Why Did Moshe & Aharon Get Buried In The Midbar? - Chukas 5771

Klal Yisrael in the Midbar are carrying the bones of the Shevaim to be buried in Eretz Yisrael. Aharon and Miriyam two of their three greatest leaders pass away. Why do they bury them in the Midbar? Why don’t they carry their bones into Eretz Yisrael to bury them there as well?

Yisro And Zayin Adar - Yisro 5769

(וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ). What did Yisro hear? Rashi mentions (וישמע יתרו: מה שמועה שמע ובא, קריעת ים סוף ומלחמת עמלק) 1) Kriyas Yam Suf and 2) Milchemes Amaleik. Later on it says that Moshe told Yisro all that happened to them on the way. On the Pasuk in 18:8 that says (וַיְסַפֵּר מֹשֶׁה, לְחֹתְנוֹ), Rashi says again that Moshe told over about the Yam Suf and Milchemes Amaleik (את כל התלאה: שעל הים ושל עמלק). Ai Yisro already knew this from (וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ) Vayishma Yisro. Rashi also mentions that he wanted to be Mekareiv Yisro to Toirah (ויספר משה לחתנו: למשוך את לבו לקרבו לתורה). This is strange as well, as Rashi when he talks about Yisro coming to the Midbar mentions that it was Lishmoi’ah Divrei Toirah, So why the repetition?

The Chachmei Leiv gives a very nice Teretz. Yisro had heard all the great things about Kriyas Yam Suf, the walking on dry land and food on the side of you just to name a few. The same thing with Amaleik, this was Klal Yisrael’s first battle and they won. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of Klal Yisrael at this wonderful time. When a Ger comes and says I want to be a part of it, we tell him one minute. The Rambam mentions in Perek Yud Daled of Halachois Issurei Biya that we tell the Ger it is not so simple. So Moshe sat Yisro down and said, you heard only of the glorious things, let me tell you the rest of the story. We came to the Yam and we were scared stiff. We started fighting one with the other. People were weeping. There were plenty of headaches. By Amaleik it was the same thing. There was the Pachad of the battle. We were attacked. It is not all as rosy as you heard. There is and was a lot of hard work. This is what Moshe told Yisro; however, Moshe wanted Yisro to stick with it, so he was Mekareiv Es Liboi Limshoich L’Toirah.  

We are familiar with the Gemara that says Haman was happy that the Pur fell out in Adar, and he knew Moshe Rabbeinu died in Adar, so it is a bad luck time for Klal Yisrael. However, he didn’t know that Moshe Rabbeinu was also born in Adar so it is a good luck time for Klal Yisrael. If you look in Aruch Chaim Siman Taf Kuf Pei in Hilchois Taanis, you will see that there is a Minhag to fast on certain days which are synonymous to Tzar for Klal Yisrael. These are sad days for Klal Yisrael. One of those days is Zayin Adar. The Shulchan Aruch paskens like Haman who was happy that the Pur landed on Adar and not like the Gemara that says that Haman didn’t know. So what is P’shat?

Rav Tzadoik in Machsheves Charutz page Samach Tes and Ayin says what was the Tzar of Moshe Dying? He lived until 120 years old and no one lives forever? The reason is, because there was a Hester Panim in Toirah. It was the fact that the Rebbi was gone so how are we going to learn. That was the Tzar and Tzarah. However, Klal Yisrael started being Mechadeish Chidushei Toirah and worked harder in their learning and created new Rabbei’im in Klal Yisrael. From the Hester came a Gilui, that is Zayin Adar. Haman was correct, that it was a time of Tzar, however, he didn’t know that it was also a time of rebirth. So Klal Yisrael took from difficulty and made something very good and powerful out of it. That is what its mean in 18:8, (אֵת כָּל-הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָתַם בַּדֶּרֶךְ). When you take from difficulty and make something good out of it. That is what Klal Yisroel is all about.

It says twice in the Megillah, Es Pur Hu Hagoirol Lifnei Haman. In Tanach this is rare that the Megillah Teitshis a Pasuk. It says Pur = Hu Hagoirol, why? The Malbim explains Pur is a lottery for bad things, and Goirol is a lottery to win something good. Haman called it a Pur because he thought it was a bad thing, but it was a Goirel Lifnei Haman, it was good. That is the Koiach of Klal Yisrael.

Golus Bred - Shemos 5772

The Chazal is in Devarim Rabbah. It says that Yosef who was recognized as coming from Eretz Yisrael was buried in Eretz Yisrael. How so? Yosef was seen as 48:12 (נַעַר עִבְרִי). When he came to Mitzrayim he was recognized as a Jew. So since it was recognized as someone from Eretz Yisrael he was buried in Eretz Yisrael.
When Moshe came to the B’nos Yisro the Posuk says 2:19 (אִישׁ מִצְרִי, הִצִּילָנוּ). So since Moshe Rabbeinu wasn’t Mode to his land he is not buried in his land.
The difficulty seems to be that the designation of Artzah (land) to Yosef and Moshe the comparison between them seems to be very unfair. Yosef grew up in Eretz Yisrael. Yosef lived in Eretz Yisrael. When Yosef came to Mitzrayim it was from Eretz Yisrael. So Yosef who was Hode B’artzo is buried in his land.
Moshe did not live in Eretz Yisrael and he wasn’t born in Eretz Yisrael. His parents Amram and Yocheved were not born in Eretz Yisrael. He was already a third generation out of Eretz Yisrael. Moshe who was recognized for Eretz Yisrael shouldn’t be buried in Eretz Yisrael? How can one compare it?
In fact when people say this Medrash over they usually say Moshe who wasn’t recognized as a Jew while Yosef was recognized as a Jew. That would make more sense but that is not what it says in the Medrash. The Medrash says that Moshe Shelo Hode B’artzo. That certainly seems to be something of a difficulty.

J012 - 2-1 - Netzach - Permanent Change

התמיה על שילוח יהושע מרגלים. ולא למד ממשה.
הראשונים - שכוון לחזק העם.
לכאו' לא הצליחו שמיד נתגלו והוצרכו לנוס. ומ"מ מדבריהם בשובם משמע שכן הצליחו.
רמב"ם הל' תשובה איזהו תשובה שלמה הרי שבא לידו כו'
אבל לכאו יותר טוב שלא נבא לידי נסיון.
ר' צדוק בתקנת השבים מביא בשם הבעש"ט והכלי חמדה פרשת חקת שיש לבעל תשובה להביא עצמו לידי הנסיון כדי לקיים התשובה גמורה. ותמה עליהם.
ביאור מדת נצח. נצחון + צמיתות. ושייכותו למשה רבינו, שנשלל בחירה ממנו כיון שדבריו נעשו תורה.
(א"ה עי' הקדמת משך חכמה לספר שמות)
יש להבין ענין התשובה השלמה, שנצח על הנסיון עד שאי"ז נסיון אצלו.
ובזה ניישב הנהגת יהושע. בהגיעם לארץ היה הכרך שנסיון המרגלים יהיה מנוצח.
מ"מ ק' שאין להביא עצמו לידי נסיון? בצדקת הצדיק מפרש, שיש לנו להביא את עצמנו לכך, שנסיונותינו יהיו לגבי גדרים ודברי הרשות.
"כי תצא למלחמה" - במלחמת רשות הכתוב מדבר.
שכן עצם האיסור כבר מאחורינו.

Moshe's Clothes – Parshas Shemos 5771

The final question of the week is: When Moshe Rabbeinu comes to Midyan, the daughters of Yisro say that we were saved from a Mitzri as it says in 2:19 (וַתֹּאמַרְןָ--אִישׁ מִצְרִי, הִצִּילָנוּ מִיַּד הָרֹעִים). There is a well known Chazal that Moshe Rabbeinu was faulted for looking like a Mitzri (he was dressed like a Mitzri) and not like a Yid, unlike Yosef when he went down to Mitzrayim was called (הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרִי). This is why Yosef was Zoche to be buried in Eretz Yisrael and Moshe Rabbeinu was not.

There is a problem with this whole idea. We are told that Moshe Rabbeinu was only 13 years old when he left Mitzrayim and when he came to Yisro he was already 80. In between the Medrash explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was a Melech in some far away land. However we explain the 67 years in between, Moshe Rabbeinu was not in the land of Mitzrayim. Why in the world would he still be wearing his clothes from Egypt 67 years later? That is difficult to understand.

Moshe's Age – Parshas Shemos 5769

It says in the Posuk that Moshe was 80 years old when he stood before Paroh.This is before the 10 Makkos. The yidden went out of Mitzrayim in Nissan, about 37 days after Moshe’s birthday. No one says the Makkos only took 37 days. There are a number of Makkos that says B’feirush that they took 7 days. That being said, when Moshe stood in front of Paroh, it was before Zayin Adar of that year. If he would have been 80, on his next birthday he would be 81. Then the 40 years in the Midbar would make him 121 which we know is not the case. So it is a Davar Peleh that the Cheshboin doesn’t really shtim? There is a R’ Yaakov Emden that says that the Yidden were in the Midbar for 39 years and that the Torah rounds it off. This is also shver, because the Gemarah goes thru a Cheshbon with the Man showing that it was 40 years.