Thursday, July 19, 2012
Rewards
10:02 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
just reward
The midrash
says: "Hashem said: Pinchos legitimately obtained his reward [of kehuno]”.
How are we to understand this in the light of another Chazal which tells us
that there is no reward in this world?
Since
Torah and mitzvos have an eternal effect on the neshomo and on the upper worlds,
it would not be appropriate to limit the reward for our deeds to this ephemeral
world, and, therefore, in principle, our actions are rewarded only in the
eternal World to Come. However, someone who goes beyond the strict letter of
the halocho and performs actions, which he is not obligated to perform
merely out of his great love of Hashem, is rewarded mido keneged mido (measure
for measure), beyond the letter of the law, in this world too.
Pinchos
was not obligated to kill Zimri and in the specific situation in which Pinchos
found himself he was certainly not obligated to risk his life (the gemoro
in Sanhedrin relates various miracles that took place which saved him).
Hence, it was only fitting that Pinchos, who went far beyond the call of duty,
should receive his reward also in this world. So too are we rewarded in this
world whenever our actions are performed with extra love, devotion and dedication.
Compromise for the sake of Peace?
"I hereby give him My covenant of peace (25:12)
The vov in the
word sholom (peace) is cut short (ketuo), so that it reads shalem
(complete, whole). Since “the ways of the Torah are pleasant and all its paths
lead to peace”, observing the Torah must perforce also lead to peace. However,
sometimes we must abandon the ways of peace in order to preserve the
completeness of the Torah and the Jewish nation. Our secular and
quasi-religious brethren often preach that we should be more lenient, to make
life easier for them. If only we would be more flexible, they say, they would
be more amenable towards leading a religious lifestyle, or at least towards
meeting our requirements.
Our
response is that the Torah is not a man-made system of legislation, which is
ours to dispense with based on the whims of any particular generation. Genuine
peace cannot be achieved by cutting short even one letter of the Torah. When
the sheleimus (completeness) of the Torah is at stake, preserving it
takes precedence over preserving peace. For example, if our erring brethren
suggest "compromises" in the form of "only" so and so many
boys that must be drafted to the army, it is not within our power to agree to
such proposals.
Zealotry WITH LOVE
“Because
he was zealous for his G-d and atoned for the bnei Yisroel” (25:13)
The conventional
picture of a zealot is of someone who is cruel by nature and persecutes anyone
with views that do not take his fancy or merely as an act of personal vengeance
disguised as some holy endeavor. The genuine Torah zealot, by contrast, has no
personal score to settle with anybody. In fact, he should have no personal
interest whatsoever in the outcome of his actions. His sole desire is to increase
peace in the world.
Pinchos
risked his life in order to prevent a desecration of the Divine name. He was
overflowing with love for his fellow Jews, and the possuk here is emphasizing that his seemingly cruel
act aroused Divine mercy and atonement for the whole nation. Since he made peace
between Hashem and his holy Nation, he was rewarded with a covenant of peace.
It says
“his G-d” and not just “G-d”, because a person's closeness to Hashem depends on
his level of avodas Hashem. The closer he wants to be to Hashem, the
closer he actually becomes to Him. Thus, Pinchos attained his level of
zealousness by virtue of his personal closeness to Hashem.
Hidden enemies
“Harass
the Midianites, and smite them” (25:17)
Chazal
tell us that that we were not commanded to take vengeance on the Moabites, even
though they also submitted their daughters to immorality, because they did so
out of fear of the Jews, as opposed to the Midianites, who got involved in a
quarrel in which they had no personal interest, and also for the sake of Ruth
and Naama who were destined to issue from Moav.
However,
although this explains why we were forbidden to wage war against Moav, it still
seems surprising that we were not commanded to harass or hate them. Perhaps
this was because the daughters of Moav did not commit their actions in secret,
and did not conceal their intention to cause the Jews to sin, as opposed to the
Midianites, who furtively advised the Moabites from a distance to lead the Jews
astray through immorality. A hidden enemy who pretends to mean us no harm is
far more dangerous than a declared enemy, who we know to keep a distance from, and
that is why we were commanded to harass and smite the Midianites without mercy.
Feeling responsibility for the entire nation
“Korach's
sons did not die” (26:11)
Rashi: “They were originally involved in the conspiracy, but during the
dispute they contemplated repentance; therefore, an elevated area was set apart
for them in Gehinnom, and they stayed there”.
After
having been involved in the dispute and contemplating repentance, they should
have attempted to influence others to desist from the dispute. Instead, they
made do with saving their own skin and avoiding punishment by breaking away
from their previous sinful behavior. Since they did not feel a responsibility
for the welfare and fate of all their fellow Jews, they did not merit to enter gan
eden
If we feel
mutual responsibility for the interests of all yiden when there is a rebellion against Hashem or
His Torah, even in situations where our own interests are not
endangered, we will obtain the commensurate recompense awarded to the entire
nation, but if we are not concerned for the souls of our erring brethren, not
only will we not share in such a reward, but we will also be forced to witness
the punishment of the wicked, due to our failure to attempt to get them to desist
from their wicked deeds.
On the
other hand, not only were the sons of Korach spared from having to actually
endure gehinnom due to their
thoughts of repentance, but Shmuel, whose stature was equivalent to that
of Moshe and Aharon, issued from them, and their songs for the honor of Heaven are
also to be found in Tehilim. Clearly, then, their repentance was
accepted by Hashem. This shows how precious even thoughts of repentance are in
the eyes of Hashem, and the eternal rewards that await those who have them.
Spiritual heirs
If a
man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter (27:8)
The gemoro
(Masseches Bovo Basro 116a) derives from this possuk that whoever
does not leave a son behind to inherit him Hashem becomes angry with him. If
someone has not been fortunate enough to leave behind a son, what sin has he
committed?
The
inheritance referred to here is not a monetary or physical bequest, but rather that
of a son who continues in the path of his father after his demise. If a person
does not make the financial and emotional investments in the education of his
children required to ensure the future transmission of the Torah and the values
of our forefathers, he is held responsible for this failure.
In
addition to physical sons, a person leaves his mark through students, or anyone
on whom he has had a positive influence during his lifetime. Any time they
continue on the path set out by the deceased they bring about the everlasting
elevation of his neshomo so that he is amply rewarded for his efforts in
this world.
Moshe Rabbeinu’s VISION
“And when you have seen
it, you too will be gathered to your people” (27:13)
Moshe
Rabbeinu had no desire to see Eretz Yisroel like a tourist. By this
stage of his life he had become so pure and holy that his spiritual essence
dominated his physical senses, and his sense of sight was no exception. Hashem
was telling him that when he would ascend Mount Abarim he would perceive the
spiritual characteristics and advantages of the holy country, which he was not
permitted to enter in a way that no other flesh and blood could perceive, and
even Moshe Rabbeinu was only in a position to perceive this at the time that he
was about to depart from this world.
Jewish leaders
“And he
took Yehoshua” (28:22).
Rashi: He took him [by encouraging him] with words, and informed him of the
reward in store for the leaders of Israel
A Rebbe
once noted that the rewards awaiting Jewish leaders are limited to the World to
Come, since in this world they often endure only suffering for their actions. Yehoshua
had witnessed how the nation had treated Moshe Rabbeinu since he took them out
of Egypt
Lay
leaders of the community and askonim too should not expect any gratitude
or rewards for their actions in this world, but they will amply rewarded in the
World to Come for all their deeds.
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