Parshiyot Matot-Masei – 5763

“Dor HaMidbar” – The Generation of the Wilderness

Parshat Masei provides the “roadmap” of the forty-year sojourn of the Children of Israel in the Wilderness, from Rameses in Egypt until the “Arvot Moav,” the Plains of Moav by the Yarden, across the river from Eretz Yisrael. The Book of BaMidbar describes their march, organized by camp and under flags, as they traveled from place to place, some stops “uneventful” (in the context of this miraculous march) and others characterized by what would seem to be great mutinies and rebellions. Two opinions are expressed in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 110b) regarding the ultimate destiny of the Generation of the Wilderness:

“...‘Dor HaMidbar ain lahem chelek laOlam Haba,’ The Generation of the Wilderness has no portion in the World-to-Come... This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says, ‘They will enter the World-to-Come, as it says, ‘Gather my righteous ones who have made with me a covenant over sacrifices.’ ” Later on that page, Rav Yochanan says, “Rabbi Akiva has abandoned his habit of justifying the actions of Israel, and he is ignoring the verse in Yirmiyahu 2:2-3 (in the Haftarah of Matot), “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying ‘Thus said HaShem: I remember for your sake the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, your following after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.’ Israel, sacred unto HaShem, the first of his grain...”

The Kedushat Levi, in his holy way, gives more credit to Rabbi Akiva. He interprets the expression “ain lahem chelek” as meaning that because of all the great miracles they had seen: the Splitting of the Sea, the Revelation at Sinai, the miraculous Bread from Heaven, the Traveling Well of Miriam, etc. they thought of themselves as powerless, as “ayin,” or nothing. Specifically because of this great humility, they would indeed have a “chelek,” a portion in the World-to-Come!

In VaYikra Rabbah 18:3, we find that this idea is expanded to the extent of saying that all the towering miracles they had seen took away from the Generation of the Wilderness their “Yetzer HaRa,” their Evil Impulse; it was almost as if they had lost their “bechirah,” their freedom of choice, and they were now incapable of rebelling against HaShem.

Back to the Future:

The United States (let us not be ungrateful to our greatest friend on earth, but the U.S. is in with some questionable “friends” in this matter), the European Union, the former Soviet Union and naturally, the UN are attempting to pressure Israel into adopting another so-called “Roadmap to Peace.” We pray that P.M. Ariel Sharon will be granted Divine insight and courage to match his name (Lion of G-d), to negotiate this “Roadmap.”

But we have seen that there is another “Roadmap” at play in the world. The “Nefesh B’Nefesh” Program, which seeks to encourage Aliyah, seems to be experiencing great success. Last year, some 450 individuals, a full plane-load of young families, made the decision to follow the “Roadmap” of Aliyah to Zion in their lives. And this year, some 900 individuals, doubling last year’s precious cargo, just departed for Israel. Keeping up this ratio of year-over-year increase will provide the true “Roadmap” to Peace.

As Rav Yochanan concluded his argument in Sanhedrin 110b in behalf of the Dor HaMidbar, “If others are going in their merit, certainly they themselves should qualify for the reward!”

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel
Rabbi Frankel is an Educational Coordinator at the OU

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