Parshas Bahaloscha 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
ומי יתן כל עם ה' נביאים כי יתן ה' את רוחו עליהם ... (יא-כט)
MASHAL: In May 1972, a heavy cloud of anxiety descended upon Israel. Sabena Flight 571 had been hijacked by terrorists and forced to land at Israel’s Lod Airport. The hijackers issued a terrifying ultimatum: release over 300 prisoners, or the aircraft and everyone aboard would be blown to pieces.
Miles away, in the quiet town of Netivot, the news was brought to the great sage, Chacham Yisroel Abuchatzeira, zt”l, the Baba Sali. Upon hearing of the hostages’ peril, his face grew pale. Without a word, he entered his private study and remained secluded for hours in intense, solitary prayer.
Outside his door, his family and students waited in a tense hush. Suddenly, the stillness was pierced by heartrending sobs emanating from the Baba Sali’s room. A short while later, radio broadcasts shifted from dread to jubilation. In a lightning-fast raid known as Operation Isotope, Israeli commandos had stormed the plane, neutralized the hijackers, and miraculously freed the hostages.
When the dust settled, the household realized that the very minute the commandos breached the aircraft was the exact same moment the Baba Sali had suddenly burst into tears.
NIMSHAL: In the Parsha, seventy elders are chosen to help Moshe carry the burden of the Jewish people. Two of them, Eldad and Meidad, remained far away in the camp, yet ruach hakodesh (divine spirit) rested upon them anyway, allowing them to prophesy. Yehoshua is alarmed and urges Moshe to stop them. But Moshe answers with profound humility: “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His spirit upon them!”