A Leader’s measured rebuke and darshening effectively by not charging a fee
From the teachings of Maran Rebbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l (written by his grandson HaRav HaGaon Rav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom)
Our chachamim said, “Yerushalayim was only destroyed because of not sufficiently studying Torah”.
This Shabbat, in Parashat Devarim we shall read in the Parashah, “These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael on the east bank of the Jordan, in the desert [and] in the Aravah, near Suf, in the vicinity of Paran, Tofel, Lavan, Chatzerot and Di Zahav” (Devarim 1:1). What is the meaning of all the places which are mentioned in the passuk?
Close to Moshe Rabbeinu passing away he rebuked Am Yisrael for all of the events that happened in the desert. Every name which is mentioned in this passuk is indicative of a different sin of Am Yisrael.
“In the desert”, Moshe alluded to Am Yisrael’s immediate sin when they entered the desert, namely that after each person finished to eat what they had brought with them for provisions for the journey, they cried out, “If only we had died by Hashem’s hand in Egypt…But you had to bring us out to this desert, to kill the entire community by starvation!” (Shemot 16:3), they began crying thinking that they were going to die from starvation! This was considered a grave sin.
Hashem had brought them out of Egypt, split the sea for them, did signs and great wonders, and now what did they think to themselves? That Hashem wishes to kill them from starvation? They should have held back for all that would have been just one day! Since the next day, when they actually needed food, Hashem said to them, “I will make bread rain down to you from the sky. The people will go out and gather enough for each day” (ibid.). But they weren’t restrained and instead resented Moshe and Aron for no reason. Moshe indicated this to them when he mentioned the place “the desert”.
“In the Aravah”, Moshe alluded to their sin with Ba’al Pe’or, that they went with the impure daughters of Moav and Midyan. This episode occurred in “Aravah”.
“Near Suf”, he hinted to them about Kriyat Yam Suf (the splitting of the sea), that immediately after the sea split for them, Am Yisrael stood on the dry land and there were amongst them those of little faith who said, just as we came out of this path, so the Egyptians are about to go up from the sea through another path, and they will come and kill us! What a thought?! Hashem split the sea for them! Instead of saying thank you very much, you are saying that He will have performed a miracle such as this also for Egypt? Where is the logic? Until Hashem said to his prince of the sea (the angel in charge of the sea), that he spew out the bodies of the Egyptians onto the shore as it states, “Am Yisrael saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore” only then does it state, “They believed in Hashem and His servant Moshe” (Shemot 14:30).
“In the vicinity of Paran”, here Moshe referred to them about the incident of the spies, as it was from Paran that Moshe sent them to spy out the land and they returned on the 8th of Av and incited the people, and on that night, the night of Tish B’Av (9th of Av), it states, “That night, the people wept” (Bamidbar 14:1), Hashem said to them, you cried for nothing, I will establish for you crying for generations! (Ta’anit 29a).
“In the vicinity of Tofel”, indicates their complaints about the manna that descended for them from heaven, which was the food of angels, “It tasted like a honey doughnut” (Shemot 16:31). Yet they weren’t embarrassed to complain, whilst saying, “We are disgusted with this insubstantial food”! (Bamidbar 21;5). This insubstantial bread? If only we had a piece of this manna! This is what was meant when it states “In the vicinity of Tofel”, that they hurled accusations against the manna (Sifrei, Parashat Devarim, ch. 1, Mul Suf).
“In the vicinity of Di Zahav”, he alluded to them the affair of the golden calf, that due to Am Yisrael’s excessive wealth they sinned and fashioned a calf out of gold.
However, why didn’t Moshe rebuke them directly? Why was everything alluded to? The reason is that Hashem loves Am Yisrael and doesn’t want to embarrass them, therefore when they are intelligent, they should be awakened only with hints and they will independently understand. A person who rebukes others, must rebuke them with humility and wisdom, they won’t overtly blame them!
However, there is a further important point here to be aware of when stirring others. There was once a gaon, philosopher and kabbalist, a great person called Rebbi Yehudah Aryeh of Modena z”l (1571-1648) who has a book called “Ari Nohem” and responsa. This gaon was graced by Hashem with a great talent for learning, his was literally a fulfilment of the passuk, “the words of his palate are sweet and he is all delight” [Shir HaShirim 5:16]. He lived in Italy (Venice) and during his time there was a huge bet knesset in the city which could seat a thousand men.
One day the gabbaim of the bet knesset came to the rav and asked him that since they don’t have a rav who can give derashot that he come on Shabbat to the bet knesset and give them a derashah before Musaph. The rav replied that since the bet knesset was far from his home and he was getting old he was unable to come and give them a derashah. The gabbaim greatly pressured him to head to their request to come just for one Shabbat. Until the rav was unable to withstand their pressures and he ceded to their request to come and give them a derashah.
On Shabbat Kodesh before Musaph the rav was honoured to stand before the whole kehillah and he gave a derashah for a full hour about the Parashah of the week. The rav darshened and his mouth spoke pearls and gems! The congregation made their ears receptive to hear his sweet words and they very much enjoyed it. They were literally unaware that a whole hour had passed!
On Sunday the gabbaim came to the rav’s home. They said to him, “Kavod harav we have brought you something, not chas veshalom as a payment, for it is impossible to paid his honour for the words more precious than gold and fine gold, just a token due to ‘appreciation’, we brought his honour a gold watch!” The rav saw and accepted the watch. The gabbaim said to him, “Kavod harav, his honour saw how much the congregation benefitted from his words on Shabbat, do us a favour for Hashem’s sake and darshen before us also this coming Shabbat, this is a matter of meriting the many!” The rav responded, “I cannot! It is difficult for me to make the journey to you on Shabbat!” The gabbaim said to him, “How hard is it? Since this Shabbat his honour already came to us, if so, just like on one Shabbat his honour was able to walk, so shall he do also on this coming Shabbat!” The rav answered them, “Fine, I will come also this Shabbat! One Shabbat and that will be enough!”
The rav was further honoured to darshan and the bet knesset was packed from wall to wall and all the congregation were listening most intently to every word that came out of his mouth, “words that come out of the heart enter the heart!” [The source of this adage is Rav Moshe ibn Ezra z”l 1055-1140 in his Shirat Yisrael.] A whole hour did the rav speak and then he returned home.
On the next day, Sunday, again the gabbaim arrived at the rav’s home, they said to him, “Kavod harav the payment which his honour is entitled to has no bounds, but we have just brought a token gift, they produced an expensive chandelier and presented it to the rav.” Immediately afterwards they again pressured the rav that he come again on the next Shabbat to the bet knesset to darshan for a third time since “a three-ply cord Is not easily severed” [see Kohelet 4:12] and the rav’s words in a further derashah will certainly make a tremendous impression!
The rav agreed and again arrived in the bet knesset , but this Shabbat the rav’s derashah was extraordinary, above anything that the kehillah had heard. The derashah was full of words of wisdom which were pleasant for the ear to hear and the congregation rejoiced in it in an exceptional way.
Again on Sunday the gabbaim went up to the rav’s home and presented him with a unique gift, an etrog box of pure silver! And as they were accustomed to, they again pressured the rav that he continue to give derashot in their bet knesset. The rav answered, “Enough! I already told you that I will darshan a third time because ‘a three-ply cord Is not easily severed’, and is now required ‘a four-ply cord’? What do you want from me?” They pressured and pressured, and attempted to convince the rav that he present on a permanent basis in the bet knesset.
Eventually the rav conceded, but he said to them, “I have a condition! Before I become the permanent darshan in your holy camp, take with you all the gifts which you gave me, the watch, the chandelier, the etrog box, take everything with you! Only then will I agree to darshan!”
The gabbaim were astonished. “What’s the connection? Why is the rav not prepared to accept the gifts?” The rav replied to them, “I will respond with a parable. A person entered a watch shop. He was interested in a unique expensive gold watch, he paid the full price and immediately in front of the seller he took the watch and threw it on the floor smashing it at his feet! The shop keeper won’t be angry with such a person, since he paid for the watch, on the contrary perhaps now he will buy another watch!
“In contrast a chatan stood under the chuppah and one of his loved ones came to him and in their hand was a gold watch which they purchased as a gift with their money. Suddenly the chatan took the watch and threw it to the ground and smashed it at his feet! Surely such behaviour will offend the giver! How dare the chatan despised his precious gift! This is so offensive!
‘The analogy is as follows. I see that I gave derashot in the bet knesset three times. Indeed the congregation were attentive and very much enjoyed them, but I didn’t notice that the words influenced them to change their ways, and why is this? Because they know that the gabbaim took money from the congregation’s funds, and bought gifts from it! If so, the feeling of the congregation is that they paid me for the derashot! And now they don’t care to address things in a practical level! In contrast to this, when I speak for free and the congregation hear the derashah and they know that I don’t receive payment for it, they won’t be brazened to despise the matters, the rav stands and makes every effort in his old age to darshan, surely they will learn that they must change their ways!”
Likewise with Moshe Rabbeinu a”h he said to Am Yisrael, “See! I have taught you rules and laws as Hashem my L-rd has commanded me” (Devarim 4:5), “Just like I taught for free - so shall you teach for free”, Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t take a penny from Am Yisrael, because then, each person that influences the community for the sake of heaven, Hashem gives him grace and kindness that his words be heard.
Each person that has the ability to enthuse others to fulfil Torah and mitzvot, especially regarding Torah-study, for through the merit of Torah-study Hashem will send Eliyahu HaNavi because the Bet HaMikdash was destroyed due to not sufficiently studying Torah. Likewise the redemption will be due to the merit of Torah-study, as it states, “Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant, which I commanded him at Chorev for all of Yisrael – [its] decrees and [its] statutes”, and immediately after this the prophet said, “Behold, I send you Eliyahu HaNavi before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem. And he will turn back [to Hashem] the hearts of fathers with [their] sons and the hearts of sons with their fathers” (Malachi 3:22-4).
We yearn to hear the news of Eliyahu HaNavi, as it states, “How pleasant are the footsteps of the herald upon the mountains announcing peace, heralding good tidings, announcing salvation, saying unto Zion, ‘Your G-d has reigned!’” (Yeshayahu 52:7).
May it be Hashem’s will that we merit to see in the comfort of Zion and Yerushalayim speedily in our days, amen.
Shabbat Shalom and have a meaningful fast!
###
About Us - Halacha Yomit
The “Halacha Yomit” website was established in the year 2005 (5765). The goal of the Halacha Yomit team is to spread Torah knowledge, specializing in a broad range of Halacha topics. Extensive emphasis is placed on the clarification of halachic sources and explanations of how to rule on Torah law. This is done in order to publicize that our Torah is a guide for life and there is no such thing as a halachic issue, which does not have a solution that is written in the works of the earlier or later Poskim, whose words serve as our nation’s guiding light. Thank G-d, we have merited that, as of yet, thousands of people have joined Halacha Yomit to learn on a daily basis, in addition to those who visit the site from time to time to take advantage of its vast halachic treasury. For more information visit Halacha Yomit.