The Double-Edged Sword of Opportunity and Responsibility
Rabbi Frand on Bamidbar and Shavuos
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah portion: Tape# 147, Sefiras HaOmer, Shavuos & the International Dateline. Good Shabbos!
The Double-Edged Sword of Opportunity and Responsibility
This week’s parsha contains the mitzvah of counting the Jewish people: “Count the entire congregation of Israel by their families, by their fathers’ house.” (Bamidbar 1:2). This mitzvah appears twice in Sefer Bamidbar, once here and once in Parshas Pinchas. That is why Bamidbar is called Chumash Hapekudim – the Book of the Countings or the Book of Numbers.
In expressing the idea of counting, the Torah uses the expression “se-u es rosh” (Lift up the heads). The Medrash comments on this peculiar language: The expression “nesius rosh” employed here by the Torah can connote either the greatest heights or the lowest depths. Yosef tells the butler that Pharoah will reinstate him to his position of glory with the expression “Yisa Pharoah es roshcha” (Bereishis 40:13). On the other hand, Yosef uses a similar expression in telling the baker that Pharoah would behead him (Bereishis 40:19).
According to the Medrash, use of this particular language for the census indicates that every Jew has a very special opportunity, coupled with a very special responsibility.
People can have tremendous opportunity thrust upon them, and with that opportunity, they can rise to the greatest heights. But if they don’t treat the opportunity correctly, but rather they squander it, the opportunity can lead to tremendous downfall. That is why the Torah employs the language “Se-u es rosh” (lift the head). We must know that there is opportunity associated with being a part of the am segulah (chosen people). But responsibility comes together with privilege. Therefore, if a person squanders that privilege, the person will not be the same as before – but rather worse off.
There is a story from the noted baal mussar, Rav Eliyahu Dessler, who lived from 1892 to 1953, first in Lithuania, then in England, and finally in Israel. Rav Dessler relates that when he was a boy, there were two beautiful glass dishes in his home. One day, he broke one of the dishes. When his mother found out, she yelled at him terribly. A couple of weeks later, one of the chickens that were running around the house (in late nineteenth century Europe) broke the other glass dish. Rav Dessler’s mother picked up the broken pieces and put the chicken back into its cage. Rav Dessler, as a little boy, said, “It’s better to be a chicken.”
He relates that upon reflection – even as a little boy – he recognized his error. He could eat at the table and get real food, but the chicken was kicked around and got fed dry corn, etc. He concluded that it was in fact better to be a person.
The moral of the story is that – yes, a chicken has less responsibility and less to worry about, but it remains a chicken, nothing more. A person has tremendous responsibility, but also tremendous privilege and opportunity. It is only when we squander and ruin the opportunity that we may ask, “why do I need this?”
That is why the Torah uses the language of “Se-u es rosh,” which can mean Pharoah will raise you up, or it can mean Pharoah will lift off your head.
Shavuos – Torah Unites Us
At the time of Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah), the pasuk (verse) uses the language ‘vayeechan’ (and he camped – in singular) when it says, “And Israel camped at the foot of the mountain” (Shemos 19:2). Our Sages say that the singular usage of the word ‘vayeechan’ implies that they were “k’ish echad b’lev echad” (united in purpose “like one man with one heart” to do the will of Hashem).
The language of Derech Eretz Zuta is, “since they loved each other and despised divisiveness and camped as one individual, Hashem said ‘Now is the appropriate time to give the Torah to My children.’”
This concept of unity is an idea we have spoken of many times. At this time, I would like to share an experience I had recently. A number of weeks ago (in 1990 when this shiur was originally delivered), I went to the Siyum HaShas (completion of the Talmud – based on learning Daf Yomi – a folio of Talmud per day for over 7+ years). The experience of seeing over 20,000 G-d fearing Jews together in – of all places – Madison Square Garden was an amazing sight. I hope I will carry that (and subsequent such experiences) with me for the rest of my life.
At that time and place, I received a new appreciation of what it means to be “k’ish echad b’lev echad”. Unfortunately, as a result of our multitude of sins, there are not many things about which 20,000 Jews can come together. There are not many things about which 20,000 Jews agree. If you looked over the crowd, you could see such a beautiful diversity of people. I was sitting next to a chassidishe fellow – round hat, kappata (long black coat customarily worn in certain religious circles), peyos (referring to chasidish dangling side locks), the works. Next to him was a fellow in a business suit, with a starched white shirt and a bow-tie. There were sephardim, ashkenazim, litvaks, chassidim, misnagdim, etc. I even saw people there that, if I would have seen them on the street, I wouldn’t have even suspected they knew there was such a thing as “Daf Yomi.”
Only one thing exists today that could bring all these people together.
“You want to daven together?” “I daven a different nusach (traditional style of prayers).”
“You want to talk about Eretz Yisrael?” “No.” We can’t agree about Israel, especially the politics.
There are so many things about which we unfortunately disagree. But there is one common denominator. There is one thing that cuts across and transcends everything. That is Torah. It is the same Torah for me, for the chassid, for the sephardi, for the lawyer with the bowtie and for the rabbi with the long coat. It is Torah. The original experience of “k’ish echad b’lev echad” accomplished that.
My heart tells me that this is an application of the principle of “maasei avos siman l’banim” (the actions of the forefathers foreshadowed the actions of their descendants). Four thousand years ago we were all there at Har Sinai, without divisiveness, without disputes, and without hatred – for one common goal – to receive the Torah. That event in history made it possible for 22,000 people to come together from all different backgrounds, with but one thing in common – the study of Torah.
When we celebrate the Yom Tov of Shavuos and think about what Shavuos represents, we should keep in mind that Shavuos is the most amazing of yomim tovim (Jewish holidays). Shavuos gave us our national purpose, our national soul. That is what Rav Yosef meant, “If this day (of Shavuos) would not have caused (me to learn Torah), how many Yosef’s are there in the marketplace (from whom I would have been indistinguishable)?” (Pesachim 68b)
One of the most personally moving tefillos (prayers) of Yom Kippur is the prayer that reads “…We no longer have the Kohen, we no longer have the duchen, Jerusalem is in shambles – the only thing that remains for us is this Torah…”
The Torah is all that is left to unite us. We argue about every little thing. But we can still agree on one thing. The Torah remains to unite us. That is why Shavuos is such a special yom tov. We are all about Torah because it is all that we have left. On Shavuos, we celebrate this power of Torah.
When I sit at a Pesach Seder and I say “Next year in Yerushalayim”, I am saying hopefully I will not make the Seder next year like I did this year. Every year on Yom Kippur, I conclude by saying “Next year it will be better – I will be in Yerushalayim and I will see how the Kohen Gadol does the avodah (service in the Bais Hamikdash)”.
There are very few things in life that we can anticipate will be the same seven years from now. But there is one thing that I do look forward to with confidence that it will be the same seven years from now… “Hadran alach Tinokes, u’sleekah lan maseches Nidah”. G-d willing, Moshiach will come. But there is one thing that will be the same. It will be the same DAF and the same siyum and the same words. It is going to be exactly the same seven years from now – in 2,711 days to be precise, it is going to be the same!
(And so it was! In September 1997, a few days before the arrival of Rosh Hashanah 5758, over 45,000 Jews gathered in two locations in New York City, with a total of over 70,000 Jews – men, women and children – gathered and participating there and at satellite locations throughout the country in a unified celebration of the “Tenth Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi”. By now we also know that the Twelfth Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi in 2012 featured over 92,000 people at MetLife Stadium alone and the thirteenth siyum in 2020 even added an additional location in Brooklyn…)
I ask, about how many things in life can we say it is going to be exactly the same seven years from now? That is what Torah is all about. It is the bedrock of our life. Our nation is not a nation except through the Torah. Therefore, Shavuos is the most wonderful of all holidays. If not for this glorious day, where would we all be? Good Yom Tov!
Transcribed by David Twersky; Jerusalem [email protected]
Edited by Dovid Hoffman; Baltimore, MD [email protected]
This week’s write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar Frand’s Commuter Chavrusah Series on the weekly Torah portion. A listing of the halachic portions for Parshas Bamidbar is provided below:
- 013 Yerushalayim in Halacha
- 058 Going Up To Yerushalayim for Yom Tov: Does it Apply Today?
- 101 Teaching Torah to Women
- 147 Sefiras HaOmer, Shavuos & the International Dateline
- 194 Can One Charge for Teaching Torah?
- 240 An Early Start for Shavuos?
- 284 Birchas HaTorah
- 330 Sefer Rus and Its Halachic Implications
- 374 Bathing On Shabbos and Yom Tov
- 418 Shavuos Issues–Late Maariv–Learning All Night
- 462 May A Child Carry A Sefer On Shabbos
- 506 Shavuos: Two Days, She-cheyanu & Other Issues
- 550 Opening Cans on Shabbos & Yom Tov
- 594 Omer Davar B’Sheim Omro – Giving Proper Credit
- 638 Eruv and the Big City
- 682 Carrying on Yom Tov
- 726 Returning Pidyon Haben Money
- 770 Let Them Eat Cheesecake
- 814 Oy, The Eruv is Down, Now What?
- 858 Ms. Cohen for A Pidyon Habein?
- 902 Dancing on Yom Tov
- 946 The Beautiful Poem of Akdomus
- 989 The Mitzva of Talmud Torah – How Much – How Little?
- 1033 Conning Someone Out of A Mitzva
- 1077 Can A Father Give Son His Position (Rabbi/Chazan) While Still Alive?
- 1120 The Zohar vs Talmud Bavli: Whom Do We Pasken Like?
- 1162 Yahrtzeit/Yizkor Candles on Yom Tov – Is There A Problem?
- 1206 What Bracha on Cheesecake? Is It BH or BSD? And other Shavuos Issues
- 1250 Erev Shavuos on Shabbos
- 1294 When Should Women Light Candles for Shavuos?
- 1338 Can You Make The Second Day of Shavuos Early? Can American Mohel in Israel Perform A Bris on the Second Day of Shavuos.
- 1382 The Halachic Issues with Milchig Bread
- 1426 Shavuos – A potpourri of Dinim and Minhagim – Adding Water to Flowers and more
- 1470 How is Adopted Child Called to Torah? Named in Kesuba? And other fascinating Shailos.
- 1514 Shavuos – Women and Candle Lighting for Yom Tov
- 1556 Shavuos -Yom Tov Candles: Bracha and Then Light or Vis Versa? Parmesan Cheese and Then Fleishig? Is There a Problem?
A complete catalogue can be ordered from the Yad Yechiel Institute, PO Box 511, Owings Mills MD 21117-0511. Call (410) 358-0416 or e-mail [email protected] or visit http://www.yadyechiel.org/ for further information.
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Date: May 29, 2025
