Chasidic Insights

CHASIDIC INSIGHTS PARSHAS MATOS-MASSEI 5762 BS"D

Ch. 30, v. 20: "Va'y'da'beir Moshe el roshei hamatos .. zeh hadovor" - "Zeh hadovor" is a higher level of prophecy than "ko omar." This higher level was only given over to the elevated of the nation, "roshei hamatos." (Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov of Sadigura in Beis Yisroel)

Ch. 30, v. 20: "Va'y'da'beir Moshe el roshei hamatos livnei Yisroel leimore zeh hadovor" - Moshe strove to speak to the heads of the tribes to affect them to the point that just as his own speaking was on the level of Hashem's voice emanating from his throat, so too, they should speak to the bnei Yisroel on this level. (The Holy Admor of Shinov in Divrei Yechezkel)

Ch. 31, v. 3: "Heicholtzu mei'itchem anoshim latzovo v'y'h'yu al Midyon" - One who goes out to war and relies on Hashem for his success will surely be the victor provided that he removes all personal gains in his endeavours from his mind, "heicholtzu mei'itchem." This elevates him above his adversary, "v'y'h'yu AL Midyon," and the one who is in the upper position will vanquish his opponent who is below him. (Kedushas Levi)

Ch. 31, v. 4: "L'chol matos Yisroel" - Rashi quotes the Sifri 35, that this includes the tribe of Levi. We find in the next verse that 12,000 soldiers were conscripted. If we include Levi, it should have been a total of 13,000 soldiers.

answer that in total there were 13,000 soldiers. Rashi in v. 5 on the word "vayimosru," they were given over, explains that they were conscripted against their will, knowing that Moshe would die shortly after the war with Midyon. We know that the tribe of Levi would not take Moshe's imminent death into consideration, but rather would pursue the command of Hashem, as it says in Dvorim 33:9, regarding the sin of the golden calf, "And his brothers he did not recognize, and his sons he did not know." Nothing stood in the way of their fulfilling Hashem's will. So we have a total of 13,000 soldiers, of whom only 12,000 were "vayimosru," conscripted against their will. (Rabbi Ovadioh of Bartenuroh and Imrei Emes)

I have difficulty with this answer, as the Medrash Shir Hashirim chapter 4:3 says, "Rabbi Chananioh ben Yitzchok says that 12,000 people WENT to war against Midyon."

PARSHAS MASSEI

Ch. 33, v. 17: "Va'yisu miKivros Hataavoh va'yachanu bachatzeiros" - If a person wants to distance himself from lust, then he must rest in courtyards, continuously remind himself that this world is but a vestibule before the grand ball-room. (Rabbi Yitzchok of Vorke)

Ch. 35, v. 7: "V'lo sisov nachaloh livnei Yisroel mima'teh el ma'teh" - If the Torah is against having a section of a tribal area belonging to someone of another tribe, how much more so is the Torah against having any part of Eretz Yisroel belonging to non-Jews. If we fulfill the precepts of the Torah all of Eretz Yisroel will be in the hands of the bnei Yisroel. (The Holy Admor of Radomsk in Tiferes Shlomo)

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