong. But up to twenty minutes to reach his turn. He would take the young Shmuel never gave up. his tray and stand in line with a Gemarah Yerushalmi Bit by bit with diligence, many tears and prayers and over the three and a half years he was in Yeshiva he Hashem opened his mind. finished the whole Yerushalmi. At the young age of 28 he came to visit Rabbi Zelig When asked about the beautiful doors of the Yeshiva, Reuvain Bengis zt”l the Rav of Yerushalaim on Purim. he replied, “I don’t remember, I entered once when I Rav Bengis was very excited. He turned to the young Rav came and exited once when I left the Yeshiva!” Wosner and asked to have some fun together in honor of We may not be able to match such diligence but we Purim. He asked the young Rav to tell him on every tenth can all find some room for improvement and let us page of Gemarah the first line of the Gemarah, the remember that with our diligence we can reach much second line of Rashi and the third line of Tosfos, all by much further. heart! Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum zt”l

Rabbi in Ujhel, Hungary Author Yismach Moshe, Tefilla le’Moshe, Heishiv Moshe 28 5601

How is it that they don’t follow this Halachic ruling. While the Yismach Moshe spread the light of Chassidus Before he travelled he prayed a special prayer to to Hungary, he was a staunch Misnaged (anti Chassidic) in Hashem, that he should find an answer to this question. his earlier years. As a young boy the Yismach Moshe made a journey to the see the Vilna Gaon in Vilna. He was When he entered the study of the Chozeh, the Chozeh fortunate to be admitted to speak to the Gaon and even eat started talking and said, “in the Shulchan Aruch it says a Shabbos meal with him. The Yismach Moshe asked the a person must mourn the Beis Hamikdash but even so Vilna Gaon if he can remain in Vilna to become his student. we Chassidim fulfill the saying of Chovas Halevavos, The Vilna Gaon told him to return home because Hungary that a person must have a joyous look on his face and needed him. keep his mourning in his heart.” After his daughter married Rav Aryeh Leib Lipshitz, The Yismach Moshe was so taken aback that he (known as the Aryeh D'Bei Illa'iy) he noticed strange himself became a student of the Chozeh and later behavior by his new son-in-law. When he realized that Rav founding the great Sighet- dynasty. Aryeh Leib was following the Chassidic movement he The Yismach Moshe was always waiting for the arrival admonished him for his ways. Rav Aryeh Leib agreed to of Mashiach. He even had a set of special Shabbos give up ways if the Yismach Moshe would travel with him clothing that he always kept close to him ready every just once to visit his Rebbi, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak, known moment for the arrival of Mashiach. as the Chozeh of Lublin. One day a family member arrived for a journey. The Yismach Moshe was very disturbed by a certain Someone announced, “He’s here!” custom of the Chassidim who were always joyous and The Yismach Moshe jumped in excitement and happy. In the Shulchan Aruch it says that a person must be grabbed his special clothing for he was so sure that they sad and mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. meant Mashiach had arrived.