Is There Ever Enough Gold? Devarim

 Is There Ever Enough Gold?     We begin the Fifth book of the Torah this week, thebook of Devarim. We have mentioned many times that the Rabbis teach us thatthis book made up primarily of Moshe Rabeynu’s final speech and testament wasan optional book to be included at Moses discretion. The first three portionsfeature Moses narrating a brief history of the past four decades to those aboutto enter the land (see our short class on Deravim, memory and Tisha BeAb).  The opening verse is as follows:      אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨רדִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֡רבָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין־פָּארָ֧ן וּבֵֽין־תֹּ֛פֶל וְלָבָ֥ן וַחֲצֵרֹ֖תוְדִ֥י זָהָֽב׃     These are the words that Moses addressed to allIsrael on the other side of the Jordan.—Through the wilderness, in the Arabahnear Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab,  The Rabbis teach us that these words refer to placesand hint at where the Jews sinned in the desert. But then Moses adds one moreplace, “Di Zahav.”  Rashi explains: “In the vicinity of Di Zahav”, healluded to the affair of the golden calf, that due to Am Yisrael’s excessivewealth they sinned and fashioned a calf out of gold.  I would like to share a story and a lesson based onthe teachings of Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef ZSL as posted by Halacha Yomit whichshould motivate each of us lilmod ulelamed. Not only to learn but to realizethe best path to learn is to give over what I learn, lishma, for the sake ofHeaven.   There was once a gaon, philosopher and kabbalist,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 aresweet and he is all delight” [Shir HaShirim 5:16]. He lived in Venice andduring his time there was a huge bet knesset in the city which could seat athousand men.     One day the gabbaim of the bet knesset came to therav and asked him that since they don’t have a rav who can give derashot thathe 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 wasgetting old he was unable to come and give them a derashah. The gabbaim greatlypressured him to head to their request to come just for one Shabbat. Until therav was unable to withstand their pressures and he ceded to their request tocome and give them a derashah.     On Shabbat Kodesh before Musaph the rav was honoredto stand before the whole kehillah and he gave a derashah for a full hour aboutthe Parashah of the week. The rav darshened and his mouth spoke pearls andgems! The congregation made their ears receptive to hear his sweet words andthey very much enjoyed it. They were literally unaware that a whole hour hadpassed!     On Sunday the gabbaim came to the rav’s home. Theysaid to him, “Kavod harav we have brought you something, not chas veshalom as apayment, for it is impossible to paid his honor for the words more preciousthan gold and fine gold, just a token due to ‘appreciation’, we brought hishonor a gold watch!” The rav saw and accepted the watch. The gabbaim said tohim, “Kavod harav, his honor saw how much the congregation benefitted from hiswords on Shabbat, do us a favor for Hashem’s sake and darshen before us alsothis 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!” Thegabbaim said to him, “How hard is it? Since this Shabbat his honor already cameto us, if so, just like on one Shabbat his honor was able to walk, so shall hedo also on this coming Shabbat!” The rav answered them, “Fine, I will come alsothis Shabbat! One Shabbat and that will be enough!”  The rav was further honored to darshan and the betknesset was packed from wall to wall and all the congregation were listeningmost intently to every word that came out of his mouth, “words that come out ofthe heart enter the heart!” [The source of this adage is Rav Moshe ibn Ezra z”l1055-1140 in his Shirat Yisrael.] A whole hour did the rav speak and then hereturned home.     On the next day, Sunday, again the gabbaim arrivedat the rav’s home, they said to him, “Kavod harav the payment which his honoris entitled to has no bounds, but we have just brought a token gift, theyproduced an expensive chandelier and presented it to the rav.” Immediatelyafterwards they again pressured the rav that he come again on the next Shabbatto the bet knesset to darshan for a third time since “a three-ply cord Is noteasily severed” [see Kohelet 4:12] and the rav’s words in a further derashah willcertainly 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 thatthe kehillah had heard. The derashah was full of words of wisdom which werepleasant for the ear to hear and the congregation rejoiced in it in anexceptional way.  Again, on Sunday the gabbaim went up to the rav’shome and presented him with a unique gift, an etrog box of pure silver! And asthey were accustomed to, they again pressured the rav that he continue to givederashot in their bet knesset. The rav answered, “Enough! I already told youthat I will darshan a third time because ‘a three-ply cord Is not easilysevered’, 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 presenton a permanent basis in the bet knesset.     Eventually the rav conceded, but he said to them, “Ihave a condition! Before I become the permanent darshan in your holy camp, takewith you all the gifts which you gave me, the watch, the chandelier, the etrogbox, 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, “Iwill respond with a parable. A person entered a watch shop. He was interestedin a unique expensive gold watch, he paid the full price and immediately infront of the seller he took the watch and threw it on the floor smashing it athis feet! The shop keeper won’t be angry with such a person, since he paid forthe watch, on the contrary perhaps now he will buy another watch!     “In contrast a chatan stood under the chuppah andone of his loved ones came to him and in their hand was a gold watch which theypurchased as a gift with their money. Suddenly the chatan took the watch andthrew it to the ground and smashed it at his feet! Surely such behaviour willoffend the giver! How dare the chatan despised his precious gift! This is sooffensive!     ‘The analogy is as follows. I see that I gavederashot in the bet knesset three times. Indeed, the congregation wereattentive and very much enjoyed them, but I didn’t notice that the wordsinfluenced them to change their ways, and why is this? Because they know thatthe 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 tothis, when I speak for free and the congregation hear the derashah and theyknow that I don’t receive payment for it, they won’t be brazened to despise thematters, 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 AmYisrael, “See! I have taught you rules and laws as Hashem my L-rd has commandedme” (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 personthat influences the community for the sake of heaven, Hashem gives him graceand kindness that his words be heard.  Each person that has the ability to enthuse othersto fulfil Torah and mitzvot, especially regarding Torah-study, for through themerit of Torah-study Hashem will send Eliyahu HaNavi because the Bet HaMikdashwas destroyed due to not sufficiently studying Torah. Likewise, the redemptionwill be due to the merit of Torah-study, as it states, “Remember the Torah ofMoshe 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 awesomeday 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).Be”Ezrat Hashem we will merit Eliyahu and Mashiach Bimhera Beyameynu Amaen!      I would like to share an alternative answer as wellbased on a reading of the Gemara in Berachot which tells us that Moshe, in an effort to defend the Jews, toldHashem that the Jews were not completely at fault for the sin of the GoldenCalf because “You gave them so much gold, until they said ‘enough.'” Theabundance of gold caused them to sin.     מַאי ״וְדִי זָהָב״? אָמְרִידְּבֵי רַבִּי יַנַּאי: כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בִּשְׁבִיל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁהִשְׁפַּעְתָּ לָהֶםלְיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ ״דַּי״ — הוּא גָּרַם שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל.     We must clarify: What is the meaning of and DiZahav? The Sages of the school of Rabbi Yannai said that Moses said thefollowing before the Holy One, Blessed be He, to atone for Israel after the sinof the Golden Calf: Master of the Universe, because of the gold and silver thatyou lavished upon Israel during the exodus from Egypt until they said enough[dai]; it was this wealth that caused Israel to make the Golden Calf.     Rav Mordechai Kamenetzky asks a question and sharesthe following story: There is still a troubling detail. We know the famousadage of the sages, “One does not die with even half of his desires fulfilled,”and “One who has one hundred desires two hundred.” How is it that the Jews inthe desert were satisfied with the gold they received? Why did they say,“Enough”?     A grandson of Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l,a Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh in Bnei Brak, bought a gift for his grandparents – abeautiful mirror nameplate for their front door, completely customized with theHebrew name “Lefkowitz” engraved – a standard household ornament in Israel.However, a few weeks went by and the front door remained bare. Rav Lefkowitzdid not put up the nameplate.     He finally approached his grandfather and asked himwhy he is not using the nameplate. Rav Lefkowitz hesitated beforefinally admitting the truth. “Our apartment is old,” he began, “And the frontdoor has seen better days. If I put up the nameplate, it is only a matter oftime before someone will suggest that I replace the door. After all, thenameplate must match the décor of the apartment. Once the door is replaced,someone will suggest that the interior walls need to be repainted. One thingwill lead to another, and before long, I will be living in a completelyredecorated apartment! I’d rather life a much simpler life with the leastamount of distractions, and serve Hashem with all my abilities.”     He quoted his grandfather, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l offers thefollowing explanation. Before the evil inclination, yetzer horah, became a partof man’s inner being, man was pure. He was able to withstand the pressure anddesires for physical pleasure and possessions. But after Adam sinned by eatingfrom the Tree of Knowledge, the evil inclination became part of him, and theinfamous daily struggle of man began.     When the Jews received the Torah at Mount Sinai, andHashem revealed Himself with all his glory, they reached such a lofty spirituallevel, that their impurity ceased (“paska zuhamasan”). The evil inclinationleft their bodies, and only affected them externally. When they took theEgyptians’ gold and riches from the shores of the Sea of Reeds, they were ableto control controlled themselves. They took what they needed and then said,“Enough!”     The Rabbi concludes: During the time when we mournthe two Batei Mikdash – both destroyed on Tisha B’av, we too can look around atthe world we live in, and see how fortunate we are to have what we need. Atthis point in history, when Hashem in not dwelling in His Beis Hamikdash, do we really need one moregolden nugget? We can also sacrifice for Hashem, and say, “Enough”.     Who is strong enough to say enough? Only greatrabbis? No!      I have told the story of how my friend Abie and Ifretted one evening over yerida hadorot, 'the decline of thegenerations', as we looked at ourselves and compared ourselves with ourmeritorious fathers and holy grandfathers. In comparison, we were the bottom ofthe barrel and what would our children be? And how we breathe a sigh of reliefthat we are blessed to live in the age of Mashicach when children will teachtheir fathers. We are blessed with special children and we remain the bottom ofthat barrel.   I give tremendous credit to our children whosacrifice much to make Eretz Yisrael their home. In many ways, life is moreluxurious, care free and monetarily richer in the United States, but they andthose who have made Aliyah have in essence said, “di Zahav” – enough. This issomething human beings are rarely capable of doing. They have reached back tothe soul within them which connects to the soul of Adam before the sin. Andthis deserves, blessing, protection and the promises of Mashiach. They shouldbe blessed in happiness as Adam and Chava in Gan Eden. They should be blessedwith parnassa, health, peace and prosperity and through their sacrifice andexample, Hashem should bring Eliyahu as He promised!