Parshas Matos-Maasei 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Jul 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 16
ויחר אף ה' ... אם יראו האנשים ... בלתי כלב ... ויהושע בן נון ... (לב-י-יב)
Hashem was “angered” and swore that due to the sin of the spies, none of the men between ages 20 and 60 would enter Eretz Yisroel. R’ Shimon Schwab zt”l asks: The Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim writes that when speaking of ,הקב"ה the lashon of "חרון אף" is only used in connection with "עבודה זרה". So why, here, by the מרגלים does the posuk use it?
He answers based on the Chazal who say"כל הדר בחוץ לארץ כאילו עובד עבודה זרה" . Since the מרגלים sadly disparaged the land, and wished not to enter Eretz Yisroel, it was tantamount to idolatry. Thus, the Torah used the lashon of "ויחר אף ה'".
Perhaps we can offer another machshava. In the first kapitel of Kabbolas Shabbos, we say as follows: "ארבעים שנה אקוט בדור... אשר נשבעתי באפי". Here, too, Dovid Hamelech writes that Hashem “in His anger” swore that the Yidden wouldn’t enter Eretz Yisroel. But then he adds a few words that provide insight and may resolve our original question: "עם תועי לבב הם והם לא ידעו דרכי" - a nation who erred and got lost; a nation who doesn’t know Hashem’s ways. Meaning they questioned and didn’t believe in Hashem’s master plan, thinking, maybe it’s not in our best interest. Maybe we know better. That is synonymous with עבודה זרה. Hence, the posuk aptly uses, here and in Tehillim, an expression usually reserved for idol worship. In life, even if we cannot comprehend things happening to us we mustn’t question. We must have total emunah that כל מה דעביד רחמנא לטב עביד.
In Parshas Masei, we recount all the various stops Klal Yisroel made as they traversed the desert. Some were for a longer period, while some lasted only a few hours. But they all shared one common theme. They were all על פי ה'.
The same holds true with all of life’s trials and tribulations. If we exercise this concept of living lives of total subservience to and trust in Hashem, life’s roads will be that much smoother, בסייעתא דשמיא!