The commentators emphasize that the people who complained to Moses were “exceptionally God fearing,” and this comment is worthy of some elaboration.
By Rabbi Ari Enkin, Rabbinic Director, United with Israel
This week’s Torah portion in Israel is “Behaalotcha” (Numbers 8:1–12:16) and in it we read about those who were disqualified from participating in the Passover Sacrifice ceremony. This would generally be due to having become impure due to having had contact with a dead body.
The impure folk were quite upset to have been excluded from the festivities and complained to Moses: “Why should we be deprived of participating in the Passover sacrifice along with everyone else in Israel?”
Moses was impressed with their complaint, and then, after consultation with God, taught the people about the “Second Passover” – a make-up opportunity on a later date, a month later, for those who were unable to participate on the proper date.
The commentators emphasize that the people who complained to Moses were “exceptionally God fearing,” and this comment is worthy of some elaboration.
Those who were disqualified from participating in the Passover offering on the proper date were actually exempt and excused from it. It was not something held against them, nor was it necessarily their fault that they were impure. Perhaps they were busy engaged in the mitzvah of burying the dead and the like! They were completely excused from it with no hard feelings, setbacks or transgression.
But nevertheless, they wanted to participate. It hurt them that they couldn’t perform this great mitzvah (Torah commandmenta. Their protest showed what was important to them.
This idea can also be seen at the very beginning of the reading, which opens with, “And God spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him: ‘When YOU kindle the lamps, toward the center of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light.’”
The commentators ask: “Why does the passage of the lighting of the menorah follow on the heels of last week’s Torah portion, which concluded with the passage of the tribal leaders’ offerings?” Is there a connection?
The answer, it is explained, is that when Aaron saw that the leaders of all the other tribes participated in the dedication of the Tabernacle, while he did not participate, he became spiritually depressed. Aaron did not participate because…he was exempt! But it bothered him nonetheless. HE wanted a share in every possible mitzvah, whether obligated or not.
This is a question we must ask ourselves. Are we also upset at losing the opportunity to perform a mitzvah? Are we upset if we accidentally slept in and missed synagogue services? Are we upset if we are not able to get a Lulav? If we accidentally ate something we shouldn’t? Accidentally violated the Shabbat? Does it bother us?
Unfortunately, nowadays, this love and sensitivity for mitzvot, and the pain in not being able to fulfill them, has diminished, to say the least. People seem to be quite content to find excuses to exempt themselves from having to fulfil certain mitzvot. The measure of a person is the things that make him happy or sad.