AVROHOM YAAKOV
This week, Moshe reminds the people how he obtained the Luchos, the Tablets, from G-d.
“I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water.” (9;9)
The Yalkut explains that Moshe followed the customs of the place, and just as the angels did not eat nor drink, Moshe followed suit.
The question asked by commentators is why there is no mention made of whether Moshe slept?
THE DUBNA MAGID once arrived at an inn and was told by his host that there was no food to be had. Suspecting that he was being duped, the Magid feigned sleep and sure enough, when the innkeeper saw his guest was no longer awake, broke out the supplies. The Magid caught the man in the act and commented that he now had the answer why Moshe did not need to mention why he did not need to sleep when receiving the Torah.
Moshe could not have slept, otherwise he would not have been able to verify that the angels did not eat. If Moshe had slept, the angels may have eaten while he slumbered!
TOO OFTEN we jump to conclusions with little verification or proof. We assume that something has happened because a person refuses to answer a question or chooses a certain course of action.
You ask your child why they weren’t at school or came home later than expected. You ask your spouse to explain purchases that make no sense. Do you jump to negative conclusions when no answer is forthcoming?
Moshe did not rely on presumption – he did not sleep to be certain of his assumptions.
