We all do mitzvos, but the wise-hearted earn them. In
reference to Moshe Rabbenu the Midrash Rabba cites the
posuk (Mishlei 10:8), "The wise-hearted [person]
acquires mitzvos" (Parshas Beshalach 20:19).
When all of Klal Yisroel were occupied with gathering
the silver and gold of Egypt, the Midrash describes how Moshe
was busy retrieving the bones of Yosef, "And Moshe took the
bones of Yosef with him, for [Yosef] had obligated bnei
Yisroel to an oath, saying, `Hashem will surely remember
you, and you will take my bones up from here along with you'"
(Shemos 13:19).
Even though Hashem had commanded Klal Yisroel to
gather all the wealth of Egypt, nevertheless when the time
came to do it, Moshe chose to tend to the bones of Yosef
instead. All the riches of Egypt were there for the taking.
Each and every Jew left Egypt with great treasures and
enormous wealth. Moshe however, chose another mitzvah, and
with his choice he gained a far greater reward than money
could ever buy.
The Yalkut Shimoni explains that Moshe was rewarded
for this choice middoh kenegged middoh. Hakodosh
Boruch Hu said to Moshe, "If this chesed you did
is a small thing in your eyes, it is great in My eyes; that
you did not pay attention to silver and gold! I too will
descend in My glory, and I Myself will act kindly with you
when you pass from the world!" (Parshas Vezos
Habrochoh 965).
And so it was, as the posuk says, "And [Hashem] buried
him in the cleft, in the land of Moav opposite Bet-Peor, and
no one knows his burial place to this day"(Devorim
34:6). The Creator Himself attended to the burial of His
loyal servant Moshe. This great reward was a result of Moshe
Rabbenu's tireless efforts to fulfill the mitzvah of bringing
Yosef's bones out of Egypt.
The Yalkut explains to us exactly what Moshe Rabbenu
went through to acquire this mitzvah:
At the time when bnei Yisroel were occupied with the
spoils, [Moshe] was circling the city for three days and
three nights to find Yosef's casket. And he did not find it.
Completely exhausted, he met Serach bas Osher.
She said to him, "Rabbeinu Moshe, why are you so weary?"
He said to her, "For three days and three nights I have
combed the city in search of the casket of Yosef, and I have
not found it."
She said, "Come with me," and she led him to the Nile
River.
She said to him, "In this place, a casket of lead was made
for him weighing five hundred kikarim. He was placed
into it and it was sealed and thrown into the river, for the
magicians had said to Pharaoh, `If it is your will that this
nation [that is, the Jews] shall not move from under your
hand, make sure that the bones of Yosef cannot be found. [For
if not] they can never go out from here, for so they have
sworn.'"
Immediately Moshe stood by the river and said, "Yosef! Yosef!
You know how you made Klal Yisroel swear . . .[that
when Hashem will remember to redeem you, then you will take
my bones up out of Egypt]. Give honor to the G-d of
Yisroel and do not prevent the redemption of bnei
Yisroel! You have [good] deeds; plead for mercy before
your Creator and rise from the depths."
At once, the casket began to quiver and ascended from the
depths like a reed. [Moshe] placed him on his shoulders and
bore him, and all of Yisroel followed bearing their
silver and gold.
Moshe Rabbenu was wise in his choice, and he was kind in his
act. Wise — because he picked the right mitzvah at the
right time. And kind — because he did more than just
rescue Yosef's bones: he saved Klal Yisroel.
Moshe Rabbenu searched every corner of the city for three
days and three nights. His wise heart sustained his
motivation and did not let his determination slack off even
when he reached the point of exhaustion. There was a much
easier mitzvah at hand: claiming the silver and gold of
Egypt, which was a fulfillment of Hakodosh Boruch Hu's
promise to Avrohom Ovinu that along with their redemption
from slavery in Egypt, Klal Yisroel would come out
with great wealth.
Nonetheless, Moshe Rabbenu's wise heart gave him the timely,
proper understanding that rescuing Yosef's bones was his
mitzvah. For Moshe, the exhausting effort of a three-day
search was not too high a price to pay.
Moshe Rabbenu had many serious choices to make. On the one
hand, the imminent redemption was still contingent on Yosef's
bones coming out of Egypt. The binding oath, sworn to Yosef
hundreds of years before, still awaited fulfillment. On the
other hand, a one-time mitzvah with an opportunity to get
rich presented itself. The choice: silver and gold versus
bones. At first glance, who would think twice?
However, a wise person has the ability to make decisions
beyond what the eyes see and the heart desires. Because
wealth did not tempt Moshe, he was able to choose the correct
mitzvah. Interestingly enough, though his decision was
correct, his mitzvah did not come easily.
Nonetheless, he did not become discouraged or desist from
pursuing the mitzvah even after three days and nights of
constant searching, most likely without rest or sleep. After
all this, Moshe did not give up! The wise counsel of his
heart sustained him.
A mitzvah that is hard to accomplish is well worth the
trouble. As we are taught in Ovos deRebbe Nosson
(3:6), "It is better for a person one thing [accomplished]
with difficulty than a hundred [done] easily."
Moshe Rabbenu was not going to give up because of distress,
personal discomfort, or doubts. He knew the value of what he
was doing, and therefore, nothing would stop him.
When Shlomo Hamelech wrote in Mishlei, "The wise-
hearted [person] acquires mitzvos," he was teaching us that
the mitzvos we do should become part of us, so much so that
they have a lasting influence. The reward for mitzvos is
boundless and everlasting. Whatever the difficulty, they
demand our absolute commitment, our utmost desire, and our
maximum effort. Knowing this, we can perform our mitzvos
properly and completely.
A mitzvah must be much more than a mere physical act. The
awesome significance and splendid reward of mitzvos warrant
any hardships that are involved in their accomplishment. A
wise-hearted person knows this and acts accordingly.
His mitzvos are not dry, mechanical acts. They are his life.
The difficulties we undergo to perform a mitzvah properly are
what earn us the right to keep it forever. Persistence in the
face of hardship is proof that we recognize the mitzvah's
value.
*
The mishna (Ovos 5:4) lists the ten times that Klal
Yisroel tested Hashem during their travels in the desert.
They faltered just ten times in those forty years, but each
time there were serious consequences. Nonetheless, Hashem had
an important reason for placing Klal Yisroel in
difficult situations where they might fail.
Egypt is not that far from Eretz Yisroel. In a few
weeks, perhaps even less, Klal Yisroel could have
entered the land that Hashem had promised them. Instead, they
spent forty years traveling through the desert from one
encampment to the next, all as commanded by Hashem. A whole
generation passed before Klal Yisroel could come into
Eretz Yisroel, and then there were wars to fight before they
could settle the land. That was a difficult mitzvah.
At the end of his life and leadership of Klal Yisroel,
Moshe Rabbenu made a special point of explaining why Hashem
had presented Klal Yisroel with difficult situations.
He said to Klal Yisroel, "And you shall remember the
entire road on which Hashem, your G-d, led you these forty
years in the wilderness so as to afflict you, to test you, to
know what is in your heart, whether you would observe His
commandments or not" (Devorim 8:2).
Moshe continues to explain that Hashem "afflicted you and
starved you; and then He fed you the mon that you did
not know, nor did your forefathers know, in order that you
should know that not by bread alone does man live; rather it
is by everything that emanates from the mouth of Hashem that
man does live."
If Klal Yisroel had gone straight into Eretz
Yisroel without trials or tribulations, they would have
missed these important lessons. Therefore, the tests started
right away, even before they left Egypt, "And Pharaoh drew
close, and the Bnei Yisroel raised their eyes and
behold! Egypt was traveling after them, and they were very
fearful, and Bnei Yisroel cried out to Hashem"
(Shemos 14:10). The Egyptian army pursued Klal
Yisroel when they were defenseless and could not escape.
The people were terrified and turned to Hashem.
Rav Berechiya teaches us that this fear brought Klal
Yisroel to a high level of teshuvoh; "Pharaoh's
advance on Klal Yisroel was better for them than one
hundred fasts and prayers" (Midrash Rabba, Parshas
Beshalach 21:5). He explains, "Since they saw [the
Egyptians] chasing after them, they became terrified, and
they lifted their eyes to Heaven and repented and they
prayed."
Terror of being overtaken by the enemy made us cry out for
our lives, as the posuk describes and the Midrash
elaborates: "And Bnei Yisroel cried out to Hashem,
and Klal Yisroel said to Moshe, `What have you done to
us? Now they are pursuing us and will do to us all that we
did to them — that we killed their firstborn and took
their riches and ran away.' "
The Midrash continues with Rav Yirmiyohu ben Elazar's
description of what Klal Yisroel faced at that time:
"When bnei Yisroel saw that they were surrounded from
three directions — trapped by the sea, and pursued by
the enemy and [faced] by the beasts from the wilderness
— they lifted their eyes to their Father in Heaven and
cried out to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, as it is written,
`And Bnei Yisroel cried out to Hashem.' Why did
Hakodosh Boruch Hu do this to them? Only because
Hakodosh Boruch Hu desired their prayers." The terror
had a purpose and was part of a plan. It brought forth
prayer, repentance, and, above all, a much closer bond with
Hashem.
*
Only three days later, Klal Yisroel thirsted for water
in the wilderness. Soon after that, there was no food. If
they had been led directly into Eretz Yisroel, all
this would have been avoided. The Yalkut Shimoni asks:
Why didn't Hakodosh Boruch Hu bring [Klal
Yisroel] directly [into Eretz Yisroel]? And it
brings Hakodosh Boruch Hu's own answer: "If I bring
them in now, directly, they will be staking out claims in
their fields and vineyards and will forsake the Torah.
Instead, I will divert them for forty years in the desert so
that they will eat the mon and drink water from the
well, and the Torah will be absorbed into their bodies." From
here Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that, "the explanation of
the Torah is given only to those who eat mon" (Yalkut
Shimoni, Parshas Beshalach 226).
In the wilderness, a whole generation grew up and lived
knowing only of Hashem and His Torah. Their nourishment, the
mon, fell directly from Heaven. However, it was not
entirely free. There were conditions, and it was not always
easy.
The gemora relates that the talmidim of Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai once asked him, "What was the reason that
the mon did not fall for Klal Yisroel once a
year?" (Yoma 76a). Each day, except for Shabbos, the
mon had to be gathered. Seemingly, it would have been
easier if the mon had fallen once a year and supplied
them for a whole year at a time. When Hashem bestows
kindness, usually it is granted in the best, most complete
way possible. Since Hashem was supplying all their needs, why
wasn't it done in a way that involved the least
difficulty?
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai answered his students by means of an
analogy:
"To what can this be compared? To a king of flesh and blood
who had one son. [Since] he supplied him with his needs once
a year, the son did not visit his father except for once a
year. [The father] stopped and supplied his [son's] needs
every day, and so [the son] came to see his father every day.
So it was with Klal Yisroel. Someone who had four or
five sons would be worried and say that perhaps the
mon would not fall the next day, and they would all
die from starvation. The result was that all of them directed
their hearts to their Father in Heaven."
The day-to-day concern over when and how their food would
come gave life to the prayers of Klal Yisroel. A
yearly distribution would not have brought about the
priceless bond achieved through prayer to Hakodosh Boruch
Hu. Suffering these distressful thoughts forged a
relationship with Hashem, and this is why, "the explanation
of the Torah is only given to those who eat mon."
Eating mon forced Klal Yisroel to live with
bitochon . This daily act of bitochon prepared
their hearts to receive Hashem's holy Torah properly.
At that time, the Torah became such an integral part of
Klal Yisroel that it remains a vital part of our lives
even today; it is a bond that will last forever.
Only after the Torah penetrated our bones were we prepared to
enter Eretz Yisroel. All the difficulties we
experienced were a prerequisite.
*
The gemora (Yevomos 64a) explains that originally the
Ovos, Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, were not able to
have children. This was because Hakodosh Boruch Hu
desires the prayers of the tzaddikim.
Difficult situations bring out the best in a person. Pain and
anguish are intended to bring a person to prayer, to beseech
his Creator for help. Then the salvation can come. If a
person is unprepared, difficult situations can break him.
However, if we remember that our lives are linked to Hashem;
that He is our hope and that He can save us, this knowledge
will enlighten our lives and we will not become discouraged.
Faith and trust in Hashem gives us simchah and
happiness, which transforms our attitude — even our
physical bodies.
Dovid Hamelech, whose life was filled with great turmoil,
writes, " . . . And my soul shall exalt in Hashem, joyous in
His salvation. All my bones will exclaim, `Hashem! Who can
compare to You . . .!' " (Tehillim 35:9-10). We can
easily understand that flesh can praise its Creator, as the
posuk states later on, "My heart and my flesh joyously
proclaim to the Living G-d." (Tehillim 84:3). How are
we to understand that bones also praise Hashem?
We mistakenly think that bones are like stone — hard
and insensitive — but it is not true. The gemora
(Gittin 56b) relates that during the siege of
Yerushalayim, before the destruction of the Second Beis
Hamikdosh, Rabban Yochonon ben Zakai was smuggled out of
the city to meet with the Roman commander. In the midst of
their discussion, a courier brought news from Rome that the
Senate had chosen the general to be emperor.
While listening to the proclamation, the Roman was putting on
his boots. When the second boot did not fit on his foot, he
asked Rabban Yochonon ben Zakai for an explanation. In
response, our sage quoted the posuk, "Good news
fattens the bones" (Mishlei 15:30). The Roman
commander was elated by his election as emperor. The joy
seeped into his bones, and they swelled. Even the bones of a
Roman general planning the pillage, massacre, and destruction
of Yerushalayim were influenced by his euphoria!
Joy settles deeply into the body. It seeps into the bones.
There is no greater joy for Klal Yisroel in the world
than Torah, and it definitely sinks into our bones. In fact,
Torah does much more.
Rav Chaim of Volozhin writes, "When a person is engaged in
Torah lishmoh, being vigilant and fulfilling all that
is written in it, it purifies his physical body from head to
foot" (Nefesh HaChaim 1:21). Torah has the potential
to transform our being completely. This is directly related
to the joy that comes from learning Torah.
We read in Mishlei that, "The mood of a person will
sustain [him in] his illness, [but] who can endure a broken
spirit?" (Mishlei 18:14). The Vilna Gaon is quoted to
have commented on this, "Through simchah, the illness
will disappear." Simchah has the power to transform
the very essence of a person.
Klal Yisroel needed to absorb the Torah completely
— and the happiness it brought — over a span of
no less than forty years before they were ready to enter
Eretz Yisroel. All this was so Torah would saturate
the physical body to the extent that the simchah of
learning would never leave our people. This simchah,
the joy of learning Torah, is true and enduring happiness. No
other joy in the world can approach the joy of Torah. No
other pleasure exists both in this world and the next.
Chazal teach us (Tanna Devei Eliyohu Rabba 18:21) that
Hashem Himself testifies to this. Hashem said to Klal
Yisroel, "My children, what [true] joy does a person have
except for words of Torah? Do all those who rejoice in silver
and gold, jewels and pearls, enjoy them after death? After
your rejoicing [in this world], death surely [awaits you]. If
so, what benefit is there in all your rejoicing? However,
you, My children, come and celebrate total happiness together
with My Torah, just as I will rejoice in you forever and for
all eternity. For it says (Yeshayohu 65:18), `Just
rejoice and be happy forever in what I am creating, for
behold! I am renewing Yerushalayim for gladness, and its
people for joy.' "
This posuk in Yeshayohu is telling us that
Hashem is continually creating the final perfection that will
be actualized in the future. It is an ongoing process.
The commentary Dover Shalom to the Otzar
HaTefillos explains this concept based on the blessing we
say in the Shemoneh Esrei for the rebuilding of
Yerushalayim. The blessing is in both the present and future
tenses, on which the Dover Shalom comments: "The walls
of fire that Hakodosh Boruch Hu will, in the future,
bring down with the Beis Hamikdosh in Yerushalayim are
made from the flaming sparks of awe ignited by those who
serve Him when they learn Torah and pray to Him. All these
fuse, so to speak, and from them, the wall of fire is built.
If so, Yerushalayim is being built each and every moment
through the fusion of these flaming sparks of devotion."
Our Torah and our prayers, with the maximum effort we put
into them, are the essential ingredients for the world's long-
awaited perfection.
Despite the exhausting effort required and the personal
distress involved, Moshe determinedly searched for the bones
of Yosef, knowing that the redemption from Egyptian bondage
could not proceed without them.
In the end, he succeeded. And the fulfillment of Hashem's
promise to Avrohom Ovinu rested safely on his shoulders,
while Klal Yisroel fulfilled their part and carried
out the riches of Egypt. They were on their way to receive
the Torah at Sinai, and the bones of Yosef were on their way
home.
This article, based on the series Nesivos Chaim: The
Torah Way of Life — HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg on
Chumash, has been adapted for publication in Yated
Ne'eman. Volumes Bereishis and Shemos have
been published so far by Jerusalem Publications and are
distributed by Feldheim Publishers.
