Where Did Yehoshua Go? - Mishpatim 5771

Rashi explains the Posuk 24:13 (וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ מְשָׁרְתוֹ; וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה, אֶל-הַר הָאֱלֹקִים). Rashi says (ויקם משה ויהושע משרתו: לא ידעתי מה טיבו של יהושע כאן. ואומר אני, שהיה התלמיד מלוה לרב עד מקום הגבלת תחומי ההר, שאינו רשאי לילך משם והלאה, ומשם ויעל משה לבדו אל הר הא-לקִים, ויהושע נטה שם אהלו ונתעכב שם כל ארבעים יום, שכן מצינו, כשירד משה (לקמן לב יז) וישמע יהושע את קול העם ברעה, למדנו שלא היה יהושע עמהם) As Moshe Rabbeinu goes up to Har Sinai the Talmid Yehoshua accompanied the Rebbi as far as he was able to go until the point that they were commanded that they can no longer go forward. From that point, Moshe Rabbeinu went alone to the Har Elokim. It sounds so beautiful except if you look back in Parshas Yisro 19:24 (וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יְרוָר לֶךְ-רֵד, וְעָלִיתָ אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן עִמָּךְ; וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם, אַל-יֶהֶרְסוּ לַעֲלֹת אֶל-יְרוָר--פֶּן-יִפְרָץ-בָּם) Rashi explains how the mountain was divided into boundaries where different people can go up. Rashi says (ועלית אתה ואהרן עמך והכהנים: יכול אף הם עמך, תלמוד לומר ועלית אתה. אמור מעתה, אתה מחיצה לעצמך ואהרן מחיצה לעצמו והם מחיצה לעצמם. משה נגש יותר מאהרן, ואהרן יותר מן הכהנים, והעם כל עיקר אל יהרסו את מצבם לעלות אל ד') that Moshe had his own boundary, Aharon had his boundary, the Kohanim had their boundary. There was a point where all of Klal Yisrael could go until the boundary. Beyond that Kohanim could go until the boundary. Beyond that Aharon could go until the end of his boundary. Beyond that Moshe Rabbeinu can go alone.

I don’t understand, Yehoshua accompanied Moshe to a point that afterwards Moshe went alone? That is not true. Yehoshua was a Yisrael so he could go to the boundary of Klal Yisrael. Beyond that Moshe wasn’t alone because the Kohanim were with him. Beyond that Moshe wasn’t alone because Aharon was with him. Sounds like a good Kasha to me.

Mordechai Knew The Megillah! - Beshalach 5771

17:14 ( וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר, וְשִׂים, בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:  כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם) The Satmar Rebbe writes in the Divrei Yoel in the name of his Grandfather, that we know all of Tanach was given to Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai. That being the case, it would include all 24 books of Tanach that were given at Har Sinai. Naturally, Moshe couldn’t publicize what was written in those books as it had not taken place yet. When we find in the Posuk ( וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר, וְשִׂים, בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:  כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם) Sim B’oznai Yehoshua, meaning put in Yehoshua’s ears, the Satmar Rebbe Teitches this to mean that in every generation the Gadol Hador knew the story that was unfolding. He had already read the book of Nach and knew what was going to happen and nevertheless kept it a secret that was passed from one Gadol Hador to the next.

He writes that Mordechai knew the story of Purim as it unfolded, and says it is a B’feirush in a Posuk. It says in the Megillah 4:1א  וּמָרְדֳּכַי, יָדַע אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה, וַיִּקְרַע מָרְדֳּכַי אֶת-בְּגָדָיו, וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וָאֵפֶר; וַיֵּצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר, וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה So it says that Mordechai knew everything that was taking place. However, it used what was taking place between Haman and Achashveiroish to effect a Teshuva movement by Klal Yisrael.

The Vort itself is a big Chiddush for an Acharoin to say, however, the Mussar from it is extraordinary. Imagine that you are an actor in a play, and you have the script so you know everything that is going to happen. Part of the play is that someone dies and they cry over his death and someone has difficulties like poverty or illness. As all good plays you know that it has a happy ending. When you are acting out the part of sadness, you are not upset or depressed. You are only worried about performing your part properly.

So what the Satmar Rebbe is basically saying is, the mask of Oilam Hazeh is such that our challenge is just to perform our parts properly, however, the sadness that comes with difficulties is somewhat mitigated if one looks at themselves with וּמָרְדֳּכַי, יָדַע אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה, and the person knows what should take place.