In Memory of Shmuel Leib ben Zvi (Lewis Berkin) & Baruch Yitzchak ben Yirmiyahu (Barry Pessin) 5783 Devarim/Chazon

This Shabbas, Chazon proceeds the national day of mourning Tisha Ba'av. Our sages teach us that when the spies who were sent to scope out the Land of Israel returned with a defamatory report about the Land, the Nation cried. As a result of this misplaced despair and crying, that night the Ninth of Av, was established for history as a time of crying. In parashas Shlach (Bamidbar 14:1), it states, "The entire community raised their voices and shouted, and the people wept on that night." The Torah emphasizes that they raised their voices and shouted. In this week's parashah (1:34) it states, "Hashem heard the sound of your words, and He became angry…" Reb Shlomo Kluger zt'l says that their primary sin was that they raised their voices, which is a sign that they had lost hope of ever coming to Eretz Yisrael. According to this explanation, their sin wasn't that they cried or were worried. A person is only human, and it is natural to be concerned and afraid. Their sin was that they raised their voices and cried. They lost hope, and that isn't permitted.

We can compare it to a father who brought his son to the dentist. The father isn't upset with his son when his son cries or moans from fear or pain. It is only natural to be afraid and to cringe from pain. But the father won't accept it if his son says, "Why are you harming me? Why don't you care about me? If you would, you wouldn't put me through this!" The son should know that his father only means his good.

Similarly, although we can cry and moan, we must never say it is bad for us. We must know, at least intellectually, that everything
is for our good, and this will help us overcome our worries and pain and rejoice in Hashem's kindness.

In the Kovno ghetto, Reb Mordechai Pegrimansky zt'l asked some friends why they appeared sad. They didn't understand his question. Of course, they were sad! Their lives and the lives of their families were at stake twenty-four hours a day. Reb Mordechai proved to them that Hashem was protecting them. He said, "The
SS soldiers hate you and want to kill you. Do you agree?" His friends agreed. This they knew too well. "Do you also agree that if they kill you, no one will punish them or even ask them why they did so?" His friends agreed. It was certainly so. Reb Mordechai Pegrimansky told them, "The SS soldiers saw you today. Why didn't they kill you? They had nothing to stop them from pulling the trigger. It must be that Hashem said 'No.' They can't do anything without Hashem. They are in
Hashem's hands and can't do anything without Him." The friends agreed that it was so. All of these friends survived the war and said they always remembered Reb Mordechai's lesson. It gave them strength throughout those difficult times.

Shabbat Shalom,

May we all merit to see the coming of Moshiach and rebuilding of the Holy Temple.

Heath