~ Thoughts on The Parsha ~
Parshas Beha'aloscha
Everyone Needs Encouragement
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' פִּתְאֹם אֶל משֶׁה
וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל מִרְיָם צְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶם אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיֵּצְאוּ
שְׁלָשְׁתָּם: וַיֵּרֶד ה'
בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם
וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם
“Hashem said suddenly to
Moshe, to Aharon, and to Miriam, ' You three, go out to the Tent of Meeting.'
And the three of them went out. Hashem descended in a pillar of cloud and stood
at the entrance to the Tent, and He called, 'Aharon and Miriam'; and the two of
them went out.”
-Beha'aloscha 12:4-5
After
giving us the Torah at Har Sinai, Hashem was ready to take us straight
into Eretz Yisroel.[1]
However, if there was ever a time to use the expression “so close but yet so
far”, it was then. Despite the fact that B'nei Yisroel seemed to have
everything living with the shechina in their midst, the Torah relates a
series of disturbing events which begin in this week's parsha.
In
a seemingly unrelated event, the Torah's cameras turn to Moshe, Aharon, and
Miriam. During the time that the zekainim (elders) received nevuah (prophecy),
Moshe's wife, Tziporrah, commented to Miriam that life of the wives of those
who got nevuah will become more difficult because they would be forced
to separate from their husbands, as her experience was with Moshe rabbeinu.[2]
Miriam was unaware that Moshe had separated from Tziporrah and she went and
mentioned it to Aharon.[3]
Hashem then appeared to Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam and told the three of them to
go to the Ohel Moed. Hashem then told Aharon and Miriam to leave as he
spoke to them privately about the greatness of Moshe.
Rashi[4]
writes that the reason Hashem separated Miriam and Aharon from Moshe before
telling them the greatness of Moshe was because it is derech eretz (ethical)
to only say part of a person's praise in his presence. If one wants to say all
of a person's praises, he should do so when not in front of him.[5]
The
question on this story and Rashi is why did Hashem have to say any
praise in front of Moshe at all? Hashem was coming to reprimand Miriam and
Aharon for saying lashon harah (evil talk) about their brother. Why did
Moshe have to be involved? Hashem should have just explained the extent of
Moshe's greatness to Miriam and Aharon alone without Moshe present.
The
S'forno[6]
writes one line which answers our question. He suggests that the reason that
before sending Aharon and Miriam out to speak to them privately, Hashem first
called Moshe in with them to the Ohel Moed, was because Hashem wanted to
show Moshe that He was makpid on (stringent; deeply concerned for)
Moshe's kavod (honor).
This
S'forno leads us to a much greater difficulty. Why would Moshe rabbeinu
need Hashem's assurance that He was there for him during this hard time?
First of all, we are talking about Moshe – someone who followed the word of
Hashem exactly. Nothing that He did was without calculation of what Hashem
wanted of him and therefore there was no way that anyone saying anything to him
would make him feel uncomfortable with his actions. Furthermore, we are dealing
with Miriam and Aharon here who were obviously not saying anything purposely
against Moshe, their brother, in a negative way. So, let us re-ask our
question: Why did Hashem first take Moshe into the Ohel Moed with Miriam
and Aharon to hear part of his praise? Why was this necessary at all?
Perhaps
the S'forno is coming to teach us the following very important lesson.
Everyone needs encouragement. No matter how great or accomplished someone might
be, every individual gets enjoyment from being acknowledged and feeling
appreciated. Also, even at times when we may be “on a roll” and feel
unstoppable, often times all it takes is a few “crushing words” to make our
positive adrenaline come to a screeching halt. No matter how accomplished and
independent an individual may be, everyone is hurt by insults and everyone gets
distressed by crushing words; and no matter how great a person may be, everyone
feels good when one hears encouraging words. Even Moshe rabbeinu who was
hand-picked by Hashem to lead the B'nei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim
and be the primary one to receive the Torah, was still a person and benefited
from a reminder that everything he was doing was good in the eyes of Hashem.
May
Hashem help us realize the power of our speech and how despite the fact that it
is a mere light wind blowing out of our mouths in different forms, it has the
capacity to be quite destructive by saying crushing words to people, or very
constructive, as by when one offers words of encouragement.
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