Parshas Matos-Maasei 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
ותהיינה מחלה תרצה וחגלה ומלכה ונעה בנות צלפחד ... (לו-יא)
MASHAL: The Gemara (Shabbos 150b) relates the following story: There was once a very pious man who was taking a Shabbos afternoon stroll around his property and realized that part of his fence was broken. He immediately stopped, assessed the damage and analyzed what was necessary to fix it. Then it hit him, “Today is Shabbos, how can I think of fixing a fence on Shabbos?!”
Right then and there he decided to punish himself for his improper thoughts and he undertook not to touch the fence for the rest of his life.
Due to his pious actions, a miracle occurred and a "צלף" (caper) bush grew out of the fence. From this bush he was able to support himself and his entire family!
NIMSHAL: Sefer Bamidbar ends with the story of how the daughters of Tzelafchad married and had fruitful lives. There is an important lesson to learn from Tzelafchad. The Gemara (Shabbos 96b) tells us that Tzelafchad was killed because he desecrated shabbos by gathering woods (according to some Meforshim). However, Tosfos (Bava Basra 119b) explains that Tzelafchad’s actions were pure. His intention was so that everyone should see and learn what happens to one who desecrates Shabbos in order that no one will come to replicate his actions. The Arizal writes that the pious man mentioned above was a gilgal of Tzelafchad and came to this world to rectify his actions. He transgressed a sin with impure intentions and rectified it with real pure intentions. A miracle then occurred and a fast-growing bush - צלף - identical to his name, Tzelafchad, then grew out of his fence.
R’ Chaim Volozhiner zt”l, explains that pure intentions are only as good as the action they are present in. Hashem counts our actions, and then the intentions therein, not one’s intentions with improper actions.