Close to 20 years ago, I was on flight to Charleston North Carolina to give an Aish Seminar. Because of scheduling, I had to daven on the plane, and I made sure the flight attendant won’t get nervous when I put my “black boxes” on my heard. I explained to the American Black lady that I’m going to pray, and she said “no problem.” After I finished praying, the flight attendant came over and asked if she can ask me a question. Apparently she was a devout Christian, and had studied the Tanach a lot. She said she has been wondering for years about the story of Yiftach. What did happen to his daughter? Did she die? Was she actually sacrificed by her father?
Although teaching non-Jews Torah isn’t simple, there are poskim that allow it if it’s teaching Tanach. I also saw that she was very distressed, and when are I told her that she wasn’t sacrificed, that seem to give her great comfort. That incident, and many similar incidents where non-Jews are seeking clarity from a Jew, reminds us of our special mission to be the light for all nations. This mission will be fulfilled to its fullest when Mashiach comes, but in the meantime we need to do the best we can to be a kiddush Hashem.
There is an amazing, and at the same time scary, lesson that emerges from the above story of Yiftach. Chazal point out that the neder that Yiftach had made could have been annulled by Pinchas Hakohen, who was alive during this time. However, neither Pinchas or Yiftach felt it was proper for him to go to the other person, and because of that, the story of Yiftach’s daughter’s ended tragically; she never got married and was in solitude for the rest of her life.
In Parshas Korach, the Toshe Rebbe beautifully explains the mistake of Korach, and his yesod applies very much to Yiftach too. The key point is that Korach as a big tzaddik, and although he was destined to be the Kohen Gadol in the future, because of his arrogance towards Moshe, he lost everything, as the Zohar Hakadosh points out.
Although both Yiftach and Pinchos were spiritual giants, there was a spark of gaavah in each of them that they could not overcome, and that caused a terrible tragedy. The first step in humility, as opposed to haughtiness, is the willingness to listen and hear out another opinion, and if the other opinion is convincingly explained, to change one’s mind.
This is a life-long lesson, and we are challenged by it every day.
May we be successful in our quest for humility, and be able to hear and appreciate each other’s opinions.
by Rabbi Daniel Coren
