Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Chukas - Outrageous Mistakes

In parshas Chukas, not long before they are to enter Canaan, the people experience a lack of water, similar to the lack of water they experienced not long after they left Egypt. In both cases they quarrel with Moshe and demand that he do something about it. Forty years of experience has resulted in some improvement in that they are not putting Hashem on trial and are looking forward to entering the Holy Land, but they remain extremely shrill and offensive. Moshe performs a miracle when he draws water out of a rock. However he commits a sin because he angrily hit the rock, as in the earlier incident, when he should have talked to the rock this time. Because of this it is decreed by heaven that he will not enter the land of Israel. Later on Moshe defeats Sichon and Og and seizes their territory for the nation of Israel. Sichon and Og had seized the land from Ammon and Moav, who had in turn seized it from the Emim, who had originally settled the land.

These incidents hint at the story of Yiftach in the haftorah.  The story begins when Israel does evil in the eyes of Hashem by serving foreign gods. Because of this they are oppressed by the very foreigners they are emulating. When Israel cries out to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for help, He tells them that because they have forsaken him, He will not deliver them. With that the nation confesses that they have sinned and turns away from the foreign religions. Ammon then mobilizes an army against them and attacks.

Israel also mobilizes an army but the only one capable of leading it to victory is Yiftach, a man that they have driven away in hatred, due to no sin of his own. Only after they agree to make Yiftach their ruler, does he agree to fight the war. Before going out to battle Yiftach makes an oath that if he is victorious than he will bring as a burnt offering the first thing which comes out of the door of his house towards him upon his return.

Yiftach is victorious in battle, but things go seriously wrong when he returns home. His daughter comes out of the house to greet him which means that he must bring her as a burnt offering to fulfill his vow. The Tanakh says that Yiftach fulfilled his vow (Judges 11:39), but the Radak remarks that he fulfilled his vow by placing her in seclusion away from the affairs of man. In any case Rashi comments that Yiftach should have gone to the high priest to have his oath annulled or alternatively the high priest should have come to him and told him what to do. Unfortunately both considered it beneath their stature to make the approach and because of that both were punished.

The Gemara (Rosh Hashana 25) gives us some insights on how to deal with highly questionable decisions made by the nation’s leader. In it Rabban Gamliel declares the start of the month of Tishre seemingly too early, and it is not the first time he has made a questionable decision concerning fixing the calendar. Rabbi Yehoshua seriously considers observing Yom Kippur on what very well may have been the correct day. Before deciding he consults the other sages of his generation. They advise him to go along with Rabban Gamliel, saying that as leader of the Sanhedrin he can establish a day as rosh hodesh, even if it’s wrong. They bring various quotes from scripture and conclude, “Yiftach in his generation is like Shmuel in his generation meaning that even if the slightest of the slight is appointed as the leader of the community he is like the mightiest of the mighty.

Rabbi Yehoshua then violates the day he thought of as Yom Kippur by appearing before Rabban Gamliel carrying his staff and money as was demanded of him. Rabban Gamliel respectfully goes out to meet him calling Rabbi Yehoshua his teacher and student. He is his teacher because he taught him Torah publicly and he is his student because he accepted his decision. Rabban Gamliel later has a bumpy ride. He stumbles with the other sages and again with Rabbi Yehoshua. This causes Rabban Gamliel to be removed from his post as leader of the Sanhedrin, but he repents and even apologizes to Rabbi Yehoshua. As a result he is reinstalled to his rightful place as leader.

What we see is that even the greatest of men like Moshe Rabenu make mistakes. In addition there are times a lesser man becomes the leader and makes outrageous decisions. It comes out that their errors and mistakes should be exposed and opposed, never the less their honor and authority must be respected.



לע"נ הדוד לייב הערש בן אהרן ז"ל נלב"ע יז תמוז תש"ל.  
ניתן באתר  http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.il   וגם בדואר אלקטרוני



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