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Beit Midrash
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The nation resumes its travels to the Land of Canaan and faces the first of many challenging episodes as it wanders through the desert. The people feel alone, cut off from civilization. The excitement and activity that kept them busy in the Sinai area have passed. They are anxious and concerned about their future. This unhappiness and discontent is encouraged by the rabble that wanders among them. This rabble develops cravings and incites the people to complain and demand that Moshe provide them with a meat diet.
The rabble that fanned the discontent can be identified by analyzing the word אספסוף. This rabble, the אספסוף, was an organized group of people who joined the Israelites when they left Egypt. They were not part of the nation in Egypt and remained a separate group after the Exodus, even though they had been brought into the midst/קרבו of the Israelites.
The word אספסוף is composed of two roots א-ס-ף/to gather and ס-פ-ף/to enter. They were gathered and they entered, but the double root indicates that this population was never really absorbed into the nation. This idea is additionally emphasized by the word קרבו from the root ק-ר-ב, which means "to come close." While the rabble might be close to the Israelites, at no time were they integrated into the people.
The root א-ס-ף means "to gather" and the root ס-פ-ף means "to enter".
The rabble begins its agitation after the unfortunate incident of the מתאוננים, the so- called mourners, those Jews so unhappy with their plight that they considered themselves "dead." The reflexive form indicates that the mourning was self-induced, and not true mourning for an authentic tragedy. These Jews felt themselves cut off from the rest of the world and found no comfort in the fact that God’s presence was with them through the Mishkan and the ענני כבוד, the cloud of God’s honor. Although the threat of God’s punishment terminated their original protests, they continued to complain and were therefore ripe for the agitation of the rabble.
The word מתאוננים is from the root א-נ-ן which means "to mourn a loss". The word ענני is from the root ע-נ-ן "to fructify through rain clouds". The roots א-נ-ן and ע-נ-ן are cognates expressing the positive and negative opposites. The word כבוד is from the root כ-ב-ד which means "to weigh." The word can also mean "to impress."
It is not unusual that a group such as this rabble can exert an influence on the entire nation. History has recorded this phenomenon repeating itself many times in the development of the Jewish nation. Israel, a small nation with a mission in the world, will accept strangers into their midst to allow these people to come closer to God and His principles. Sometimes, though, these strangers, who have been welcomed into the nation, seek to demoralize their hosts by undermining their society. In our verse, the rabble התאוו תאוה, "faked" a desire for meat (בשר), and they projected this desire onto an unsuspecting but receptive populace. Here, again, it is the reflexive form of the verb that makes things clear. The use of the reflexive form of the verb indicates that they induced their cravings and made themselves desire meat.
The words התאוו תאוה both stem from the root א-ו-ה which means "to crave". The word בשר is from the root ב-ש-ר which means "to cover" and refers to the flesh that covers the body.
The people repeated/וישובו their earlier tactic of tearful complaint/ויבכו, something that has just recently earned them a Godly reprimand in the form of a fire that consumed one end part of the camp.
The word וישובו is from the root ש-ו-ב which means "to return" and repeat. The word ויבכו is from the root ב-כ-ה which means "to cry" due an inner or outer impulse.
Israel had been given the Torah just a short while ago. The nation had not, as yet, been able to internalize its values. The maturing of the nation would take time. But even when it matured, it would be susceptible to the manipulation of small groups whose selfish goals are to undermine the people’s relationship to God.
Copyright © 2014, Matityahu Clark. All Rights Reserved. This is an excerpt from the forthcoming Hirsch At Your Table, a collection of brief divrei torah based on R. Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Torah Commentary.
Parashat Hashavua “It Was as the Ark Traveled”
(from speech at a hachnasat sefer Torah, 1987) based on Siach Shaul, p. 374-
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.