Bamidbar

As the Jewish People are poised to travel to the Promised Land, Moshe invites Yisro to accompany them. Yisro rejects Moshe’s offer, preferring to return to his own country, Midian. Moshe then repeats his invitation and Yisro agrees to join the Jewish People. What did Moshe say to sweeten his invitation, effecting Yisro’s acquiescence?

The answer lies in the way the Vilna Gaon explains the difference between the words “amo” and “eto”. “eto” means together only externally, “amo” means together in agenda and thought, too. For example, the Almighty tells Bilaam, “Do not go with them” Then Hashem seems to make an abrupt about-face and declares “Arise and go with them.” With the Gaon’s teaching, we can reconcile these verses. First, Hashem tells Bilaam do not go “emachem”, with the same agenda to curse the Jewish People. However, upon Bilaam’s insistence, Hashem agrees to allow him to go “etem”, together with them but not with the same intention.

Similarly, we can understand the words of Shlomo HaMelech in Mishlei. “My beloved son, do not join together with those who err.” Shlomo uses the term “etem” - the looser term for togetherness, with instructive intention. Even if you consider joining with the errant but will do so with a different agenda, Shlomo still advises against it.

A difficult Mishna in Pirkei Avos (6:9) is now crystal clear. Rav Yosi ben Kisma was offered to become a Rav in a community bereft of Torah leadership. Rav Yosi categorically rejects the offer and declares that he would only live in a “makom Torah.” How could Rav Yosi turn down an offer to help his fellow Jews grow spiritually? The answer lies in the words of the offer. “Do you want to live with us?” The word “emanu” was used to indicate that Rav Yosi was only invited if he would share the values and level of the people he would lead. He was precluded from raising their sights to a higher standard of Torah values. Therefore, Rav Yosi refused the offer out of hand.

Let us return to Moshe’s offer to Yisro. First, Moshe asks Yisro, “Please join us” but not with total parity. You are not to receive your own plot of land in Eretz Yisroel, just the spoils of war. Then Moshe sweetens his offer and says, “You will come with us and inherit the land, too.” This was an offer Yisro could not refuse.

Dovid HaMelech writes in Tehillim “emo anochi b'sara” - that Hashem is together with us in our suffering. The word “emo” is used to indicate that the Almighty is totally empathic toward the Jewish People, to the point that He actually feels our suffering and shares in our pain, “k'bichal” the same way we do. May the Almighty suffer no more!

A warm and hearty Mazel Tov to our dear friends, Fred and Aliva Mingel, upon the Aufruf and upcoming marriage of their beloved son, Marc to Stefanie Greenberg. The Mingels are a family that are devoted to Torah and mitzvos and our heartfelt bracha to Marc and his kallah is that they be fortunate to follow in the footsteps of their wonderful parents.

In this week's Parsha, Beha'aloscha, Aaron HaCohen is enjoined, "When you kindle the wicks of the menorah, the seven wicks should face toward the menorah's center stem" (8,2). The commentaries are bothered by the obvious question - Since the center stem housed one of the seven wicks, the pasuk should read, "The six wicks should face the center stem". Another difficulty lies in Rashi's comment on the pasuk, "And Aaron did so" (8,3), "This highlights the praise of Aaron, that he didn't deviate". How can one even entertain the thought that Aaron would deviate from the will of Hashem, demanding our accolades for his ostensive loyalty? Allow me to present a creative solution to the aforementioned difficulties.

King Shlomo writes in Shir HaShirim (7,2), "How lovely are 'paamayich banialim' i.e. your footsteps when shod in pilgrim's sandals". The Chiddushei Harim interprets the word 'paamayich' as the beating of the heart, i.e. one's passion and devotion and 'banialim', when it is locked and checked. How lovely is the restraint and balance that the Jewish People demonstrate as they express their passionate service of Hashem. All the passionate expressions of the Seven Shepherds (i.e. the seven lower Sefiros): Avrohom's Chesed (loving-kindness), Yitzchak's Gevurah (strength), Yaakov's Tiferes (beauty), Moshe's Netzach (dominance), Aaron's Hod (submission to majesty), Yosef's Yesod (foundation), and Dovid's Malchus (kingship) necessitate balance and restraint. If, for example, chesed is allowed to be expressed in an unrestrained manner it will produce the immorality of Yishmael. If, gevurah is left unchecked, it will lead to murder, as exhibited by Eisav. This, says the Chiddushei Harim, is the vocation of the retired 50-year old Leviyim, "Neilas Hashearim", the peace of mind and experience to guide the younger Leviim in locking up and balancing their passionate expression of Divine Service.

We can now begin to understand the praise of Aaron: "That he did not deviate". The story is told that the first time Reb Baruch of Mezbizh observed Reb Levi Yitzchak's davening, he was critical of his wild and overtly passionate way of prayer. "If Aaron HaCohen would have allowed his
passion to go unbridled in such a way, while kindling the menorah, he would have spilled the oil and knocked over the menorah!" This, said Reb Baruch, is the meaning of the Rashi: "To praise Aaron that he did not deviate". Aaron HaCohen showed balance and control as he expressed his midah of Hod, while kindling the menorah, precluding any devastation from unrestrained devotion.

The Chasam Sofer teaches that this is the message and intent of the wicks facing the middle of the menorah. As the seven branches of the menorah represent the seven unique expressions of Divine Service of the Seven Shepherds (i.e. the seven lower sefiros) [see Likutei Torah Beha'aloscha], there is a need for all seven midos to have balance and harmony. Facing the middle represents the necessity of all the midos and passionate expressions of Divine Service to find balance and restraint. The middle wick, Malchus (kingship) has the power that ultimately unifies and balances all the diverse powers of the six sefiros. Thus, all the seven lights, not just the actual six wicks which are facing the middle, have balance and harmony.

This parallels well with another chiddush of the Chasam Sofer, that when Aaron HaCohen lit the menorah, the wicks miraculously turned toward the middle, without the need for any physical manipulation. According to our understanding, this is very appropriate. Just as Aaron did not personally deviate and was the embodiment of balance and control, so too, he affected the wicks of the menorah to turn toward the middle, demonstrating the need for balance and control.

The lesson we can all cull from the above is that in order for each and every one of us to enable our personal expression of Divine Service to shine and glow, we must allow halacha and Da'as Torah to give them constraint and balance. Even the most lofty and well-meaning inspiration, left unbridled and uncontrolled, can develop into error and sin, deviating from the will of the Almighty.