Parshas Bamidbar 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- May 14
- 2 min read
ולא יבאו לראות כבלע את הקדש ומתו ... (ד-כ)
The Gemara in Sanhedrin (81b) states that if a person steals a vessel from the Bais HaMikdash, "קנאין פגעין בו". Righteous zealots have the right to kill him. Why is this theft deserving of such a harsh punishment?
R’ Chaim Kaufman zt”l in his Sefer Mishchas Shemen says the following vort which explains the depth of this statement of Chazal: When something or someone is designated for a certain avoda and gets robbed of that opportunity, that is tantamount toרציחה - murder, of sorts. Thus, the perpetrator can receive the death penalty.
He mentions a story that complements this idea. A Yid once tunneled into his non-Jewish neighbor’s basement, and stole a fortune. The goy realized what had transpired, and proceeded to report his suspicions to the town’s Rov. The Rov, in turn, wishing to make a Kiddush Hashem, while saving the Yid from a lengthy prison sentence, contrived a brilliant plan. He summoned the Yid and told him that he had it from reliable sources that the Yid had come into a large sum of counterfeit currency. The punishment for this is certain jail. The Yid began to tremble, and broke down, admitting that indeed, he had this money in his possession. The Rov told him that if he brings all the money to him post-haste, he will do whatever he can to ensure that no harm befalls him. Needless to say, as soon as the “counterfeit” funds were in the Rov’s hands, every penny was returned to the very grateful goy, who went on to praise the Rabbi’s brilliance. The Rov then called in the Yid and revealed what had really transpired; since the money didn’t rightfully belong to you it was considered counterfeit.
Each person is endowed with his own personal strengths to help navigate life. Using them correctly is life. Not using them is, chas v’shalom, the opposite. Sefer Bamidbar, also known as “Numbers”, conveys this message that each person is their own unique number and persona. Yehi ratzon that we each utilize our potential to the fullest!