“Take Aharon and Elazar his son and ascend Mount Hor” (Bamidbar 20:25)
Rashi explains that when Hashem told Moshe to “take Aharon” to the mountain where he would die, He meant that Moshe should persuade him with words of comfort, noting that Aharon would be passing his job of Kohen Gadol to his son, something that Moshe himself was not able to do.
This is one of several instances in the Torah where we find Hashem giving comfort to those who need it and instructing others to do so as well. In Parshas Shelach, we read about how Hashem comforted the people who would not be able to enter Eretz Yisrael themselves by teaching them some Mitzvos that their children would fulfill there. In Sefer Bereishis, we read that Hashem comforted Yitzchak Avinu after his father Avraham passed away. We should try to follow Hashem’s example and find creative things to say to those who are down that will lift their spirits.
“The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the south, heard that Yisrael had come by the route of the spies, and he waged war against Yisrael and took from them a captive” (21:1)
Rashi says that the attacking nation was really Amalek dressed up as a Canaanite army. They disguised themselves so that the Jews would pray for the defeat of the wrong nation. The Jews sensed that something was off about their identity, so they prayed for Hashem to save them from “this nation,” and Hashem helped them win the battle. Amalek understood that the power of the Jew is through prayer and the importance of exactly how a prayer is worded. Even though Hashem understands our thoughts, a prayer that is imprecise will not have the same effect. The way in which we pray, with full focus and concentration, is also a critical part of maximizing the potential of our prayers.
“Hashem said to Moshe: Do not fear him, for I have delivered him, his people, and his land into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sichon the king of the Emorites who dwells in Cheshbon” (21:34)
Why was Moshe scared of Og, especially now that he already defeated the equally fearsome Sichon? Rashi says that Moshe was afraid of Og as he had a special merit in reward for informing Avraham that Lot had been captured. Moshe was not afraid of Og from a physical standpoint, but because of his special merits. Even though this good deed happened over four hundred years prior to this confrontation, Moshe was concerned that it would still stand him in good stead and Hashem had to tell him not to be afraid. We learn from this that one good deed can go a long way. The Da’as Zekainim also notes that Og earned a reward even though he had an ulterior motive in mind when reporting to Avraham.
Chazal teach us that Og really wanted Avraham to go fight for Lot’s freedom so that he would fall in battle and then Og could marry Sarah. Nevertheless, the act itself was a good deed that led to the rescue of Lot. That alone deserved reward and that merit lasted for centuries. If that is the compensation that a gentile receives for doing something good, then certainly a Jew will receive a great reward for every Mitzvah. We should view Mitzvos as an investment for the future.
