by Zvi Akiva Fleisher
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OROH V'SIMCHOH - MESHECH CHOCHMOH ON PARSHAS VA'YEI'LECH 5766 BS"DCh. 31, v. 7: "Ki atoh TOVO es ho'om ha'zeh" - In verse 23 we find, "Ki atoh TOVI es ho'om ha'zeh." The difference is explained in the gemara Sanhedrin 8a. Here in verse 7 Moshe told Yehoshua that he along with the elders of his generation will guide the people, thus "you will COME with (the elders of) this nation. As indicated in verse 14, Moshe related to Yehoshua in verse 23 the word of Hashem that Yehoshua will lead the nation, and BRING them to the Promised Land, and the elders will not be on an equal footing. Hashem said that if the people don't cooperate, Yehoshua should take a staff and "bang them on their heads" to persuade them to cooperate. There is but one leader and no more for each generation. Thus you, Yehoshua, will BRING them. This is all brought in Rashi on our verse. The MESHECH CHOCHMOH SAYS that Hashem's position as compared to Moshe's can be explained with the gemara B.B. 75a. The gemara says that the elders of the generation when comparing Yehoshua to Moshe said that Moshe's countenance is as that of the sun, while Yehoshua's is as that of the moon; woe to that embarrassment, woe to that shame. The MESHECH CHOCHMOH explains that the moon is not self-illuminating. Thus it is not able to light up another celestial body. The sun is self- illuminating and has the power to illuminate other celestial bodies. Moshe in his great humility considered Yehoshua his equal and felt that he would be like the sun. This means that Yehoshua would have the power to spiritually illuminate the elders of his generation, and thus bring them to a level equal to his. He therefore said that Yehoshua and the elders, on an equal footing, would lead the nation. Hashem, however, knew that Yehoshua was not Moshe's equal, and that he could not illuminate the elders as did Moshe. Therefore he would be a leader above and beyond the powers of the elders, and he alone should lead and BRING the bnei Yisroel into the land. FEEDBACK AND SUBMISSIONS ARE APPRECIATED. SHOLOM613@AOL.COM See also Sedrah Selections and Chasidic Insights |
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