בס''ד
An inverted נ flanking both sides of a section within a sefer Torah would surely be cause for some consternation were it not for the explanation of Chazal. The Gemoro in Shabbos explains that this highly unusual marker is there to indicate that these Pesukim are actually out of place. The reason for them appearing here is in order to make a demarcation between two episodes of punishment within the Torah. The first is a reference to the fact that when the Jewish people left Har Sinai, they did so in an inappropriate manner that suggested they were fleeing from there with all haste. The event post these Pesukim is the incident where the Jewish people complained about the lack of meat. The difficulty that requires resolving here is that albeit the second infraction of the Jews resulted in a punishment, their speedy exit away from Sinai seemingly did not lead to any negative ramifications!
To
understand fully the methods and system of Hashem’s retributions is far beyond
our limited understanding. What we are
told however, is that there a number of possibilities of how we could receive
them. The first, like that related as a consequence of the Jews moaning, is
when the punishment comes after the crime as a response to the sin. The second,
explains Reb Shimon Schwab zt’l, is when the offence itself contains within it
a negative outcome for the wrongdoer. Returning
to our question, the very act of leaving Sinai in such an expeditious manner
resulted in a severance from the inestimable good of having that connection
with Hashem. This then was the
punishment they received.
If
the fear of transgression is entirely predicated on what will occur in the Next
World, or even in possible consequences later on in life, it may be difficult
to maintain one’s focus on these to deter one from sinning. The potentiality somewhere in the future for
even eternal damage to ourselves, may not be enough when at the brink of
erring. But if we can persistently remind
ourselves of the harm inherent in every sin that we do, in that it casts us
further and further away from our loving Father and the incredibly rewarding
relationship we can enjoy with Him, perhaps then this may be able to discourage
us from doing that which we know is wrong and encourage us to battle with our
evil inclination no matter how often and how fiercely it attacks. To lose this connection with Hashem is surely
the most terrible consequence of all.
*May our special relationship with
Shabbos help connect us to Hashem*
לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם
לרפואה שלימה: שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please let me know if you enjoyed this week's Musings or if you have any other comments that you would like to make about the ideas discussed. I would love to hear from you.