Scrutinizing Separate Section
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
The Torah, although sometimes enigmatic, is an extremely logical document. Therefore, when something appears out of place, we are compelled to seek the reason for this anomaly. Parshat Behaalotcha contains just such an anomaly. In the middle of the parshah, separated by two inverted letter nuns, we find two verses that seem out of place: "When the Ark would journey, Moses said, 'Arise Hashem and let Your foes be scattered... And when it rested, he would say, 'שובה/Reside tranquilly among the myriad thousands of Israel.' "
We are familiar with these verses as we recite them during services when the Sefer Torah is removed from the Ark and when it is returned to the Ark. Rabbi Druck tells us that these moments are particularly propitious times to pray for Divine help in spiritual challenges. As the verse states, Moshe asks Hashem to scatter the negative forces, Hashem's enemies to our spiritual growth.
But, we ask why these verses are included at this point, just as Bnei Yisroel are poised to enter the Land, breaking the momentum of the journey? In fact, many of our commentators suggest that these two verses actually form an additional Book of the Torah, making our Torah not a Pentateuch, five books, but a Heptateuch, seven books. [Dividing Bamidbar into two, before and after, and adding this "Book."] But what is the message it is meant to convey? As Rabbi Bernstein poses the questions, why are these two verses considered a separate book, and why are they set off specifically by two inverted nuns?
Letitcha Elyon, citing Rabbi Eisenman makes an interesting observation. While Hashem decided when Bnei Yisroel would travel and when they would rest, the clouds themselves did not begin the journey, and, by extension, Bnei Yisroel did not move, until Moshe directed Hashem to, "Arise..." Herein lies a profound message, that each of us has the ability to reach our spiritual potential, for each of us was created in tzelem Elokhim, in God's image. Just as the Divine clouds waited for Moshe's human command, so too does each of us have the power to access Hashem.
In Ruach Eliyahu, Rabbi Svei zt”l quotes the Klei Yakar who notes that nun is another word meaning fish. Drawing on Yaakov's blessing to Ephraim and Menashe, "...to multiply as fish...," This section is therefore the mitzvah of being fruitful and multiplying. Rabbi Svei suggests that the inverted nuns creating a separate book of these two verses is meant to teach us the importance of every individual, for Hashem's presence comes down to rest on Bnei Yisroel in the presence of 22,000 souls. ["Myriads" = 2 x 10,00; "thousands" = 2,000.] Every one of us has a unique mission to help bring down God's presence. The Torah urges us to value our own individual worth, our own specialness.
Each person is considered a Sefer Torah in his own right. Each person must feel that the world was created for him. Don't invalidate yourself by making other people and other things more important than yourself, don't make them your gods. And as a corollary, we can conclude that the essence of man's existence is to serve God and withstand the trials of the world, writes the Ramchal in The Path of the Just, for we are all on our individual paths in this world.
On this path of life, we must try to access Hashem both during times of flux and during calm times, writes the Slonimer Rebbe in Netivot Shalom. The challenges, the nisyonot, are meant to challenge us to rise to the occasion, to raise us up, to be a nes lehitnoseis, We pray that Hashem scatter all the blockages to our reaching our potential and help us overcome and grow.
Each of us is special, with our own unique challenges along our personal journey of life. Each day presents its own challenges and its own energy. As the Torah writes, "Re'eh/Look, I have set before you Hayom/today..." Today, every day, is a challenge to choose to elevate God's Name through our actions. If you look for opportunities, you will wee them around you constantly in your interactions with others, in a simple act of holding the door for the person behind you, in giving a smile to a stranger. When given an opportunity to do good, don't procrastinate; "tomorrow" is the mantra of Amalek. Recognize that there are no coincidences in the world, that every detail, large or small, presents an opportunity if you just open your eyes and look. As Rabbi Wolfson zt’l quoting the Ba’al Shem Tov Hakadosh tells us, even the falling of each leaf is choreographed by Hashem, certainly every footstep of man is also planned. We believe we make plans for our own purposes, but it is really Hashem's agenda we are fulfilling within our plans.
Similarly, writes Rabbi Kluger, each of us is presented with our own personal challenges. What I find challenging may present no difficulty for another, and conversely, what another may find challenging is no problem for me. We are meant to face our particular challenge, loshon horo, miserliness, proper prayer, etc. We have the Torah to help us. When we overcome our particular temptation, we should recognize that we have persevered and won, and we should be grateful.
The only way to overcome hardships is with the Torah, writes the Novominsker Rav zt”l.. The nun represents, nefilah/falling, but through Torah you can reverse it and rise to new spiritual highs.
But why did the Torah choose to put this passage here? Letitcha Elyon cites the Saba of Slabodka zt”l. Throughout their journey in the desert, Bnei Yisroel encountered many challenges. Often, they did not rise above them, falling into negative behavior. The Torah here recounts three of these failures. But the Torah does not want to create a chain of three negatives, so the Torah inserted this passage to give hope to Bnei Yisroel. Two failures are recorded before this break, and one after. Yet throughout this time, Hashem remains with Bnei Yisroel; Hashem still travels with them, and they can overturn their failures.
That is why this passage belongs exactly here, writes Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi zt”l, for the Torah always wants to preserve the dignity of Bnei Yisroel. Similarly, we must always try to preserve the dignity of our fellow man and show respect to everyone. Showing respect to another is the highest form of chesed, for it infuses the other individual with life itself, adds Rabbi Kestenbaum. Just as we instinctively honor great individuals, so should we respect every human being, regardless of their perceived stature. When we show them respect, when we ask about them, when they feel our love and regard, they begin to view themselves as a worthy and valuable person.
The Book is divided at this point to present two contrasting themes in Sefer Bamidbar, writes Rabbi Moshe Shapiro zt”l in Mima'amakim. Before this break, we have the idealized world of Bnei Yisroel in the desert. Their encampments are perfect. Had Bnei Yisroel retained their perfection, they would have entered Eretz Yisroel is this state and never been exiled. After this break, we have all the stumblings and punishments, an omen of our future history, a history that rises and falls, rises and falls. This section forms the bridge between the two sections. In order to survive, we need this Sefer to remind us that in spite of our sins, in spite of our fallings and failings, Hashem will always be with us, will always travel with us.
How does one rise and do teshuvah when he has fallen? In The Juggler and the King, Rabbi Feldman quotes Chazal who compare the world to the letter ה/heh, a letter of connection to God, for Hashem created the world with this letter (בהבראם). It is so easy to fall down, to indulge in our earthly urges through the large opening at the bottom. But in order to reenter and repair our relationship, we must raise ourselves even higher and enter through the small opening at the top. These two verses remind us that we can return, indeed Hashem asks us to return. שובה is not just asking Hashem לשב/to reside and rest, but is also urging us לשוב/to return to Him, for He is waiting for us.
The two inverted nuns are like the cherubim who, when they are facing each other, represent the perfect world within. But even when they face outward, we have the ability to turn them around to face each other again in perfect love. The two verses of this Sefer, writes Rabbi Wolfson, do not not really comprise the entire Book; it is symbolically being continually added to as Bnei Yisroel continues our history. The Torah and Hashem's spirit goes with us throughout our travels. As we take the Sefer Torah out of the Ark and return it, the Torah goes with us, the letters representing all the Jewish souls wherever our journey takes us. We can turn the letters around, rise up, and return fully to the fractured but unbreakable connection with Hashem.