The second portion we read this week, Massai, details the names of the 42 stops the Jews made while traversing the desert towards the Land of Israel.
A question is asked, why did the Jews have to go through such efforts to get to the Land?
Our Sages tell us that the Land of Israel is acquired through difficulties. Why is that so?
Rabbi Menachem Soliman Mani o.b.m. explains though the following story.
There was a wealthy man who had an only son. The son was handsome and smart, but was very lazy. In reality, why shouldn’t he be lazy? He got anything he needed or wanted.
The son grew into adulthood and his mother turned to her husband and said its time for their son to get married. To this her husband responded that their son first has to be motivated to seek employment in order to support a wife, and only then will he be ready for marriage.
The doting and protective mother went over to her son and related the conversation she had with his father and said to him, “Here is a few hundred dollars, go out and mill around the marketplace and then come home and show your father the money and claim that you earned it through business you conducted.
The lazy son liked the idea. After a ‘day at work’ he came home and presented the money to his father. His father took the money and threw it in the garbage! The son was shocked! His father exclaimed, “This is not money that you earned!”
The son went back to his mother and related what had transpired. The next day the mother did the same thing, she again gave her son a few hundred dollars and told him to go out and come back and present it to his father.
When the son came home and showed his ‘earned’ money to his father, he again threw it in the garbage and said it was not hard-earned money.
When the son reported back to his mother, she said it must be that your father has super powers allowing him to know how money is earned. I must now advise you to actually work for your money.
The next day, the son went out and found employment. He worked and came home and presented the money to his father. Again, the father took the money and threw it in the garbage. Only this time the son spoke up loudly and said, “No my father! Please don’t throw the money away!”
At this point, the father smiled and gave the money back to his son and said, “I can see that you worked hard for your money.”
The wife who was watching this unfold asked her husband, “How did you know that he earned this money?” Her husband answered, “It’s because this time I saw that he cared about this money and it was dear to him – this indicated that he earned it.”
Says Rav Mani, with this we can explain why G-d made the Jewish people acquire the land of Israel by going through difficulties. It was in order that they appreciate, love, and value the land to the highest degree.
The Talmud teaches us that Torah is also only acquired through difficulties. Therefore, when one studies and works to understand Torah, it becomes his acquisition through toil and with it comes a deeper appreciation, since it entailed a commitment, work and effort.
With this we can understand why when one who has gained and achieved Torah understanding and comprehends that it is a gift given to us by the Almighty Himself to uphold, protect and promote, and if he sees that Torah values are dismissively cheapened, distorted, ignored and discarded – he almost reflexively wonders, “Why are you throwing away what I worked so hard for?”
Every now and then it is worthwhile to reflect on the spiritual accomplishments we achieved and acquired and think about the elevation we gained in the process. This practice serves to motivate us to strive for more.
All worldly possessions will ultimately be left behind, but it is the invaluable and inestimable Torah, Mitzvos and good deeds that will accompany our souls for eternity!
