‘Parsha Growth Spurts’
Rabbi Dani Staum
Parshas Shelach
“Calev silenced the people towards Moshe” (Bamidbar 13:30)
When the spies delivered their slanderous report, Calev unabashedly challenged them “because a different spirit was with him” (14:24). In that merit he was rewarded with the city of Chevron.
Truthfully however, it would seem that his efforts were not so noteworthy because ultimately he didn’t accomplish anything. The nation did not heed his words, and continued to believe the slanderous report of the other spies.
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt’l notes that from the fact that he was rewarded anyway symbolizes that in the World of Truth one is rewarded for his efforts, not for his accomplishments.
Rav Moshe then adds that in actuality Calev did accomplish something. For the few moments after he delivered his rousing speech, the nation was indeed swayed by his words. Tragically, the spies immediately resumed their slander quelling any feelings of repentance Calev had stirred.
Just as the halacha is that one must be mechallel Shabbos to save someone’s life even if he will only live for a few more minutes, so too one must do all in his power to influence others to repent and come closer to Hashem, if even for just a few moments. Those few moments are spiritual growth or abstention from sin are priceless and worth all the effort entailed.
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“Forgive now the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your kindness…” (Bamidbar 14:19)
One year on Rosh Hashanah evening Rav Dovid Tcharkover called out, “Ribbono Shel Olam! We state in our davening “We are full of sins and You are filled with compassion”. While it is true that we are full of sins, there is a limit to how many sins we – finite beings – can commit. But You who are infinite, if You are full of passion there is no limit to how much compassion and favor You grant us!
Therefore, we beseech You on this awesome day of judgment, “Pardon and Forgive according to the greatness of Your Kindness” which is so much greater than the accruement of our sins.
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“They shall make for themselves tzitis on the corners of their garments” (Bamidbar 15:38)
Rashi in Parshas Beshalach (Shemos 14:5) states that the Jewish people sang Shiras HaYam on the seventh morning after the exodus. Therefore, the laining for the seventh day of Pesach includes the ‘Shiras HaYam’.
In Parshas Shelach however, when discussing the symbolism of tzitzis, Rashi states that the eight strings of tzitzis correspond to the eight days from the exodus until they sang Shiras HaYam.
According to Rashi, did they sing on the seventh day or the eighth?
Rav Moshe Wolfson shlita explained that after the sea split, the Jewish people were in awe of Hashem, and burst into song in grateful appreciation for His loving and miraculous salvation.
It is much more difficult to invoke such feelings of passion and excitement over the hidden miracles we are merely intellectually aware of. Therefore, when we exert effort to appreciate the great G-dly wonders of every moment, such as if we recite Shiras HaYam joyously on a regular day, it is far greater than the naturally inspired song the Jewish people sang after the splitting of the sea. Believing in G-dliness is far greater than beholding G-dliness.
Therefore, Hashem derives tremendous pleasure from the Shira we sing daily, as it were. In this sense, it is far greater than the Shira sung by the Jewish people after the actual splitting of the sea.
This is why they began the shirah with the words ‘Az Yashir – then they will sing’, i.e. in the future. The song the Jewish people sang at the Yam Suf is completely nullified when compared to the greatness of the Shira we recite daily.
This explains the contradiction in Rashi. The Jewish people indeed sang Shira on the seventh morning after witnessing the tremendous miracles Hashem performed for them. It is this Shira that Rashi refers to in Parshas Beshalach. But Rashi in Parshas Shelach refers to the Shira sung on the eighth day – which was the first time that they recited Shiras HaYam on an ordinary day.
The mitzvah of tzitzis reminds us of G-d’s daily involvement in the mundane affairs of our lives. Therefore, the tzitzis symbolize the first time they repeated the Song of the Sea, as part of the daily liturgy of their prayers.
Our role is to find greatness and spiritual growth in the mundane.
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Sources: Rav Moshe – Darash Moshe; Rav Tcharkaver – quoted in V’karasa L’Shabbos Oneg; Rav Wolfson – Derasha, Acharon shel Pesach 5772