Parshat Chukas 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read towards the end of this week's parsha that Bnei Yisrael sang about the wonders of the Be'er. This was the miraculous spring which accompanied them throughout their sojourn in the desert and provided them with water. Rashi makes mention of this Be'er earlier in the parsha as being in the merit of Miriam and this is why after Miriam dies, Bnei Yisrael lose their source of proper drinking water. If this Be'er accompanied them during their entire time in the desert, why is it only now after Miriam has died and they are about to enter Eretz Yisrael that they first sing the praises of this Be'er?
Rashi answers by describing a miracle which occurred to Bnei Israel prior to their singing the song about the Be'er. Once the wonders of the Be'er were clarified to them, they sang it a song of praise. This is why precisely at this juncture, as Bnei Yisrael are about to enter Eretz Yisrael, they sang the sang of the Be'er.
The Sfas Emes brings a deeper explanation of why they waited until this point. The song begins with the words (Chapter 21, Pasuk 18), Be'er Chafaruha Sarim, the Be'er was dug by officers. Rashi explains that this means that the officers of the nation, specifically Moshe and Aharon, dug the Be'er. The Sfas Emes teaches in the name of the Chidushei HaRim that the officers in the pasuk refer to those special individuals who are disciplined and have self-control. This is based on the Gemara in Baba Basra which teaches on the pasuk in our parsha (Chapter 21, Pasuk 27), Al Kein Yomru HaMoshlim Bo'u Cheshbon, Eilu HaMoshlim B'Yitzram. These are the special people who have control over their yetzer hara. Bo'u Cheshbon, Bo'u U'Nechashev Chesbono shel Olam; Hefsed Mitzvah K'Neged Secharah, U'Sechar Aveirah K'Neged Hefsedah. Let us make an accounting and consider the financial loss of doing a mitzvah as opposed to its ultimate benefit, and the temporary benefit and pleasure from doing an aveirah as opposed to its ultimate loss and damage. It was these types of individuals who were involved in beginning the digging the wells of the water which sustained Bnei Yisrael in the desert, and lead the way for the others to follow suit.
The next words in the pasuk of song are Karuha Nedivei Am; it was dug by the generous of the nation. He explains that this is a reference to the simple members of the nation who are of a generous spirit. They wish to extend themselves and become closer to Hashem; this is their generosity of spirit. And once the officers, the disciplined leaders of the generation begin the process of digging, the simpler members of the nation who wish to find a connection to Hashem and His Torah, are able to continue the process and dig deeper.
The pasuk in parshat Mishpatim which obligates a person for damaging by digging a ditch states (Chapter 21, Pasuk 33), Ki Yiftach Ish Bor O Ki Yichreh Ish Bor. The Gemara in Baba Kama 51A learns that this pasuk is coming to obligate not only the one who digs a ditch, but even the one who takes a preexisting ditch and makes it deeper is obligated for damages; Koreh Achar Koreh. And this is the same term used in the song, Karuha Nadivei Am, those who continue the digging process begun by the leaders.
The Mesilas Yesharim uses this concept of the disciplined leaders being the guides for others in his famous example of the garden maze. Life can be very confusing, similar to a garden maze where all the paths seem similar and it's hard to distinguish between the correct path and the wrong way. Only those who have been through it before and know the way, those who are Moshlim B'Yitzram, are able to guide the less experienced through the trials and tribulations of life and reach their proper destination. Similarly, once the leaders lead the way in digging through the waters of Torah, the others are able to follow suit.
One of the questions asked regarding the song of the Be'er is why Moshe Rabbeinu isn't mentioned. The Sfas Emes explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was on a much higher level than this generation which was about to enter Eretz Yisrael. They were digging deep and finding Torah in places which Moshe couldn't reach. Moshe Rabbeinu was more connected to Torah Shebichsav, Torah he received from Hashem in the heavens. This new generation was more connected to Torah She'bealpeh, the Torah achieved through intense desire and hard work and involvement in the physical world. Moshe's place was not in this song.
This is why they sang the song at this juncture. This was the generation about to enter Eretz Yisrael and begin a life of being in the world and having Torah at the same time. And their Torah would only be achieved through a strong desire to learn and dig deep and find Torah in the most remote of sources. Moshe Rabbeinu had brought them until this point, and now it was time for the disciplined leaders to lead Bnei Yisrael to the next level of digging and finding the waters of Torah. When they left Mitzrayim it was Az Yashir Moshe; as they were about to enter Eretz Yisrael it became Az Yashir Yisrael.
Good Shabbos
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