Rebuke and Compassion: The Two Powers of a Leader
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 27:16
יִפְקֹד יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכׇל־בָּשָׂר אִישׁ עַל־הָעֵדָה
Let Hashem, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation.
Rashi: When Moshe heard the Omnipresent tell him, “Give the inheritance of Tzelafchad to his daughters,” he said, “The time has come for me to ask for my own needs, that my sons should inherit my greatness.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “That is not what arose in My thought. Yehoshua deserves to receive the reward for his service, for he did not leave the tent.”
1“Let Hashem, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation.”1 Notice the wording. In his prayer for a leader to be appointed over Israel, why did Moshe add the words “of all flesh”? Why was “God of the spirits” not enough?
יִפְקוֹד ה׳ אֱלֹקֵי הָרוּחוֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר אִישׁ עַל הָעֵדָה (כז, טז). יֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק לָמָּה הִזְכִּיר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ עַל מִינּוּי הַמַּנְהִיג לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳לְכָל בָּשָׂר׳, וּמַדּוּעַ אֵין דַּי בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳אֱלֹקֵי הָרוּחוֹת׳.
- Bamidbar 27:16. ↩
In shortPraying for a leader, why did Moshe add “of all flesh” instead of simply “God of the spirits”?
2Rashi explains: “‘Let Hashem appoint’: When Moshe heard the Omnipresent tell him, ‘Give the inheritance of Tzelafchad to his daughters,’ he said, ‘The time has come for me to ask for my own needs, that my sons should inherit my greatness.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, ‘That is not what arose in My thought. Yehoshua deserves to receive the reward for his service, for he did not leave the tent.’”2 My holy great-grandfather, the author of Divrei Binah, zt"l, asked: Moshe Rabbeinu did not want to lead Israel. He protested, “I am not a man of words,” and raised other objections there as well.3 What is more, the Torah testified of him, “And the man Moshe was very humble.”4 If so, it is astonishing that he should ask for authority for his sons.
וברש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ פֵּירֵשׁ, יִפְקוֹד ה׳, כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם תֵּן נַחֲלַת צְלָפְחָד לִבְנוֹתָיו, אָמַר הִגִּיעַ שָׁעָה שֶׁאֶתְבַּע צְרָכַי שֶׁיִּירְשׁוּ בָּנַי אֶת גְּדוּלָּתִי, אָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה לֹא כָּךְ עָלְתָה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה לְפָנַי, כְּדַאי הוּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִיטּוֹל שְׂכַר שִׁימּוּשׁוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מָשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל. וְהִקְשָׁה כ״ק זְקֵנִי בַּעַל דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה זצללה״ה, הֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה לֹא רָצָה לִהְיוֹת מַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמָה שֶׁטָּעַן (שמות, ד, י) ״לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי״ וְעוֹד טְעָנוֹת כָּאָמוּר שָׁם, וְאַף גַּם זֹאת שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הֵעִידָה עָלָיו (יב, ג) ״וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָיו מְאֹד״, וְאִם כֵּן תָּמוּהַּ הֵיאַךְ זֶה תָּבַע שְׂרָרָה לְבָנָיו.
In shortHow could humble Moshe, who never wanted to lead, ask that his sons inherit his greatness, as Rashi says?
3On the verse that comes a little later, “Take for yourself Yehoshua bin Nun,”5 the early Midrash Tanna Devei Eliyahu says: “Take for yourself a man who is mighty and humble like you.”6 What does “mighty” mean here? Does it take a man of strength to lead Israel?
וּבְתַנָּא דְּבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ (זוטא פרק טז) אִיתָא עַל הַפָּסוּק לְהַלָּן (כז, יח) ״קַח לְךָ אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן״, קַח לְךָ אִישׁ גִּבַּרְתָּן וְעַנְוְותָן כָּמוֹךָ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מָה הַכַּוָּונָה גִּבַּרְתָּן, וְכִי צְרִיכִים בַּעַל כֹּחַ בִּכְדֵי לִהְיוֹת מַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל.
In shortTanna Devei Eliyahu calls Yehoshua “mighty and humble like you”; but why must a leader of Israel be mighty?
4aLet us first cite the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l, on the verse “And Aharon lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from performing the sin offering …”7 A leader of Israel, he explained, must have two ways of leading. The first is “to teach Bnei Yisrael the bow,”8 that is, to rebuke them so that they walk the straight path and, when he sees flaws in them, to work at guiding them onto the path of truth. The second is to bring down for them a flow of blessing and every good thing. As Chazal said, “The whole world is sustained for the sake of Chanina My son”:9 the flow of blessing comes down from Heaven through the power of the tzaddik.
וְנַקְדִּים דִּבְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ מֵאֵת כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה, שֶׁאָמַר עַל הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא ט, כב) ״וַיִּשָּׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדָיו אֶל הָעָם וַיְבָרְכֵם וַיֵּרֶד מֵעֲשׂוֹת הַחַטָּאת״ וְגוֹ׳, וּבֵיאֵר דְּמַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ שְׁנֵי הַנְהָגוֹת, הָאַחַת לְלַמֵּד אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קָשֶׁת (על פי שמואל ב א, יח), לְהוֹכִיחָם שֶׁיֵּלְכוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר, וּבְאִם רוֹאֶה אֶצְלָם פְּגָמִים יִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְהַנְחוֹתָם בְּדֶרֶךְ אֱמֶת. וְהַשֵּׁנִית לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם הַשְׁפָּעוֹת וְכָל טוּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל (תענית כד, ב) כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ לֹא נִיזּוֹן אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל חֲנִינָא בְּנִי, שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת יוֹרְדוֹת מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם בְּכֹחַ הַצַּדִּיק.
4bBut when the tzaddik rebukes Bnei Yisrael, an accusation, Heaven forbid, is stirred up Above, and then he cannot bring down all the good they need. So when abundance must be brought down upon Bnei Yisrael, their leader must see only good in them and not look at their sins. This is the meaning of “And Aharon lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them.” When he wanted to bring blessings and good things down upon the people, “he came down from performing the chatas, the olah and the shelamim,” the sin offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings. That is, he stepped down from rebuking them for their sins, their chata'im, and from demanding their perfection, their shleimus. Those are his holy words.
אַךְ הִנֵּה בִּזְמַן שֶׁמּוֹכִיחַ הַצַּדִּיק אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲשָׂה ח״ו קִטְרוּג לְמַעְלָה, וְלֹא יָכוֹל לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם כָּל טוּב הַצָּרִיךְ לָהֶם, וְעַל כֵּן בִּזְמַן שֶׁנִּצְרָךְ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ שֶׁפַע עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, צָרִיךְ מַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל לִרְאוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם אַךְ טוֹב, וְלֹא לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בַּעֲבֵירוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶם. וְזֶהוּ ׳וַיִּשָּׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדָיו אֶל הָעָם וַיְבָרְכֵם׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁרָצָה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל הָעָם בְּרָכוֹת וְהַשְׁפָּעוֹת טוֹבוֹת, אֲזַי ׳וַיֵּרֶד מֵעֲשׂוֹת הַחַטָּאת וְהָעוֹלָה וְהַשְּׁלָמִים׳, שֶׁיָּרַד מִלְּהוֹכִיחָם עַל חַטָּאֵיהֶם וְלִדְרוֹשׁ שְׁלֵימוּתָם, עכד״ק.
In shortA leader must rebuke and also bring blessing, the Rebbe's father taught; to bless, he steps down from looking at sins, as Aharon did.
5From these words we learn that a true leader of Israel must hold fast to both ways: rebuking the people and bringing abundant blessing down upon them. This was Moshe Rabbeinu's way. On the one hand he rebuked Bnei Yisrael and taught them the way of Torah and mitzvos; on the other, he would plead for mercy for them and bring abundant blessing down upon them. Indeed, we find that Hashem chose Moshe to lead Israel because of his compassion. The Midrash says: “When Moshe Rabbeinu was tending Yisro's flock, a kid ran away from him … It came upon a pool of water and stopped to drink. When Moshe reached it, he said, ‘I did not know that you were running because you were thirsty. You must be tired.’ He set it on his shoulder and walked on. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘You show such compassion in leading the flock of a mere mortal? By your life, you shall shepherd My flock, Israel.’ That is what is written: ‘And Moshe was shepherding.’”10
וּמִדְּבָרִים אֵלֶּה נִלְמַד, שֶׁמַּנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל הָאֲמִיתִּי צָרִיךְ לֶאֱחוֹז בִּשְׁנֵי בְּחִינוֹת אֵלּוּ, הֵן לְהוֹכִיחַ אֶת הָעָם וְהֵן לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה. וְזוֹ הָיְתָה דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, שֶׁמִּצַּד אֶחָד הוֹכִיחַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִמְּדָם דֶּרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה, וּמִצַּד שֵׁנִי הָיָה מְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה. וְכַאֲשֶׁר מָצִינוּ שֶׁמֵּחֲמַת מִידַּת הָרַחְמָנוּת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה בָּחַר בּוֹ ה׳ לְהַנְהִיג אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה ב, ב), כְּשֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה רוֹעֶה צֹאנוֹ שֶׁל יִתְרוֹ בָּרַח מִמֶּנּוּ גְּדִי וְכוּ׳ נִזְדַּמְּנָה לוֹ בְּרֵיכָה שֶׁל מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ מֹשֶׁה אֶצְלוֹ אָמַר אֲנִי לֹא הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁרָץ הָיִיתָ מִפְּנֵי צָמָא עָיֵיף אַתָּה, הִרְכִּיבוֹ עַל כְּתֵיפוֹ וְהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ, אָמַר הקב״ה יֵשׁ לְךָ רַחֲמִים לִנְהוֹג צֹאנוֹ שֶׁל בָּשָׂר וָדָם כָּךְ, חַיֶּיךָ אַתָּה תִּרְעֶה צֹאנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה רוֹעֶה״ (שמות ג, א).
- Shemos Rabbah 2:2; Shemos 3:1. In the Midrash the kid ran until it reached a shaded place, and there it found the pool. ↩
In shortA true leader joins rebuke with blessing, as Moshe did, and Hashem chose Moshe for the compassion he showed a thirsty kid.
6That is why Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem to appoint a leader who would hold both these powers. This is what he meant by “Let Hashem, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint.” “All flesh” alludes to Bnei Yisrael's livelihood and material needs. Their leader must know their pain and their needs, so that he can bring blessing and mercy down upon them in abundance. Along with this quality he must also be “a man over the congregation,” one who knows how to rebuke Bnei Yisrael and teach them the way of Hashem in Torah and mitzvos.
וְעַל כֵּן בִּיקֵּשׁ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ מֵאֵת ה׳ שֶׁיְּמַנֶּה פַּרְנָס כָּזֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ שְׁנֵי כּוֹחוֹת אֵלּוּ, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ׳יִפְקוֹד ה׳ אֱלֹקֵי הָרוּחוֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר׳, ׳לְכָל בָּשָׂר׳ רוֹמֵז עַל צָרְכֵי הַפַּרְנָסָה וּדְבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנִּצְרָךְ שֶׁיָּדַע הַמַּנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצַעֲרָן וּבְהִצְטָרְכוּתָם לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה וְרַחֲמִים, וְיַחַד עִם מִידָּה זוֹ יִהְיֶה גַּם ׳אִישׁ עַל הָעֵדָה׳, שֶׁיָּדַע לְהוֹכִיחַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְלַמְּדָם דֶּרֶךְ ה׳ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹות.
In short“All flesh” asks for a leader who feels the people's material needs and blesses them; “a man over the congregation,” one who rebukes and teaches.
7That is why Moshe made this request just after he had been taught the passage on inheritance. From the laws of inheritance we see that a father passes some of his traits and qualities on to his children, implanting them in their souls for generations to come. Children inherit their fathers' nature, and that is the root of their inheriting their father's material possessions too. A person's possessions are bound up with the root of his soul, since the sparks of holiness hidden within every thing belong to its owner. So this bond extends to his children after him as well. All the more so once Moshe saw that even the daughters of Tzelafchad inherit their father's portion, because the traits that pass from a father by inheritance matter so much. So he reasoned that the special good traits of a leader of Israel would pass to his sons after him as well. This was true above all of the power to rebuke Bnei Yisrael and teach them the way of Hashem while also having compassion like Moshe's. As we saw in the Midrash about the kid, that compassion lay at the root of Hashem's choice of Moshe as leader of Israel. That is why Moshe thought his sons should lead Israel after him.
וְזֶהוּ הָעִנְיָן שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ זֹאת מֹשֶׁה אַחַר שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה לוֹ פָּרָשַׁת נְחָלוֹת, כִּי מֵעִנְיַן נְחָלוֹת רוֹאִים שֶׁהָאָב מַשְׁפִּיעַ מִמִּידּוֹתָיו וּתְכוּנוֹתָיו וְקוֹבְעָם בְּנֶפֶשׁ בָּנָיו לְדוֹרוֹתָיו הַבָּאִים, וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַבָּנִים יוֹרְשִׁים טֶבַע הָאָבוֹת, זֶהוּ הַשּׁוֹרֶשׁ לָזֶה שֶׁיּוֹרְשִׁים גַּם הַחֲפָצִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים שֶׁל אֲבִיהֶם, שֶׁכֵּן הַחֲפָצִים שֶׁל הָאָדָם יֵשׁ לָהֶם שַׁיָּיכוּת לְשׁוֹרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתוֹ, שֶׁכֵּן הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת קְדוֹשׁוֹת שַׁיָּיכִים לְבַעַל הַדָּבָר, וְעַל כֵּן נִמְשָׁךְ זֶה הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת גַּם לְבָנָיו אַחֲרָיו. וּבִפְרָט כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה שֶׁאַף בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד יוֹרְשׁוֹת נַחֲלַת אֲבִיהֶן, מִפְּנֵי גּוֹדֶל עִנְיַן הַמִּידּוֹת הָעוֹבְרִים בִּירוּשָּׁה מִן הָאָב. לָכֵן סָבַר בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַמִּידּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת הַמְּיוּחָדוֹת בְּמַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבִפְרָט כֹּחַ זֶה שֶׁעִם הֱיוֹתוֹ מוֹכִיחַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמוֹרֶה לָהֶם דֶּרֶךְ ה׳, תִּהְיֶה בּוֹ גַּם מִידַּת הָרַחְמָנוּת כְּמֹשֶׁה, וְכַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל מִדִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁזֶּהוּ שׁוֹרֶשׁ מַה שֶׁבָּחַר בּוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְמַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵלּוּ הַמִּידּוֹת יַעַבְרוּ גַּם לְבָנָיו אַחֲרָיו, וְעַל כֵּן סָבַר שֶׁצְּרִיכִים בָּנָיו לִהְיוֹת מַנְהִיגֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרָיו.
In shortSince inheritance passes on a father's traits, Moshe thought his sons would inherit his blend of rebuke and compassion, so he asked for them.
8To this the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “That is not what arose in My thought … Yehoshua deserves to receive the reward for his service, for he did not leave the tent.” That is, Yehoshua learned much Torah from Moshe and did not leave the tent, so Moshe's powers and good traits are imprinted in him. For we know Chazal's saying: “Whoever teaches his fellow's son Torah, it is as though he had given birth to him.”11 The student is truly shaped by his teacher and takes his teacher's traits into his own soul. In fact, traits that are purely spiritual are acquired precisely through the Torah he received from his teacher. This is a kinyan Torah, an acquisition through Torah, which is greater than a kinyan haguf, a bodily acquisition, which depends on the physical and rests only on being the son of a great father. Since Yehoshua bin Nun learned so much Torah from Moshe himself, he inherited Moshe's compassion. He is the one fit to lead Israel, for he will surely bring great good down upon Klal Yisrael in abundance.
וְעַל זֶה הֱשִׁיבוֹ הקב״ה לֹא כָךְ עָלְתָה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה כּוּ׳ כְּדַאי הוּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִיטּוֹל שְׂכַר שִׁימּוּשׁוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מָשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁיְּהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁהִרְבָּה לִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָה מִפִּיךָ וְלֹא מָשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל, בּוֹ כְּבָר מוּטְבָּעִים הַכּוֹחוֹת וְהַמִּידּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת מִמְּךָ, כִּי נוֹדַע מַאֲמַר חז״ל (סנהדרין יט, ב) כָּל הַמְּלַמֵּד אֶת בֶּן חֲבֵרוֹ תּוֹרָה כְּאִילּוּ יְלָדוֹ, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת גַּם הוּא נִבְנָה וְקוֹנֶה בְּנַפְשׁוֹ אֶת מִידּוֹתָיו שֶׁל רַבּוֹ, וְאַדְּרַבָּה הַמִּידּוֹת שֶׁהֵם שַׁיָּיכִים רַק לָרוּחָנִיּוֹת נִקְנִים דַּוְקָא עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁקָּנָה מִמֶּנּוּ, בִּבְחִינַת קִנְיַן תּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא גָּדוֹל מִבְּחִינַת קִנְיַן הַגּוּף, שֶׁהוּא הַקִּנְיָן הַתָּלוּי בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוּת וְרַק בַּמֶּה שֶׁהוּא בֵּן לְאָבִיו הַגָּדוֹל. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיְּהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן לָמַד הַרְבֵּה תּוֹרָה מִפִּי מֹשֶׁה, יָרַשׁ אֶת מִידַּת הָרַחְמָנוּת שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, וְהוּא אֲשֶׁר רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת מַנְהִיג יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי הוּא וַדַּאי יַשְׁפִּיעַ שֶׁפַע רַב טוּב עַל כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
- Sanhedrin 19b. ↩
In shortYehoshua, who learned much Torah from Moshe, acquired his compassion, Hashem answered, for Torah passes on traits more fully than lineage.
9This is also what the Tanna Devei Eliyahu means by “a man who is mighty and humble like you.” With these words the Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moshe and fulfilled his request, “Let Hashem appoint …” “Mighty” alludes to the firmness with which Moshe Rabbeinu rebuked the people of Israel so that they would walk in the way of the Torah. Yet he also had the second quality: he was “humble.” When he had to bring down blessing for all Israel, he did not act with firmness, only with humility and patience, and he brought abundant good down to every single Jew.
וְהוּא גַּם כַּוָּונַת הַתַּנָּא דְּבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ ׳אִישׁ גִּבַּרְתָּן וְעַנְוְותָן כָּמוֹךָ׳, שֶׁבָּזֶה הֱשִׁיבוֹ הקב״ה לְמַלֹּאות מִשְׁאַלְתּוֹ ׳יִפְקוֹד ה׳ וְגוֹ׳, דְּ׳גִּבַּרְתָּן׳ רוֹמֵז עַל כֹּחַ הַתְּקִיפוּת שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ לְהוֹכִיחַ אֶת עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיֵּלְכוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה, וְעִם כָּל זֶה הָיָה לוֹ גַּם כֵּן מִידָּה הַשְּׁנִיָּה שֶׁהָיָה ׳עַנְוְותָן׳, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ שֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא נָהַג בְּמִידַּת הַתְּקִיפוּת רַק בְּדֶרֶךְ עֲנָוָה וְסַבְלָנוּת, וְהִשְׁפִּיעַ שֶׁפַע רַב טוּב לְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.
In short“Mighty and humble” names both powers: firmness to rebuke and humble patience to bring down blessing.
10aWe may say that this is also the meaning of the Sifrei here: “‘Saying’: what does this word teach? Moshe said to Him: Please let me know whether You will appoint leaders over them or not, ‘so that the congregation of Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd …’ The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: ‘If you do not know, O fairest among women,’ most excellent of the prophets, ‘go out in the footsteps of the flock …’ For the Omnipresent showed Moshe all the leaders until the dead come to life.”12
וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר דְּזֶהוּ גַּם כַּוָּונַת הַסִּפְרֵי (כאן) ׳לֵאמוֹר׳ מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ הוֹדִיעֵנִי נָא אִם אַתָּה מְמַנֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם פַּרְנָסִים אִם לָאו, ״וְלֹא תִהְיֶה עֲדַת ה׳ כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין לָהֶם רוֹעֶה״ וְכוּ׳. והקב״ה הֱשִׁיבוֹ (שיר השירים א, ח) ״אִם לֹא תֵדְעִי לָךְ הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים״ מְעוּלֶּה שֶׁבַּנְּבִיאִים, ״צְאִי לָךְ בְּעִקְבֵי הַצֹּאן״ וְכוּ׳, שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַמָּקוֹם לְמֹשֶׁה כָּל הַפַּרְנָסִים עַד שֶׁיִּחְיוּ הַמֵּתִים.
- Sifrei, Pinchas 138–139; Bamidbar 27:15, 17; Shir HaShirim 1:8. The verse continues: “and graze your kids beside the shepherds' tents.” ↩
10bWhat does Moshe mean by “Let me know whether You will appoint leaders over them”? Did Moshe not know that the nation cannot survive without elders and leaders? Could there be any doubt about it at all? And why the words “fairest among women”? The answer is that Moshe was worried, wondering what kind of leaders Israel would have after him. Would the leaders, all the way until Moshiach comes, stand on a level where they had both the powers we saw in Aharon's blessing, rebuke and compassion? Hashem answered him in the words “fairest among women,” comparing the leaders of Israel to a woman. With this He hinted that He would grant the request Moshe was so anxious about for Israel's sake: the other leaders, too, would be marked by compassion and tenderness of heart, as a woman is compassionate by nature.
וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַהוּ ׳הוֹדִיעֵנִי אִם אַתָּה מְמַנֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם פַּרְנָסִים׳, וְכִי לֹא יָדַע מֹשֶׁה שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָעָם לְהִתְקַיֵּים בְּלִי זְקֵנִים וּמַנְהִיגִים, וּמַה מָקוֹם לְסַפֵּק בָּזֶה כְּלָל, וְגַם מַהוּ כַּוָּונַת אוֹמְרוֹ ׳הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים׳. אֶלָּא הַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה, שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה הָיָה דּוֹאֵג וְתָמֵהַּ אֵיךְ וְכֵיצַד יִהְיוּ מַנְהִיגֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרָיו, הַאִם יִהְיוּ הַמַּנְהִיגִים עַד בִּיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ בְּמַדְרֵגָה כָּזוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהֶם אֶת שְׁתֵּי הַבְּחִינוֹת וְהַכּוֹחוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרִים. וּכְלַפֵּי זֶה הָיְתָה תְּשׁוּבָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים׳, שֶׁהִמְשִׁיל בָּזֶה מַנְהִיגֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִשָּׁה, שֶׁבָּזֶה רָמַז לוֹ שֶׁיְּמַלֵּא מִשְׁאַלְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָיָה חָרֵד לְטוֹבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכֵּן אַף שְׁאָר הַמַּנְהִיגִים יִהְיוּ מְיוּחָדִים בְּמִידַּת הָרַחְמָנוּת וְרַךְ לֵבָב, כְּמִידַּת הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהִיא רַחֲמָנִית בְּטִבְעָהּ.
In shortMoshe asked whether later leaders would join rebuke with compassion, and “fairest among women” hinted that they too would have a woman's compassion.
11May Hashem help us be truly privileged to stay close and bound to such leaders, leaders who also carry something of Moshe's compassion, until Moshiach comes. Amen.
יַעֲזוֹר ה׳ שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת נִזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת סְמוּכִים וּקְשׁוּרִים לְמַנְהִיגִים כָּאֵלֶּה, שֶׁגַּם לָהֶם יִהְיֶה מִבְּחִינַת מִידַּת רַחְמָנוּתוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, עַד בִּיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, אָמֵן.
In shortMay we stay bound to leaders who carry something of Moshe's compassion until Moshiach comes.
Takeaway
A true leader needs two powers: the firmness to rebuke and teach the way of Torah, and the compassion to see only good in people and bring blessing down upon them. Moshe was chosen because he carried a tired kid on his shoulder, and Yehoshua inherited that compassion by learning Torah from him and never leaving the tent. Hashem hinted that the leaders after Moshe, too, would be marked by compassion and tenderness of heart, and our part is to stay close and bound to such leaders.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.