Parsha Paragraphs
Rabbi Naftali Kassorla
Parshat Beha’alotcha 5778
To Stand Alone
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The 48th wedding anniversary of Dr. Allen and Sheila Gaisin.
By their children, Reuven and Shira Gaisin
May they continue to have many years of happiness and nachat from all their children and grandchildren.
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This week’s parsha features the official commandment to distinguish the Levi’im for their special, appointed task: קח את הלוים מתוך בני ישראל – Take the Levi’im from among the Children of Israel…(Bamidbar 8:5). They would serve as caretakers in the Mishkan.
The Midrash Tanchuma (8) makes a fascinating statement. As a general rule, G-d does not raise anyone to a position of authority (שררה) until He has “tested” them, and once they have passed and proved their mettle, G-d appoints them to their position.
The Midrash then cites the Tribe of Levi as a prime example of this rule. They proved their fealty when they did not abandon the Torah in Egypt. For when the Jews were enslaved and subjugated to intense labor, the Nation scorned the Mitzvot of Torah and circumcision, and they served idols. In contrast, the Levi’im were wholly righteous and kept the Torah. The Midrash continues: ולא עוד – But not just that – when the Nation sinned with the Golden Calf, the Levi’im did not join in with them.
This Midrash has bothered me for years and I would like to share my thoughts on it.
First, I find the praise of the Levi’im for not abandoning Torah and Mitzvot in Egypt to be a bit perplexing. We already know from other places (Rashi, Shemot 5:4, Midrash Rabbah 5:17) that the Levi’im were not subject to the back-breaking slavery in Egypt. It stands to reason that the rest of the Nation, who was enslaved, would have been confronted with the almost insurmountable challenge of remaining strong in their Torah observance while being subjugated to intense labor.
But the Levi’im, who didn’t have the עול שיעבוד (the yoke of slavery) upon them, what “test” did they face? Their time was not fully occupied and they seemingly had the wherewithal to be able to keep the Torah, under no pressure. What is this heavy praise being heaped upon them, and why their observance a “proof” of their worthiness to take on positions of authority?
Second, if I were to think of an iron-clad proof of their faith, a pointed sign of the strength of Shevet Levi, it would be their refusal to join in with the עגל הזהב – The Golden Calf. This was the moment which set forth for all generations that Shevet Levi is set aside as a special class, for they stood strong and answered Moshe’s call of מי לה׳ אלי. Wouldn’t that episode be more demonstrative of Levi’s excellence? Yet fascinatingly, the Midrash seems to reference this amazing feat almost as secondary, a mere addition to the first episode. Seemingly, the specific episode of the Levi’s courage to not join with the rest of the people in serving the Egel should have been given as the first, prime example of strength!
I would like to suggest that in referencing the loyalty of Shevet Levi in Egypt, the Midrash is telling us something very particular about their nature and giving us a window into the true sign of its strength.
What do we see from the fact that Levi did not abandon the mitzvot in Egypt? For weren’t they already separate and different, in that they were not enslaved? But this is precisely the point. They did not succumb to the innate human desire to conform. While everyone else had lost their sense of self, Shevet Levi did not fall into the trap of moral license, justifying joining in with “the crowd.” When the public behaves a certain way, it is very easy and comfortable to conform to the people around you. Instead they retained the essence of their character, and refused to join in with the majority.
The mere thought of standing alone and being at odds with the rest of society is difficult. Nobody likes to be disjointed from the larger group, as the human mind has a tendency1 to gravitate towards “groupthink” and conformity. When we are part of a larger group, it gives us the calming feeling of self-assurance and the perception that our lives fit into place. In contrast, the pressures of being separated from the majority has been shown to push people into a dark, deep existential angst which can lead to self-destruction. Thus, for someone to stand apart, they are subjecting themselves to an arduous array of emotional repercussions. But if they emerge whole from this process – this spiritual journey – they emerge as a new being. One that is untouchable by the winds of degeneracy and the manic whims of the majority.2
With this in mind, we can now understand our second question. We asked, why does the Midrash seem to almost gloss over the fact that Shevet Levi did not join in with the עגל הזהב, which seemed to be a much stronger proof of their strength?
I believe the answer is that their later refusal to join in serving the Egel was built off of the strong base of their long refusal to succumb to conformity. Throughout 210 years of slavery, this Shevet trained themselves to withstand immense pressure and the intense fear of standing alone. This, then, gave them the basis to answer Moshe’s call of מי לה׳ אלי.
This was Levi: the tribe that would be set aside to be the teachers of the Jewish people, as the verse says: יורו משפטיך ליעקב – They [Shevet Levi] shall teach Your laws to Jacob (Devarim 33:10). For though it was G-d Who set the Levi’im aside, the Levi’im already showed in Egypt that they were capable of doing it themselves!3
Standing alone, as daunting as it may be, is a true display of spiritual strength, and is a clear measure of the readiness for leadership. To be a teacher, a leader, a person of authority, one cannot be subject to the whims and persuasions of public opinion. One must be strong in his ideals and steadfast in his decisions. And just as Levi proved themselves worthy, so too we should be given the strength to stand up and show our true mettle in trying times.
Shabbat Shalom
(1) Muzafer Sherif, a social psychologist, made experiment that showed this phenomena in 1936. Participants were placed in a dark room and asked to stare at a small dot of light 15 feet away. They were then asked to estimate the amount it moved. The trick was that there was no actual movement; it was perceived by a visual illusion known as the autokinetic effect. On the first day, each person perceived different amounts of movement, but from the second to the fourth day, the same estimate was agreed upon and others conformed to it. The idea here was that people will actually change their own perceptions and physical reality that they are seeing in order to conform with others opinions.
See also Soloman Asch’s take on Sherif’s experiment in the 50’s, as well as his famous “Face the Rear” elevator experiment where people were planted in an elevator facing the wrong way. Unaware they were being observed, upon entering the elevator, they were initially confused by the others in the elevator, but as time went by, they would slowly conform to what everyone else was doing.
This makes sense, as humans are social beings, and we feel most comfortable when included in a group. This is why excommunication (חרם) is a punishment, or why prison (or even, solitary confinement, which is a excommunication within an excommunication) is such a punishment. We all crave to be a part of something larger.
(2) I was fortunate to get a part of a manuscript of a soon-to-be published sefer from Rabbi Binyomin Luban, Rosh Yeshiva of Toras Chaim in Miami Beach, featuring Vaadim from Rav Benzion Bruk זצ״ל . There, Rav Bruk quotes an amazing lesson from his Rebbe, the Altar of Novardok זצ״ל, which touches upon this idea perfectly. The Gemara in Chagigah (9b) expounds on the verse in Malachi (3:18):
ושבתם וראיתם בין צדיק לרשע בין עבד אלקים לאשר לא עבדו
“And you shall come to see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him who has served God and him who has not served Him”
The Gemara says something amazing here. The verse is referring to where both are completely righteous people. But it is hinting at a distinction between them – that one who reviews his studies 100 times is not comparable to one who reviews his studies 101 times. One who only reviews his studies 100 times is considered a Rasha, and as someone who does not serve G-d?! Astounding! The Alter explains that the reason why this person is considered as “one who has not served G-d” is because he lives in a world where the accepted standard of “righteousness” is to review only 100 times. That’s the standard practice. Thus, one who only limits himself to what is the minimum shows that he is incapable of being distinct from everyone else. That is not called serving G-d, as it shows that he's not choosing out of his own desire and volition, rather it is by rote.
But the person who, going against the grain, reviews 101 times, is showing that his service is not rote. He is considered as one “who serves.”
The idea here is that one must be willing and able to go against the grain, thus showing that he has ownership of his own life decisions and directions.
(3) This, I would like to suggest, is a deeper understanding of the famous Rambam in Hilchot Shemitah Ve’Yovel (13:13):
ולא שבט לוי בלבד אלא כל איש ואיש מכל באי העולם אשר נדבה רוחו אותו והבינו מדעו להבדל לעמד לפני ה' לשרתו ולעבדו לדעה את ה' והלך ישר כמו שעשה
The Rambam says that anyone can become a part of Shevet Levi (as least spiritually). Based on the above we can explain this unique ability to join together with a separate Tribe, despite our actual lineage not being subject to change. This is because it was not that G-d chose the Levi’im due to their particular lineage per say ie. Something inherent within them. But rather, Shevet Levi was set aside was due to their demonstration of the democratized trait of not being scared to be different. Thus someone who takes upon themselves to: להבדל לעמד לפני ה׳ – to separate themselves and stand before G-d in service, who shows this ability as well to “seperate” can be included among the tribe of Levi.
