Eternity
[Editor’s note: As a memory of my beloved brother Shaya, I would like to continue sending out his pearls of wisdom that he has shared with all of you in the past. For some of you this may ring a bell and for others it may appear to be totally new. May the learning of Shaya’s Divrei Torah inspire us to change our ways and thereby give an Aliya to the neshama of our dear beloved Shaya whom we miss so much. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman who has been looking over the divrei torah before it gets sent out!] [Editor’s note: This was the last Dvar Torah Shaya sent out before his petirah. In this dvar Torah, Shaya teaches us about Moshe’s Midda of Netzach-success for eternity. Shaya has in fact left all of us his own everlasting legacy that will remain with all of us forever. In the past, Parshas Behar has fallen out during the week in sefira corresponding to Netzach. Although the week of Netzach has already passed, I feel that this is a lesson which should be shared with all of you. Shaya has in fact left all of us his own legacy that will remain with all of us forever.]The fourth week of Sefira corresponds to Moshe’s Midda of Netzach. It is therefore appropriate to understand what this Midda is, how it epitomizes Moshe, and the lesson we can learn from it.
Although Moshe wasn’t allowed to enter Eretz Yisroel, he davened to at least be allowed to look at Eretz Yisroel, and his request was granted. Why wasn’t Moshe allowed in to Eretz Yisroel, and what was the significance of Moshe’s LOOKING at Eretz Yisroel?
Moshe’s midda was Netzach [success for eternity]. Whatever actions Moshe performed continue to last for eternity. Moshe took us out of Egypt and we are still around today. [Which is a novelty for anyone who knows history concerning the rise and fall of so many nations.] Moshe gave us the Torah and we still have the Torah.
Hashem foresaw that Klal Yisroel would sin in Eretz Yisroel to the point where they would be deserving of death, which would ultimately lead Hashem to do one of two options: Either to G-d forbid actually destroy us, or allow us to atone for our sins by exiling us and having us struggle with different challenges and tests among the other nations. Hashem, out of his love and compassion for us, chose the latter. This, the Meforshim explain, was the reason that Hashem didn’t allow Moshe into Eretz Yisroel. Had Moshe been allowed to enter Eretz Yisroel, Moshe’s Midda and personality would have created the need for an eternal stay in Eretz Yisroel, and then the only other option for Hashem would have been to actually destroy us.
The Ner Uziel adds that perhaps this is the reason that Moshe asked and was granted permission to LOOK at Eretz Yisroel. It was to create Klal Yisroel’s longing and passion for Eretz Yisroel for eternity. [As it’s usually the EYE that sees that starts the process of longing and connection.] Thus, we see until this very day how all Yidden love and yearn to be in Eretz Yisroel!
We can now truly appreciate Rav Simlai’s Drasha at the end of the first Perek of Sotah. He asks, rhetorically, “why did Moshe long to go into Eretz Yisroel? Was it to eat from its fruit and enjoy its goodness?” He answers that Moshe said that “Klal Yisroel was commanded to keep many Mitzvos only in Eretz Yisroel; let me enter so there can be a fulfillment [KIYUM] of all of the mitzvos through me.”
Based on what we are saying, we can truly appreciate this statement; Moshe wasn’t merely davening that he wanted to keep all the Mitzvos, and without his entering Eretz Yisrael, there would be some mitzvos he could not fulfill. Moshe wanted there to be a KIYUM- an everlasting endurance- to the mitzvos via Klal Yisroel’s commitment to them, which he knew could only come about through his entering the land and fulfilling those Mitzvos. Unfortunately, we didn’t merit that, and thus, throughout history, we did not have an everlasting ability to keep those Mitzvos. May the day come soon when we will once again be able to keep every single one of those Mitzvos.
Based on this overview, I speculate that any exertion and toil to grow in Avodas Hashem in this week of Netzach has an extra special ability to have a more lasting effect on us for life.
May we all succeed in tapping into this rich potential for permanent growth, to reach and maintain great heights.
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