בית יעקב הכולל פרשת מסעי

Concepts -מושגים

ו ל א תסב נחלה ממטה למטה אחר כי איש בנחלתו ידבקו מטות בני ישראל. הנה בפ׳ ויקרא נכתבו כל קדושות ועבודות ישראל על סדר קרבנות. וגם נכתב קדושת ישראל אל סדר מקומות הרבה פעמים. ובפרשת פינחס נכתב על סדר זמנים . ובסדרה הזאת נכתב קדושת ישראל על סדר המקרים שהקרה לפניהם.

In Parshas Masei we learn about the travels of the Jewish people in the desert. This is followed by the Heads of Shevet Menashe, voicing concern, that if inheritance of land passes to daughters and the daughters marry into another Shevet, then the Shevet will lose land. Moshe reassures them saying (36:7), "The inheritance will not pass to another, because everyone will cling to their inheritance." What's the connection between the travels in the desert and question of losing the tribal inheritance? The בית יעקב explains, in Parshas Vayikra we see the all of the Kedusha and Avodah that come about to the Jews as a result of the Korbanos. We see the Kedeusha of the Jewish people as a result of different places, in many times in the Chumash. In Parshas Pinchas we see the Kedusha of time. In this Parsha we see the Kedusha of the Jewish people in the throughout everything that happens to them, throughout the 42 different stops, which comprise the history of the Jews in the desert. Despite, and as a result of all of the journeys of a person's life, they arrive at their own personal Kedusha, their significance, holiness and self development.

ולכן סיום הסדרה כי איש בנחלתו ידבקו. כי לכל אדם שייך מצוה אחת בשורשו.

Therefore in this week's Parsha the Pasuk says, "Each person will cling to their inheritance." Each person has mitzvah which is at the root of their souls. This means that there is a uniqueness and significance to a person all their own.

וכל הנסיונות שיבאו לפני האדם הם לטובתו. כדי שלא יגע אחר במה שמוכן לו

Understanding this in context, there are so many travel, travails and challenges which a person must overcome, (expressed by the 42 desert stops) but then we are told that we will arrive at our persona spiritual significance (as expressed by the portion regarding inheritances, and the assurance that we never will lose them.) Therefore, every challenge which a person has is for their own benefit. Only that specific person can have those challenges and Grow from those challenges. No one else in the world could have the benefit of those challenges except for you.

. וכמו שמבואר בגמרא (שבח י׳ ב) הנוחן מתנה לחברו צריך להודיעו וכו .מכאן אמר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל הנוחן פת לתינוק צריך להודע לאמו. מאי עביד ליה.אמר אביי שאיף ליה משתא ומלי ליה כוחלא. והאידנא דחיישינן לכשפים מאי. אמר רב פפא שאיף ליה מאותו המין.

The בית יעקב links this concept with the Gemara (Shabbos 10b) it says that a person who gives a present to his friend he must tell them. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel says, "Therefore, a person who gives bread to child, must alert the child's mother." The Gemara asks, "What should he do? Abaye says put some oil on his nose and a little blue on his face." The Gemara responds, "But nowadays that we are concerned about magic, and that the child might have somehow been involved in something of the sort, what do we do?" Rav Papa said, "Wipe a little bit of whatever you gave him on his face."

. כי כשפים רומז על חוצפא כלפי שמיא

Let's understand this puzzling Gemara. Anytime you give someone a present, you need to tell them. So too, if you feed someone else's' child , you must let them know. We used to put a little color on their face, but now that there is a concern of magic, we leave whatever they ate on their face. What is Magic? The Gemara tells us that Magic is Chutzpah against Hashem. Why? Hashem made the world in a certain way and the Sorcerer has the gall to try to change the natural order of the world's function!

והנה באם היה נותן הקב״ה מתנה לעולם הזה בלבוש תפארת אז היו הכל קופצין עליו. לכן שאיף ליה מאותו המין וממילא נראית בעולם הזה כצמצום

What is the danger of chutzpah, then, and what does this have to with spiritual growth and achievement. If Hashem were to give a present to this world in a beautiful garment, meaning in a way that everyone could access it, everyone would jump on it. Think about it fulfillment, growth of self and personality, and if it's readily available, how many people would rush for it.

Therefore, the Gemara says, wipe a bit of the item (like bread crumbs) on their face. You can see a little bit of the spiritual treasures which await you, but it's hard to see.

. כמו שבת שרומז על לעתיד שלא יצטרך האדם למעשה ידיו ובעולם הזה נראה כצמצום. ואם יאמר האדם אם כן איך יגיע האדם השייך להטובה איך יגיע לה מאחר שנראית כצמצום

This is just like on Shabbos which alludes to the world to come, where a person will not need the work of their hands, because they but in this world it looks like a person is doing very less. If a person would think, if a is rewarded for what they do , what do you get for Shabbos, if they aren't doing anything outwardly? You can't see the spiritual treasures which a person has access to on shabbos. It's only for the one it was given

to.

. לזה נסמך בגמרא (שם). מילתא אלבישייהו יקירא. כי זה ששייך לה יבקע כל חומות ברזל המבדילים והמסכים המסחירים. ואחר כל הצמצומים יבא אל הטובה. וכמו שנתבאר בפרשת ט תשא;

Therefore the Gemara connects this previous statement with the phrase Rav would put on an expensive garment when he would say something. He would cloak everything in a beautiful garment, meaning that everything which he would experience, he would not view it as "bread crumbs," he would see thepossible gains, the inheritance which was in each thing. A person who'd conduct themselves in this way would be pursuing their portion in Kedusha and self fulfillment, They will knock down the walls of iron which separate him, and the covers that conceal and after all of the constrictions they will come to the good.

מסרת איזביצא-The Izhbitzer tradition

See ובית יעקב הכולל פרשת כי תשא מי השלוח Which deals with this concept of your spiritual heights and kedusha, that it is accessible only to you.

Practical Advice

During your most trying times, remember that no one can steal your heritage; this week's Parsha tells us that through all of your travels, you will arrive at the place you need to be in terms of self growth and the opportunities to reveal your personal spiritual strengths.