This is D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my mother Chaya Rochel Bas Dovid Tzvi (Hareini Kaparas Mishkavah), my sister Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,
It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:
-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel
-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta
-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL
-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili
-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha
_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Yudka
-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis
-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and other tragedies.
-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.
בס”ד
פרשת בהעלתך
“Like Complainers”
פַּרְשַׁת בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ is where things start to get difficult for the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. They were about to make a lot of mistakes which would lead ה׳ to delay their trip to אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל until the end of 40 years. The first mistake is:
“וַיְהִ֤י הָעָם֙ כְּמִתְאֹ֣נְנִ֔ים”
“And the people became like complainers”
(Notice the כּ which means “like.”)
Question: What exactly were the people complaining about? The תּוֹרָה doesn’t say! Why not?
And what does it mean when the תּוֹרָה says that “the nation became like complainers…”? The תּוֹרָה could have just said, “And the nation complained.”
Answer: The תּוֹרָה is telling us something powerful. It doesn’t say what the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל were complaining about because it did not matter. It wasn’t important. There was no real excuse.
And that is why the תּוֹרָה says that they were “like complainers.” Of course, they really were complaining, but the תּוֹרָה is trying to tell us that they didn’t have a good reason to complain. That letter “כּ” tells us that they only acted “like” they had a good complaint, but, it wasn’t true.
The truth is that there is never a good excuse to complain against ה׳. Life has challenges, but we have the choice to have the right attitude, even when things are difficult.
My last בְּרָכָה to this 3rd grade class is that we should always have a positive attitude, no matter what happens, and we will overcome every challenge. If we have the right attitude, trust in ה׳, and continue to follow His instructions, ה׳ will allow us to complete our journey back to Him in אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. Have a wonderful שַׁבָּת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3