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Chukat / Balak July 4, 2009 - bs’d
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A Shtickle Torah from Rabbi Yitzchak Salid
Chukat
The Gemara in Taanis tells us that B’nei Yisrael were given three wondrous gifts in the desert. (1) The manna which fell for the sake of Moshe (2) The clouds of glory, which surrounded them in Aharon’s merit, and (3) The well, which Miriam sustained. It is interesting to note that at the time, no one knew that these gifts were given as a result of the piety of the three siblings. When Miriam died, the people failed to pay her the proper respect and therefore the well vanished. It took the combined efforts of Moshe and Aharon to restore the well. Only after the incidents of “the waters of strife” did the people realize the greatness of Miriam and what they had lost. The same happened when Aharon died and the clouds disappeared, only to be restored by the spiritual strength and stamina of Moshe. Finally, when Moshe died, all three wonders ceased. This is an extremely disturbing and important lesson. FROM THIS WE LEARN that we rarely appreciate what we have while we have it. Only after it is too late do we fully understand the greatness and contributions of those people who have left us. More importantly, we don’t know whose merits sustain us and how. Let us not think for a moment that just because someone is not a Torah scholar or a philanthropist his contribution is negligible. We do not know who is performing acts of chesed, piety and prayer behind the scenes - all the more reason to respect and honor everyone around us, which we should be doing in any case. It is truly inspiring to think that any of our friends, neighbors or acquaintances may be saving our lives at any given moment.
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