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שבת שלום - פרשת במדבר

Video Shiur

Click play to watch the video shiur by Rav Meir Goldvitch

News and Notes

This week the yeshiva said farewell to our madrich, Avishai Gebler, who returned to the United States. Avishai was with us during the first year of the yeshiva, and returned this year as a madrich after two years of study at Columbia University. We're very proud of all that Avishai accomplished, and everyone is appreciative of the superlative job he did this year. On Sunday evening, the shana bet bekiyut shiur completed Masechet Sotah. The occasion was celebrated with a siyum and a special dinner for the entire yeshiva. Mazal tov to the students who completed the masechet, and to Rav Moshe Lichtman, who taught the shiur. Earlier on Sunday, our shana alef student, Jacob Chatinover, made a siyum on Masechet Megillah in the Beit Midrash. We wish him mazal tov on his accomplishment, and anticipate hosting many more of his siyumim in the future.

Enlistment in G-d's Army
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki

The book of Bamidbar begins with a census of the Bnei Israel. After the twelve tribes - minus the tribe of Levi - have been counted the Torah states: "G-d spoke to Moshe saying: 'However, the tribe of Levi you shall not count and you shall not take their head count among the People of Israel." (Bamidbar 1:48-49) Rashi comments: "G-d foresaw that in the future there will be a decree on all who are counted from the age of twenty and up, that they must die in the desert. He said, 'Let these [the Levites] not be among them for they are Mine, that they did not stray at the golden calf.'" Rashi's comment is difficult. It is true that everyone who was twenty years of age and older would die during the forty years in the desert. However, the reason for this is clearly stated much later in chapter 24. Months after this census, when the People of Israel sinned by believing the negative report of the spies, G-d decreed that the entire generation of adults over the age of twenty would perish in the desert and would not inherit the land. Why does Rashi relate this punishment to the census in Numbers 1? What does the Levites exclusion from this decree have to do with the fact that they did not participate in the sin of the Golden Calf?

The sin of the spies one of fear. They were afraid to enter the land that G-d had promised. Here is their report. "... the nation is mighty, those who inhabit the land, and the cities are greatly fortified to the utmost, and we also saw the offspring of the giant over there. Amalek dwells in the southern part of the land, the Chiti, Yevusi, and Emori dwell in the mountain and the Canaani dwell by the sea and next to the Yarden."(Bamidbar 13:27-31) The spies lacked confidence in G-d's assistance and their own military ability to conquer the land. They were afraid. The punishment fit the crime. They were not willing to fight for the land. G-d did not let them have it.

The census is introduced with the following instruction to Moshe: "From twenty years and above all those eligible for the army of Israel, you shall count them according to their divisions, you and Aharon." (Bam. 1:3) Only men of fighting age were counted because the purpose of this census is to prepare for entry into the land. All men of fighting age were counted to determine the fighting force that would conquer the land. It is precisely this group - the fighting-age males - who were guilty of the sin of the spies. It is these people who, instead of courageously marching into battle to conquer the Promised Land, trembled with fear. It is these people who angered G-d and forfeited their opportunity to inherit the land of Israel. The Levites were not a part of the military force of Israel. Their job was to be the guardians of the Temple. For this reason there was no Levite representative among the spies.

This leads to another question. How do we know that, had the Levites been a part of the fighting force and sent a spy, they would not also have joined in despair and cowardice with the rest of Israel? Sure, they did not act afraid. They did not have to fight. It seems that through no merit of their own they were spared from the entire problem.

Rashi reminds us that the Levites did not stray and join in the sin of the Golden Calf. In Rashi's quote G-d says of the Levites "for they are Mine." G-d refers to the Levites as "His" because they did not participate in the sin of the Golden Calf. What does this mean? After Moshe descended Mount Sinai, saw the Golden Calf, and broke the tablets, he set to work rectifying the situation. Moshe's first task was to see who was still loyal to G-d and who was not. "Moshe stood at the gateway to the camp and said, 'Whoever is for G-d, join me!' - and all the Levites gathered around him." (Shmot. 32:26) Moshe proceeded to command the Levites to "pass through from gate to gate in the camp" and kill all those who are found guilty of participation in the sinful behavior. "The sons of Levi did as Moshe said. On that day those that fell from among the people numbered approximately three thousand men. Moshe said, [to the Levites] 'Consecrate yourselves today to G-d, for each man has killed [even] his sons and brothers, that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.'" (Shmot 32:28-29) The Levites showed their willingness to engage in combat - even against those closest to them - on behalf of G-d. In the sin of the spies, the other tribes showed an unwillingness to go to war - even against evil nations - to conquer the land that G-d promised them. The Levites do not have to stand and be counted among the fighting men of Israel. By answering Moshe's call "Whoever is for G-d, join me!", they have already done this. Rashi is telling us that since the Levites did not stray at the Golden Calf - "They are Mine" - they will not be a part of the despair and cowardice of the people at the sin of the spies. They will not share in their fate.

The Torah is teaching us that to stand and be counted among the people of Israel is to be willing to fight for G-d and the Land of Israel. Like the ten cowardly spies, Calev saw the peoples of Canaan. He did not deny the fierceness of the enemy. He, too, understood that the conquest of the land is dangerous. Where he differed was in his response to this reality. To Calev - as it must be for us - it was clear that despite the dangers, G-d's Will is worth fighting for. Those who are willing to fight G-d's fight will inherit the land. Those who lack faith and cower at the sight of a mighty human enemy are doomed to die in the desert. They never make it to the promised land. King Shlomo wrote that there is a time for war and a time for peace. At present, the People of Israel are at war. May we have the courage to stand and be counted.