Parshas Pinchas
In this week’s parsha Moshe Rabbeinu, knowing that his end was near, asked Hashem to appoint a spiritual successor for Klal Yisrael. Hashem agreed, and told Moshe to appoint Yehoshua.
This may seem to us like the logical choice, but it was in no ways simple. Recall that in the beginning of Parshas Shlach, Yehoshua was listed fifth among the meraglim, and the Ramban (13:4) notes there that the order was based on gadlus in Torah (because we can see that the list was not based on the tribes’ order of birth or their formation in the midbar). Also, the Gemara (Temura 16a) records a case in Yehoshua’s time when 300 halachos were forgotten and it was Osniel ben Knaz — not Yehoshua — who restored them with his pilpul. Clearly, Yehoshua was not the greatest Torah scholar in the nation. In what merit, ask many meforshim, was Yehoshua appointed the spiritual leader of Klal Yisrael?
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz suggests that we can find the answer within a comment of the Seforno on this week’s parsha (27:18):
Yehoshua is described as a leader with “ruach bo,” a “man of spirit.” These enigmatic words, explains the Seforno, mean that Yehoshua was “ready to receive the light of the face of the living G-d.”
How does the Seforno’s definition fit into the words “man of spirit”? First of all, what exactly is “spirit?” Spirit refers to a person’s inner drive toward avodas Hashem. Everyone possesses this drive in some form; some more than others. However, some of us never allow this drive to develop. Yehoshua was not like this. “Ruach bo” means he actualized his spiritual potential. Yehoshua developed his spirit to the extent that he was always ready and willing to receive still more ruchaniyus. This was Yehoshua’s prime attribute.
Another demonstration of Yehoshua’s eagerness to grow greater in ruchaniyus is found in Shmos 33:11, where he is described as one who “never departed from the tent.” Rashi (Pirkei Avos 1:1) explains the intent as being that Yehoshua had from his youth always devoted himself totally to Torah study.
In short, while among Yehoshua’s peers there may have been people more gifted in learning, we see from the above that it is more important to be a mevakesh — one who is always looking to learn more. For this attribute Yehoshua merited the spiritual leadership of Klal Yisrael.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz goes on to ask: To what extent should one be a mevakesh?
The answer again comes from Yehoshua, who after Maamad Har Sinai escorted Moshe Rabbeinu to the foot of the mountain (Shmos 24:13, Rashi) and then remained there, waiting 40 days until Moshe returned.
Why did Yehoshua remain there at the foot of the mountain? He knew that Moshe would not be returning for another 40 days! Moreover, Yehoshua had no food with him. The manna arrived each morning at people’s tents, but Yehoshua was now far from his tent…?
Why couldn’t he have gone back home and on the 39th day returned early to greet his teacher, Moshe Rabbeinu?
This, says Rav Shmuelevitz, shows how careful Yehoshua was never to waste a moment of learning from his great Rebbe. Yehoshua reasoned that perhaps Moshe would come down from the mountain earlier than expected. Even if there was only a slight chance of having more time with him, and even if it was unclear how he would sustain himself, Yehoshua was there and waiting, to make sure he gained as much Torah as he could. (As for his food, in Yoma 76a it states that Hashem made a miracle for Yehoshua and his manna arrived for him at the foot of the mountain).This can serve for us as an example of a true mevakesh.
Each of us must use every opportunity he has for Torah study, but we should bear in mind that that there is a danger. Namely, the more one does something — even something as lofty and important as Torah study — it can become mundane and lose its luster. As the saying goes, “familiarity breeds contempt.” (See Avos 1:4 and the Yaavetz’s fascinating description of this problem, which many of us can surely relate to.)
The Chazon Ish would admonish people to maintain and develop the importance they feel toward Torah. “We have no idea how precious every minute that one learns Torah is in the eyes of Hashem,” he would say.
To illustrate this, the Chazon Ish would relate that the Taz (17th century commentator on the Shulchan Aruch) once brought a lawsuit against his father-in-law, the Bach (a commentator on the Arbaah Turim — the Ashkenazic precursor to the Shulchan Aruch) before a beis din. In the marriage agreement, the Bach had agreed to provide the Taz with meat every day so he would have the energy needed to learn well. Apparently, some years after the marriage, the Bach needed to economize and began providing his son-in-law with lung-meat instead of beef. The Taz noticed that this change left him slightly weaker, causing his learning to suffer … for about two minutes each day.
In explaining why he was suing his father-in-law over such a seemingly trivial matter, the Taz explained: “I know that because my learning suffers for these two minutes, a great anger is aroused in heaven against my father-in-law. If the beis din will rule that my father-in-law is in fact fulfilling his agreement then the anger against him will stop. If not, this ruling will force him to supply beef and when my learning improves this too will cause the anger to stop.”
How precious these few minutes of the Taz’s learning were in Shamayim!
The Chazon Ish as well served as a living example of this ideal. Once, the Chazon Ish was found in the morning on his bed, his feet on the pillow and his head at the foot of the bed. When asked why he had not lied down in the normal way, the Chazon Ish answered: I always learn until I have no energy left. If I would have had the energy needed to decide where I would land on the bed, I would have used it for learning instead.
May we be zoche to appreciate and utilize every minute of Torah study!