Rabbi Baruch Ber Lebowitz, the Rosh Yeshiva of Kaminetz told over the following.
“My Rebbi, Reb Chaim Brisker once asked me, ‘imagine the door opened and Dovid Hamelech was to walk in, what would happen?’. I realized that my Rebbi had something in mind so I remained silent. Reb Chaim answered, ‘if Dovid Hamelech were to walk in, we would be burned instantly from his intense holiness.’
Reb Chaim continued and said, ‘the local Chazan in Brisk had a beautiful voice. He once came and said that when Mashiach arrives and we have Techias Hamesim I am sure David Hamelech will invite me to sing in his choir. I told him that when we get a glimpse of Dovid Hamelech we will run away so fast from such fear of his holiness and greatness.’”
“And I will add,” said Reb Baruch Ber, “ that if we were to see Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam, the Rambam, the Raavad, the Ramban or the Rashba we would also run into hiding out of fear.”
If so can we imagine the greatness of the Tanaaim, the Neviim, and the holy Avos Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov!
With this introduction let us understand a Rashi in this week’s Parsha.
Moshe Rabbeinu lectured Klal Yisrael just before he passed away. Rashi tells us (Devarim 1-3) that Moshe Rabbeinu learned this from Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov only lectured his children just before he died. Yaakov told Reuvein, “Do you know why I never rebuked you all these years? In order that you shouldn’t leave me, go and join Eisav my brother.”
Reuvein! the oldest of the twelve tribes who was busy fasting and doing Teshuva for years. And Yaakov is scared that if he lectures him he will stray, leave his holy father, leave his holy brothers, leave the Divine presence that rested on the tents of the Avos and join Eisav?
Furthermore, we find that there is a Mitzva in the Torah to rebuke someone who has sinned. So how did Yaakov Avinu skip over this important Mitzva and obligation?
There must be a deeper understanding to this story but on a simple level there is a very important message for us.
The Danger of the Fall
The Gemara in Chagiga (5:) brings down that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, known as Rebbi was saying Eicha (the Megilla we read on Tisha Be’av). He reached the Passuk (2-1) He threw down from Heaven to earth the crown of Yisrael. As he was saying it the scroll fell out his hand on to the ground. He commented, “from a high rooftop to a deep pit.”
What did Rebbi add with this statement? Besides, isn’t heaven to earth a much bigger drop than the highest roof to the lowest pit?
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz gives an amazing explanation.
It is true that during the time of the Beis Hamikdash we were on the high and now we are on the low. But there is a life in the low pit also. Two thousand years we are in exile. There were Tanaaim, Amoraim, Rishonim and Achronim, so many giants in Torah.
But when the scroll fell down Rebbi got a new insight in the Passuk. It’s not just where we were then and where we are now. Rebbi realized the ramification of the fall and the bump. Those moments of hitting the ground and the big bumps are so scary and so dangerous.
The Story of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachia
The Gemara Sota 47: brings the following story. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachia had a student who was caught doing something very wrong. Rabbi Yehoshua sent him away. The student came back again and again to ask for forgiveness but he wasn’t accepted. He decided to give one final try. Rabbi Yehoshua decided to accept him. But he was in the middle pf Krias Shema so he motioned for him to wait. The student misinterpreted the sign as if he was waiving him away again. He left never to come back and went on to become an idol worshipper. Some say that he became the founder of Christianity.
A moment before he came in humbly to his Rebbe full of remorse willing to do anything to return and a few hours later was already serving Avoda Zara?
But that’s what happens when a person falls and has a hard crash as he hits the ground. The student was broken totally and lost his ability to see the truth.
The Story of Kayin and Hevel
Kayin was a Prophet. He understood the idea of Korbonos and he convinced Hevel to bring a Korbon too. However Kayin was stingy and brought a poor Korbon so his Korbon was rejected. He was angry and upset. Hashem comforted him and explained to him that if he tries harder he will succeed.
But he was jealous of his brother Hevel and that his Korbon had been accepted. He had a fight with Hevel and killed him. The Targum Yonathan ben Uziel writes that Kayin said to Hevel there is no judgement, no Judge, no Olam Haba, no reward or punishment.
Kayin was born in Gan Eden before Chava sinned. He saw how they were exiled from Gan Eden for their sin. His whole anger against Hevel stemmed from the fact that he was punished that his Korbon was rejected and Hevel was rewarded that his offering was accepted. He was a prophet and Hashem appeared to him.
What suddenly happened?
But the answer is, a person is going through a trauma of any sort, can lose their logic and ration. So much so that a person can end up losing their faith completely.
The Lesson from Yaakov Avinu
Now we can understand Yaakov Avinu. Who knows at the moment of rebuke Reuvein may have lost it, left Yaakov and join Eisav.
From here we see that even if one needs to rebuke one must be so careful when to rebuke and if yes, how to say it.
And from there Moshe Rabbeinu learned to wait till just before he passed away and said it so carefully, much of the time just by hinting to the points.
Furthermore, when a person is already aware of their mistake and regrets it, let’s not salt their wounds. Let the wound heal by itself and through control and support we will merit success with our children and students.
And as Rabbi Shalom of Prohovitch (father of Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzin) said. “When a person gets mud or dirt on one’s clothing. If one rushes to wipe it off while it’s still wet it will rub the dirt into the clothing. However, if one waits till it dries up it can be scratched off so easily.”
If we see our children or students getting muddy, maybe we first have to wait until the mud dries up and then clean them!
