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When R’ Yisroel Rizhiner came to Lemberg for the first time, he was put up by the then-famous Grand Rabbi Yaakov Orenshtein, the author of “Yeshuos Yaakov” (Salvation of Yaakov). Rabbi Orenshtein expected the Rizhiner talk Torah with him and give over a chidush (insight) or a pilpul (argument/debate). But it turned out he just kept on under the pretext of talking about Lemberg’s community affairs, and only upon his departure did he pose a question:
“Tell me, Lemberger Rav, from what material do the Lembergers make the roofs for their particular buildings?”
“From what material?” the Grand Rabbi repeated the peculiar question in great astonishment, “As I understand, from tin plates.”
“Well, that doesn’t really fit,” the Rizhiner replied causally. ”Tile and brick would be smoother and better protection”
After the Rizhiner left Lemberg, Rav Orenshtein continued to be taunted by his question and yet more by his answer. So he told it to R’ Meir’l Premishlaner, who said:
A leader should go in advance and guide the congregation;
They should follow. But it should not be that the leader turns
to see what the congregation desires and give in to its opinions.
(Chidushei Harim)
tsaror et-hamidyanim smite the Midianites (Numbers 24:17)
דער רבש”ע האָט משה’ן געהייסען בקנה נעמען פון מדין פאר די „נִכְלֵיהֶם אְַשֶר נִכְלוּ לַכֶם“ פאר די זינדיגע מחשבות פארדאָרבענע הרהורים און תאווה’דיגע טראצונגען וואָס מדין האָט דורך דער עבודה־זרה פּעור, אריינגעבראכט אין דער אידישהע מחנע און מבלבל געווען די אידישע מחשבות.
(רבי ר’ אלימלך)
The Master of the Universe ordered Moshe to smite the Midianites for the “wiles with which they beguiled you,” (Numbers 24:18) for the sinful thoughts, the tainted reflections, and the lustful thinking with which they committed idol worship with Peor, introducing confusion into the Jewish camp and into Jewish thought. (Rebbe R’ Elimelech)
The gabbai’im (assistants) of the shul once went to R’ Pinchas’l Koritzer to complain about the chutzpah of the city’s cantor, who was continually asking for raises and now wanted his salary to equal that of the rabbi.
— This doesn’t surprise me in the least — retorted R’ Pinchas’l — he is not the first “to commit the acts of Zimri (in the language of a singer — singing) and ask for Pinchas’ reward.”
Our parsha begins rather in the middle of a story that we left unfinished last time. To recap briefly, the Jews were living for a period of time in Shittim, and “the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab.” By this is meant that they were worshipping the wrong gods, ate the wrong foods, married the wrong people, etc. etc.
Hashem would not suffer this, and became angry. He ordered Moses to ‘Hang ‘em high!’ (paraphrased). And a bit of an odd thing happens here (as if this were not an altogether odd story to begin with), because there is an implication that the punishment for those who worshipped the Baal of Peor (a false god) were to be hanged, but at the same time, a plague arose. Only the text does not tell us this until after the fact. It appears that people who were neither hanged nor afflicted with the plague were mourning the loss of their kinsmen, while a certain Israelite was carrying on with a Midianite woman in plain sight.
Digital Maggid
