שמלתך לא בלתה מעליך ורגלך לא בצקה זה ארבעים שנה
“Your clothes did not wear out from upon you, nor did your feet swell, these forty years.” (Devorim 8:4)
Rashi and the Medrash explain that the clothing of the Jews remained intact for the duration of their sojourn in the Wilderness, even growing with the people as they grew (no word on whether they morphed to keep up with style trends.) The Clouds of Glory cleaned them, and the Mon and Well of Miriam prevented the Jews from producing sweat, reducing the wear on them. Even so, it was a miraculous occurrence that their clothes remained whole and wearable because time takes its toll on things.
The next part of the pasuk says that their feet didn’t swell. Again, Rashi explains that it is the nature of those who walk barefoot that their feet swell up, but this didn’t happen. The Sifsei Chachamim and others explain, however, that the reason this didn’t happen was because, as we see elsewhere, their shoes ALSO remained intact, so the Jews did not walk barefoot.
The question is, if the reason their feet didn’t swell was because their shoes remained whole, why not just say that their shoes didn’t wear out? Especially since that was what was said about the clothing, the Torah could have saved words and simply said, “Your clothes and shoes didn’t wear out...” Why the change?
Perhaps the pasuk is coming to teach us an important lesson. Perhaps we are being taught that not only must we recognize the good Hashem does for us, but we must make sure to recognize the underlying good beneath the surface which is not as easy to notice as well. Not only did we have the miracle that our shoes didn’t wear out, but because of that, our feet were protected from the rigors of walking barefoot, and we were saved from the pain of swollen feet. The good Hashem did for us also prevented bad from befalling us, and we ought to be appreciative and aware of all of it.
Therefore, the pasuk mentions the fact that our clothing didn’t wear out, and then goes a level deeper to focus on the results of a similar miracle, that our feet didn’t swell, because, our shoes didn’t wear out. This lesson is not just for appreciating the miracles of the Wilderness, because that time was intended to mold us and prepare us for living in the Promised Land, Eretz Yisroel.
There, we will have to depend on Hashem for rain and follow His Torah and mitzvos in order to remain there. Learning to appreciate every little thing, and the things that bring those little things about, will help us to see Hashem’s hand in our lives on a constant basis, and that will help us to love Him and serve Him more and more every day, with joy and gratitude.
Two princes were traveling on the same train. Each of them was obsessed with himself and his honor. When they arrived at the station where they were to disembark, they were met by an orchestra of musicians playing songs of honor and welcome. Each prince was sure they had come for “his” honor, and bristled at the notion that they were there to greet the other.
Seeking to settle their disagreement, they located a poor Jew who lived near the station who was known to be honest and wise. Shocked when they asked him to arbitrate their disagreement, he agreed to do it for fifty rubles, since he had no money for Pesach. Upon receiving the money and hearing their stories, the man stroked his beard sagely and ruled, “The musicians did not come in honor of either of you. Rather, they came for me, so I might have money for the upcoming Jewish holiday!” (R’ Gewirtz, Migdal Ohr)
