Parshas Masei begins with the account of all the travels of the Yidden in the Midbar, naming each of the 42 מ ֹס ֹעות travels by name, e.g., they left: ד פ ק הֹ the place called “Dafka” and rested in: א לוּשֹ “Alush”. Whoever heard of “Dafka” and “Alush”? And what difference does it make to us? This whole Parsha of: מ ֹס ֹעוֹת travels is a strong message to us. We need to value every inch of our lives. Everything has a purpose, and the מ ֹס ֹעותֹ travels were Nisyonos in Savlanus (patience and tolerance). So many stop-signs all over the Midbar; they are a message that in your life, expect loads of: ע ֹיכֹוּב ֹים delays and: מ ֹנ ֹיעות (things you want that are withheld from you).
When people have a hard time waiting for a Shidduch, a business deal, having children, or getting into a Yeshiva, etc. they should remember Parshas Masei. Life is full of all kinds of disappointments. Not getting what you want is one of the greatest achievements of all mankind; if you accept your situation.
You Get Olam HaBah for Accepting All Those Situations That You Don’t Want
Waiting and waiting, and forever waiting is a tremendous discipline, and you get Olam HaBah for accepting all those situations that you don’t want. A: מ ֹס ֹע is a trip, and we don’t attach much importance to a trip, since it’s only a medium to get you to your final destination. But a Yid has to learn to value every inch of his life, since he is always being tested. And passing tests make you great, and gives you loads of Schar. (For example, respect and glorify and be: מ ֹעֲֹר ֹיךְֹ (give great value to) those precious moments that you are standing like a klutz and waiting for a bus...)
When you rave all-day about the greatness of Torah, Tzedaka, patience, or Bitachon, then it all becomes easier to do, since you are: מ ֹעֲֹר ֹיךְ (you give it value)! And when you make jokes and ridicule sins and weaknesses, they become much easier to overcome.
What Mussar Is
When Rabeinu Yonah in Mishlei explains what Mussar is, he says “to put-down the bad”. And earlier he says that “Mussar” means the scorn of Reshaim, and an awareness of the injury and damage they bring about. And in order to do what you’re supposed to do, you need to honor and appreciate what you’re doing. In Mishlei, Rabeinu Yonah says that when you are...
M'vazeh Chochma and Yiras Hashem, then you don’t learn, and he adds that you will not be Matzliach in learning Hashem’s wisdom if you don’t really value it.
You learn Torah and have Yiras Shamayim because you value and respect what you’re doing! And in the next Passuk, he says that when you are Osek in Chochma, it should be so precious and dear to you, that despite the great hardship involved, it should seem to you as if it was nothing. The reason why it becomes easy to learn Torah is because it is: יְּ קָ רָ ה חַ בִ יבָ ה וְּ חַ שׁוּקָ ה בְּ עֵ ינָ יו priceless, beloved, and thirsted for by you!
Become A TRUE HAPPY Masmid!
And he also says: ם לוֹשָׁ הַ ג וְּ נֶ עוֹהָ וֹבל לִ ן אֶ תֵ יִ וְּ הַ גְּ מוּל וְּ הַ שָ כָ ר Think of the pleasure and the peace and Menucha and the tremendous reward that awaits you! Now you’ll become a true happy Masmid! Further in Mishlei, Rabeinu Yonah speaks about the Maalos of Chesed and Emes. He says that included in Emes is: ו ֹאוה ֹבֹכ ֹבודֹצ ֹד ֹיק ֹיםֹו ֹש ֹפ ֹלוֹּתֹֹ ר ֹש ֹע ֹים to love respect of Tzaddikim, and the downgrading of Reshaim.
He continues: ו ֹד ֹעֹכ ֹיֹמ ֹעֲֹלוֹתֹח ֹס ֹדֹו א ֹמוּנ ֹהֹג ֹדולוֹתֹֹ ו ע ֹצוּמוֹּת,ֹא ֹיןֹק ֹצ ֹהֹל ֹת ֹכֹוּנ ֹתֹמ ֹעֲֹל ֹתֹמ ֹיֹש ֹמ ֹג ֹיע ֹֹֹ ל ֹש ֹל ֹמוּת ֹםֹֹרבינוֹיונהֹשםֹ Know, that the Maalos of Chesed and Emuna are very great, and there is no end to the greatness of one who has achieved them. Look how Rabeinu Yonah builds up the greatness of Chesed and Emuna without end! Then he says that even a person who has no access to money can become great in Chesed, for example by honoring the poor. Without any effort, a person in Zoche to a very great reward, by wishing to do Tzedaka and Chesed, sticking up for the poor, desiring the Midda of Tzedaka, strengthening those who give Tzedaka, and rejoicing over acts of Tzedaka.
Look how excited Rabeinu Yonah is about the Midda of Chesed and Tzedaka! Now you’ll do Tzedaka and Chesed with tremendous respect for yourself and for others who engage in these Mitzvos, and you’ll respect: ע ֹנ ֹי ֹיםֹ the poor! How much Simcha you have when you build up what you’re doing!
Constantly Glorify “Tov” (Good) And Be M'vazeh “Ra” (Bad)
Then he continues to show how important it is to constantly praise and respect good Middos, and how to constantly denounce those who aren’t involved in Middos Tovos. This will motivate you and others to keep working on your Middos. And later he says how you have to be M'chabed and love and praise and stick up for Tzaddikim, and to look down and be M'vazeh and hate Reshaim. (And he speaks again about the huge Schar (ש ֹכ ֹרֹ ֹהָ עָ צוּם) for being involved in: יםי ֹנ ֹע ֹ the poor).
He speaks about the “sweetness” and the “Refua” of Chochma, and about the Ma'ala of Tzedaka. In his Sefer, Shaarei Teshuva, Rabeinu Yonah has the same theme, constantly glorifying “Tov” (good) and being M'vazeh “Ra” (bad). He speaks about: יםל ֹט ֹיםֹ ב ֹר ֹב ֹד ֹ idle chatter, and how you lose: ה ֹנ ֹע ֹימוּתֹֹ ו ֹל ֹק ֹנותֹ עוה ֹ"ב true enjoyment and eternal life, and he is being M'vazeh (humiliates) the Mitzvos and the Schar of Olam HaBah, since he has the opportunity to be Osek in Torah and he snubs it.
And he says what an: להֹו ֹע ֹ injustice it is that people’s ears were never “opened” to hear about the value of being Osek in Torah, and therefore they view it as unimportant. Therefore we are obligated to educate the masses about the value of learning, so that their hearts should desire Torah, and even those who are incapable, at least they will know the splendor of Torah. And he speaks about the punishment of: גֵׁחֲזִּי Geichazi who called his Rebbe by his name, since he wasn’t Machshiv Torah enough.
A Mitzva Has to Be Precious and Beautiful in Your Eyes
He explains why a person who doesn’t wear Tzitzis will be punished: עַל דְ בַר אֲשֶר לֹא חָמַד בִּלְבָבוֹ יֹפִי הַמִצְוָה וּשְֹכָרָהּ for the lack of his heart’s desire for the beauty of the Mitzva and its Schar (reward). Look how precious and beautiful a Mitzva has to be in your eyes! And how we need to value the Schar that we’ll get, and always remind ourselves about these things.
He says that those who praise Tzaddikim, their Zechus is so great until Shamayim. A person can get a Derech in Avodas Hashem from Rabeinu Yonah. And in Slabodka and Novardok they were also involved in praising Mitzvos and making fun of bad Middos. This could Mamash change your life and make Avodas Hashem much easier; if you keep building up the positives for your unique Avoda and playing down the negatives.
R’ Avigdor Miller Zatzal mentions this Rabeinu Yonah in Shaarei Teshuva about those who praise Tzaddikim, and that he says your Schar is so great, till Shamayim, even though it’s so easy to do. This causes you (and others) to go in the Derech HaTorah, and it becomes much easier and desirable. What a Kiddush Hashem! Yet, the same Rabeinu Yonah says that having Bitachon gives you Schar: מֵ עַ ל ֹֹש ֹמ ֹי ֹם higher than Shamayim. Now we see the greatness of Bitachon!
And in Mishlei, Rabeinu Yonah mentions that Mishlei starts off with Emuna and Bitachon, and only later Mussar and Middos, because Emuna and Bitachon is #1!
