בס"ד • A PROJECT OF THE CINCINNATI COMMUNITY KOLLEL • CINCYKOLLEL.ORG תורה מסינסי Cincinnati Torah Vol. IX, No. XIII Shemos A LESSON FROM THE PARASHA THE RABBI WAS ASKED True Greatness ON THE PARASHA THIS WEEK WITH Greatness. Leadership. not go out to tour the country to simply see RABBI CHAIM HEINEMANN and observe what was going on, rather “he Many qualities may be conjured up in our Q) How does someone have the temer- focused his eyes and heart to be distressed minds when we think of these two traits. ity to tell Hashem that he does not want over them.” Moshe went out to feel and to to carry out the mission Hashem picked Powerful. Capable. Motivator. Piety. Knowl- join in the pain of his fellow Jews. Moshe edgeable. him for when Hashem tells the person grew up in the palace and was living in the himself! What was Moshe thinking? What are the true characteristics of a leader? lap of luxury, but he left those comforts be- The Ramban explains that Moshe was What really is greatness all about? cause of his care and concern for his fellow man. This is what the Torah is referring to “Onov Mikol Odom” –- the most humble Moshe Rabbeinu was perhaps the greatest with the words “vayigdal Moshe” – he be- person. He honestly believed that any- leader of the Jewish people – from their ser- came great. The Midrash explains that this body else that Hashem would send would be more qualified than he. Moshe’s vitude in Egypt to the creation of Am Yisroel, is the reason that Moshe merited a special argument “send someone else” was not receiving the Torah, and guiding them for relationship with Hashem. “Hashem says, forty years in the desert. What about Moshe said out of negativity, laziness, or to shirk you left your place to see in the pain of the responsibility, but out of modesty. Work- was so special that he was chosen for this Jewish people, I too will leave my abode to task? ing with this theme, there are several speak with you. Therefore, Hashem called other suggestions amongst the Rishonim One of Rambam’s 13 principles of faith is out to Moshe from the burning bush.” as to why Moshe felt others were more that Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest proph- This sensitivity, care for others, and ability qualified. et who ever has and ever will live. Moshe was to see beyond his own needs and desires is • Since I am not fit to bring them into the only one who spoke to Hashem “face to the description that the Torah gives us in Eretz Yisroel, the one who will get that face.” Why did he merit to have this special introducing the ultimate leader of the Jew- job and be appointed to do so, will proba- relationship with Hashem? ish people. The humility of Moshe that the bly be more worthy to take them out and The Torah relates to us very little about Torah describes is rooted in the same quality. act as their leader throughout. (Accord- the qualities of Moshe Rabbeinu. The only The ability to recognize and prioritize needs ing to Targum Yonasan Ben Uriel, Moshe outright description it provides is that “he beyond and greater than himself is what was referring to Pinchas / Eliyahu, who was the humblest amongst all men.” In this Hashem saw as the potential for his greatest will redeem the Jewish nation at the end week’s parasha we gain additional insight subordinate. It was not that Moshe didn’t of times.) into the greatness of Moshe. After describ- recognize his extraordinary strengths and • It is not appropriate or honorable for ing Moshe’s rescue from the Nile River value, but that they paled in comparison to someone who has a speech impediment by Pharaoh’s daughter and growing up in a larger concept in his life – the will of Hash- to represent the almighty, and he was the king’s palace, the Torah introduces us em. It was for this reason that Moshe was concerned of chillul Hashem (descration to Moshe’s adulthood as follows: “It hap- the one to merit the greatest prophecies ever. of G-d’s name). pened in those days Moshe grew up and Our society at large focuses on self- • Moshe was worried about the dignity of went out to his brethren and observed their fulfillment and doesn’t lend itself to this his older brother, Aaron, who had already burdens.” The Torah continues to relate mentality. We might not be Moshe Rabbeinu been a prophet for 80 years at that point three episodes in which Moshe was atten- and can’t expect God to appear to us in and might be slighted that he was over- tive to someone in need – first the Jew being a burning bush, but we all have a friend, looked for this role. beaten by the Egyptian, then a Jew hitting family member, or neighbor who would Regardless of how one understands another Jew, and finally coming to the aid love a phone call or text, or would simply Moshe Rabbeinu’s reasoning, Harav of Yisro’s daughters who weren’t allowed to appreciate being noticed and cared for. Let’s Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, (Ta’am Va’das) water their camels with the other shepherds exercise true greatness. of Midyan. Rashi explains that Moshe did L55 CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE p Sponsorship & feedback: Sponsored by Cincinnati Torah [email protected] is distributed weekly Shua and Amanda Pransky to local shuls with Hakaras Hatov to HKBH for saving us with an open miracle in a high speed car and the community crash on a snowy highway 11 years ago, in which we were both able to walk away e-mail list. totally uninjured and without any damage to our car. It was an eye opening neis nifla! © 2019 CCK A BA’AL HATURIM THE RABBI WAS ASKED A SHINING EXAMPLE FOR YOU ON THE PARASHA Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel addressed the annual Agudas Israel Yarchei Kallah (Torah learning convention) in Israel. Though he On the passuk that tells us of Amram, CONTINUED Moshe’s father, returning to remarry points out that the message to us is was debilitated by the Parkinsons disease that ravaged his body, just as in regards to Yocheved, the Torah uses the words clear. We are talking about Moshe, who everything else in his life, he did not let it “vayeilech ish,” meaning a man went. The was chosen to lead us, carry out the deter him. After he had spoken and had other place that we find the words makkos (plagues), receive the Torah on been escorted out of the room, the next “vayeilech ish” is the beginning of the our behalf, and about whom the Torah person due to address the crowd was the well- megillah of Ruth, where it begins “vayeilech testifies was the greatest prophet ever known speaker, Rav Don Segal. Seeing how ish miBeis Lechem Yehuda,” a man left from to live. Yet Moshe felt that others are Rav Finkel was able to ignore his difficulties Beis Lechem in Yehuda. The connection. more worthy than him. When we look and not only shoulder the responsibilities of explains Ba’al Haturim. is that just as the at ourselves, our sins and shortcomings, heading the Mir Yeshiva but also to make time vayeilech, the going, of Amram led to the it “should” be easy to remain humble! in weakened state for others blew him away, birth of the redeemer of the Jewish people, Q) Why did Moshe go and ask permis- and instead of his prepared address, he shared so too the vayeilech of the man from sion from Yisro, his father-in-law, to re- something else instead. “Do you know what Beis Lechem will lead to the birth of the turn to Mitzrayim. If Hashem told him you just saw?” said Rav Segal. “Let me tell you eventual redeemer, Mashiach of Davidic lineage, from the current exile. to return, why go for a second opinion? a story. It once happened that Rav Yitzchak Ze’ev Soloveitchik, also known as the Brisker Yaakov ben Asher, known as the Ba’al Haturim, A) Rashi addresses this question with Rav, was told of a yeshiva student in a dire was a scholar and biblical commentator a Medresh saying that Moshe promised situation and called a man who he knew had who lived most of his life in Spain from Yisro he would not leave Midyan with- the contacts to help the yeshiva student, even approximately 1275 to approximately 1340. out seeking his permission first. though it was Erev Yom Kippur, and asked the His classic commentary is printed in many The Alter of Slabodka offers a differ- man to take care of it right away. “After Yom editions of the Chumash. Kippur, I can do it,” said the man. “You can do ent approach. Here we see Moshe’s Exasperated the man told Rav Soloveitchik that character trait of hakaras hatov (ex- it today but you don’t want to,” answered Rav Soloveitchik. “No one is available today! It’s he would try, and in the end was successful. Rav pressing gratitude) for all of us to learn Segal asked, “How did the Brisker Rav know from. Yisro was the one who saved the day before Yom Kippur! There is no way to talk to someone today!” “You can, you just it was possible to do and the only reason why him while fleeing from Egypt, allowed don’t want!” answered Rav Soloveitchik again.