Parshas Matos
In this week’s parsha, Moshe is commanded to take the Bnei Yisrael’s revenge against the Midyanim and then to be gathered unto his nation (i.e., he would then die). Moshe immediately undertook to fulfill this mitzva, even with the knowledge that it would be the final mitzva of his life. Why was this Moshe Rabbeinu’s final mitzva, as if to say that he could not die without making sure to fulfill it?
One cannot say that this mitzva just happened to fall simultaneously with Moshe’s final days. A refutation to this is found in verse 5, where Rashi states that Moshe had to force the soldiers to go to war, because they did not want their fighting to bring about Moshe’s death. Rashi here confirms that had they not gone to war against the Midyanim, Moshe would have retained the right to live, because this was a mitzva that he and only he had to do.
One can only wonder, Moshe had served Klal Yisrael in so many tasks that only he could perform, such as taking Klal Yisrael out of Egypt and bringing the Torah into this world. What made the mitzva of taking revenge on the Midyanim so critical for Moshe personally to fulfill? Moreover, we usually relate to revenge as a negative behavior. What made it a positive commandment at this time?
The Ohr Hachaim answers that there are two types of revenge. Usually, revenge means venting one’s frustration, letting one’s yetzer hara run wild – this form of revenge is a negative, destructive form of behavior. Here, however, revenge was positive, as an impression had been made that the Jewish People could be led to sins that cost them their lives while the perpetrators survived scot-free. Revenge against the Midyanim was needed to teach that Hashem is a G-d of justice, and that the world is not hefker.
This form of revenge, which teaches justice in the world, is mekadesh shem Shamayim. Earlier, Moshe had failed to react in time to the deed of Zimri (Bamidbar 25:6) and it was Pinchas who zealously performed an act of kiddush shem Shamayim. Moshe’s slight imperfection in being mekadesh shem Shamayim was what he needed to correct, and therefore the command to take revenge on the Midyanim was given specifically to Moshe so he could achieve this tikun.
Rav Shach adds that Hashem never told Moshe that revenge on the Midyanim had to be taken immediately. Moshe most certainly had the prerogative to delay this mitzva and accomplish many more things in the meantime. Only, Moshe knew that kiddush shem Shamayim is the most important thing a person can accomplish in this world. Such a command could not be delayed.
The Navi states (Yishaya 43:7) “Anything that is called in My Name, I created this and made it for My honor.” The Gra (found in Siddur Hagra, d”h tov yatzar kevod lishmo) explains that the verse here means that the whole world was created to give glory to the Creator. This should become the underlying goal of our lives. We should weigh our actions to determine if they give honor to Hashem or not. Some things that we feel are permissible would be viewed very differently if we would keep in mind that our goal in life is to give glory to Hashem. Moreover, all our good deeds and mitzvos become elevated by adding the kavana, “I am doing this to give glory to Hashem.”
Really, all of one’s dealings with people are opportunities to be mekadesh shem Shamayim. In Yoma 86, we are charged: May Hashem’s name become beloved through you. Honest dealings with people, acting with Derech Eretz and behaving with refined character is itself a great kiddush shem Shamayim.
Rav Avraham Pam stressed this idea very much with his talmidim. Once, a talmid of Rav Pam asked permission to accept a position that was available to him in an office (of mostly non-Jewish employees), as he saw that he was unable to support his family while in full-time Torah study. Rav Pam agreed, but placed on the talmid three conditions: 1) you have to be the most honest worker in the office, 2) you have to be the hardest worker in the office, and 3) you have to be pleasant to everybody. Rav Pam was always concerned that his talmidim should be mekadesh shem Shamayim, and this was the way he felt it could be accomplished in a gentile office.
Just as Moshe Rabbeinu was charged to make up for a lack of kiddush shem Shamayim he had caused, all the more so should we be concerned about this. Rav Gamliel Rabinovitch once said that a person who was lax about kiddush shem Shamayim when he was younger should make extra efforts to be mekadesh shem Shamayim when he is older. He would suggest that people get involved in zikui harabim. He would ask: Perhaps you can give a shiur, or speak to people and be mekarev them to Torah? Perhaps you can play a decisive role in providing services that elevate the spiritual level of the tzibbur?
Rav Steinman notes that particularly now, during the Three Weeks, we should recognize that what we are mourning is the loss of kiddush shem Shamayim in the world. Let’s reflect for a moment: Whereas we were once a people who had a beis hamikdash, and were living together under Torah rule in Eretz Yisrael, today we do not have this great House for Hashem, our nation remains scattered over the face of the globe, and how many Jews actually observe the Torah today? We should cry over the state of the Jewish Nation, and this cry should be a prayer that we merit to see once again the great kiddush shem Shamayim of old. Now is a time to cry and show Hashem how much this lack of kiddush shem Shamayim hurts us. This cry is what can bring the Geula.
Eretz Yisrael is currently under attack. What is Hashem’s message to us? Of course, individually, each of us has things for which we must do teshuva, but in addition, we should step back and reflect that the Nation of Hashem is being attacked — what a chilul Hashem is going on here! People want to kill the Nation of Hashem, chas veshalom. Is a greater chilul Hashem possible? In such a situation, we should cry even more for kiddush shem Shamayim and take all the steps we can to bring it about.
May we be zocheh to be mekadesh shem Shamayim with all of our actions!