These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly portion: #1384 Can You Be Mechalel Shabbos To Send A Kevital To A Rebbe? Good Shabbos!

Towards the end of the parsha, the pasuk says that Miriam and Aharon spoke about the Kushite woman that Moshe married. They were upset about the way Moshe conducted himself with his wife: “Was it only with Moshe that Hashem spoke? He also spoke with us!” (In other words, why is Moshe Rabbeinu any different? We have normal husband-wife relationships with our spouses, yet Moshe has nothing to do with his wife.) Then the pasuk says “And the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth!” (Bamidbar 12:3).

Finally, the Torah continues the narration: “Hashem spoke suddenly to Moshe and Aharon and Miriam…” (ibid. 12:4) The Ribono shel Olam chastises Aharon and Miriam, telling them that Moshe Rabbeinu is not just another navi (prophet). He has a special relationship with the Ribono shel Olam. “I speak to him “peh el peh” (mouth to mouth – directly). Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu needs to be judged by a different standard. It is not possible to say, “Well, we are also nevi’im (prophets). We also have husbands and wives.” No. Moshe Rabbeinu is different.

The pasuk “And the man Moshe was exceedingly humble…” seems somewhat incongruous. Why does the Torah need to state that here? This praise could have been mentioned later, when the Torah mentions all of Moshe’s unique qualities, such as “peh el peh adaber bo” (mouth to mouth I speak with him), “umareh vlo bchidos” (in a vision, not in riddles), and so forth. Why does the Torah, somewhat incongruously, stick in this pasuk at the very beginning of the parsha when Aharon and Miriam talk about Moshe?

The Netziv writes a very important idea in his Ha’amek Davar commentary: Don’t think the reason the Torah writes this over here is because Moshe was somehow depressed or upset that his brother and sister were talking about him like that. This has nothing to do with any pain of Moshe Rabbeinu. Rather, Moshe was not at all perturbed by those comments because he was the most humble person in the world. He simply didn’t care about his kavod. The Torah writes this because it is important to inform us of Moshe’s unique stature as a navi.

The Netziv emphasizes that Moshe’s unconcern for kavod was not because he did not recognize his great stature. Moshe was fully aware of who he was, but due to his anivus, he was not at all concerned about receiving honor for it.

The Netziv conveys this very important idea. I can assure everyone that Rav Chaim Kanievsky did not think of himself as an am haaretz (ignoramus). He knew very well that he knew the entire Torah and that he finished learning and reviewing the entire Torah on an annual basis. And yet, despite knowing full well who he was, he remained an anav, someone uninterested in kavod.

This is what the pasuk is saying: Don’t think that this bothered Moshe Rabbeinu in the least. It didn’t, because he was the most modest of men. And it was not because he did not recognize his unique status. He knew that he was Moshe Rabbeinu.

The Netziv references the famous Gemara at the end of Maseches Sotah. The Gemara says that when Rabbeinu Hakadosh died “batla anavah” (modesty ceased to exist). The Gemara states that Rav Yosef argued with that statement: “Don’t say that after Rebbi died there were no more modest people, for there is always me!”

Normally, such a statement that “I am an anav” would seem to contradict itself. The Netziv explains that the definition of an anav is someone who recognizes that it is not “Kochi v’otzem yadi assa li es hachayil hazeh” (my strength and the power of my hand made me all this great valor). An anav is a person who is not makpid on his kavod.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky knew that he mastered the entire Torah. The Chofetz Chaim knew who he was and the Vilna Gaon knew who he was. Moshe Rabbeinu knew who he was and Rav Yosef knew who he was. Nevertheless, they could all state “I am an anav.”

The Netziv mentions a famous Gemara at the end of Maseches Horiyos. The Talmud there discusses who it is better to appoint as a Rosh Yeshiva: A “Sinai” (someone with exhaustive knowledge of the Torah) or an “oker horim” (literally “someone who uproots mountains,” meaning an individual with sharp, brilliant analytical skills).

The Gemara there states that Rav Yosef should really have been appointed as the Rosh Yeshiva because he was a “Sinai.” However, for whatever reason, they made his competitor – so to speak – Rabbah into the Rosh Yeshiva. In those days, there were certain privileges that came with the position of a Rosh Yeshiva. One of the perks of the job was that the local blood letter would come to the Rosh Yeshiva’s house (rather than expecting the Rosh Yeshiva to come to his office to procure his services).

(I remember that – at least in his later years – the Ner Yisrael Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yaakov Ruderman, zt”l, did not go to the barber. The barber came to his house.)

Rabbah was the Rosh Yeshiva, so the blood-letter came to his house. Rav Yosef could have very well said “I was really supposed to be the Rosh Yeshiva and I voluntarily gave it up in favor of Rabbah, but at least I should receive this ‘perk’ that I don’t need to go to the blood-letter. He should come to me!

However, the Gemara says that for all the years that Rabbah was the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yosef never called the blood-letter to come to his home. This was true anivus. In other words, anivus is about the way a person acts, not the way he thinks. A person can recognize his own greatness and that self-awareness need not indicate any shortcoming in anivus. However, someone who acts in a non-humble fashion is a baal gayvah.

On a related topic, going back to the beginning of the parsha, Rashi makes one of his most famous comments in all of Chumash: When the Torah gives the mitzva of lighting the candles to Aharon, the Torah says “Aaron did so; toward the face of the Menora he kindled its lamps, as Hashem had commanded Moshe.” (Bamidbar 8:3). Rashi tersely comments (based on the Sifrei): “This indicates the praise of Aharon, namely that he did not deviate.”

Everyone asks: If the Ribono shel Olam says that there is a certain way to light the Menora, of course Aharon lit it that way rather than make up his own procedure for lighting it! What is this praise “she’lo sheenah“?

The Sefas Emes famously interprets that Aharon Hakohen lit the Menora for forty years, every single day, thousands of times, exactly the same way he did it the first time, with the same excitement and the same enthusiasm.

I always cite the example of a bar mitzva bachur putting on his Tefillin in the morning. He does it so slowly and so methodically and so carefully. When we put on our Tefillin in the morning, we do it by rote. Aharon was not like that. He did it each morning for forty years with the same “bren” and “hislahavus.” This is the classic approach of the Sefas Emes (Siman 635).

The Sefas Emes shares another insight (Siman 634) that is also worth noting. “Melamed she’lo sheenah” does not mean that Aharon did not light the Menora any differently as time went on. Melamed she’lo sheenah means that Aharon himself did not change. He was still the same humble Aharon Hakohen. Despite the great honor of being chosen as the Kohen Gadol, lighting the Menora daily, and being the source of all wisdom in the world, he remained as humble as ever.

Most people who are in such a position, change. However, the praise here is that Aharon never changed. He was the same humble Aharon from start to finish. He was the same ohev Yisrael (lover of Israel). He was the same ohev shalom (lover of peace) and rodef shalom (pursuer of peace). He never let this great honor go to his head.

How often do we see people appointed to positions of power or authority who then become different people? Money does that to many people. So does prestige. Aharon realized that he was given a gift from Hashem, but he did not attribute it to “Kochi v’otzem yadi assa li es hachayil hazeh” (Devorim 8:17).

Transcribed by David Twersky; Jerusalem [email protected]

Edited by Dovid Hoffman; Baltimore, MD [email protected]

This week’s write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly Torah portion. A listing of the halachic portions for Parshas Beha’aloscha is provided below:

• 015 Reinstituting the S’micha
• 060 Waiting Between Meat and Milk: Adults and Children
• 104 The Seven-Branched Menorah
• 149 Bringing the Sefer Torah to a Temporary Minyan
• 196 Vegetarianism
• 242 Military Service and Potential Halachic Problems
• 286 When Do We Stand in Honor Of a Sefer Torah?
• 332 Tefilas Tashlumin: Making Up a Missed Davening
• 376 Davening For A Choleh
• 420 Fish and Meat
• 464 Honoring Levi’im
• 508 The City of Yericho
• 552 Kavod Sefer Torah Vs Kavod Talmid Chochom
• 596 Sitting on Top of Seforim
• 640 Lox and Cream Cheese
• 684 Kissing A Sister
• 728 Lechem Mishna Revisited
• 772 Simchas Shabbos – Is There Such a Thing?
• 816 Niduy – Excommunication
• 860 Standing For A Sefer Torah On Simchas Torah
• 904 Women and Birchas HaGomel
• 948 The Ba’al Shacharis Who Forgot Maariv
• 991 The Shabbos Bar Mitzva in the Good ‘Ole Summertime
• 1035 Davening that the Suffering Patient Should Die – Permitted or Not?
• 1079 Does A Grandfather Have To Pay For His Grandson’s Tuition?
• 1122 Meat and Fish – Must You Have A Separate Fish Pot?
• 1164 Davening For A Choleh: Must You Mention Father’s or Mother’s Name?
• 1252 The Dilemma of the Baalas T’shuva at her Non-Frum Brother’s Wedding
• 1296 Should You Daven for the Same Choleh Over and Over Again?
• 1340 Bringing a Sefer Torah to the House of an Avail or Temporary Minyan
• 1384 Can You Be Mechallel Shabbos To Send A Kevital To A Rebbe?
• 1428 Health Care Professionals – Treating and Touching People of Opposite Gender: Problem?
• 1472 Davening for a Choleh: Should You Use the Person’s Father’s Name or Mother’s Name?
• 1516 Pets on Shabbos – Are they Muktzeh?
• 1558 MeShebairach for a Sick Person on Shabbos -Not As Simple As You May Think
• 1600 Only One Kohen For Nesias Kapaiyim- Should He – Must He – Can He

A complete catalogue can be ordered from the Yad Yechiel Institute, PO Box 511, Owings Mills MD 21117-0511. Call (410) 358-0416 or e-mail [email protected] or visit http://www.yadyechiel.org/ for further information.