Parshat Vayelech – Shabbos Shuva
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha that Moshe tells Yehoshua (Chapter 31, Pasuk 7), Chazak V'Ematz Ki Atah Tavo es Ha'Am Hazeh el Ha'Aretz.Moshe tells Yehoshua to strengthen himself since he will be going into Eretz Yisrael. Rashi comments that Moshe tells Yehoshua Tavo es Ha'Am Hazeh, you will be going with the people into Eretz Yisrael. This is a reference to Zekainim She'bador, the elders of the generation who will help you guide the people. However, Rashi continues, later in the parsha (Pasuk 23) we read Chazak V'Ematz Ki Atah Tavi es Ha'Am Hazeh. When Hashem speaks to Yehoshua He says you will bring the people into Eretz Yisrael. Hashem tells Yehoshua he will lead Bnei Yisrael into the Holy Land on his own, not with the joint leadership of the elders. This is because there is one leader for a generation and not two.
The Meshech Chachmah explains the words of Rashi based on the following Gemara. The Gemara in Baba Basra 75A quotes the pasuk from Parshat Pinchas where Moshe is told to give over his glory to his successor Yehoshua. V'Nasata Me'Hodcha Alav, V'Lo Kol Hodcha. Moshe was not able to give over to Yehoshua all of his greatness and abilities. Zekainim Sheb'Oso HaDor Amru, Pnei Moshe K'Pnei Chamah, Pnei Yehoshua K'Pnei Levanah. Oy Lah L'Osah Bushah, Oy Lah L'Osah Kelimah. The face of Moshe was like the sun while the face of Yehoshua was like the moon. Woe to such an embarrassment and shame.
Moshe Rabbeinu told Yehoshua that he should lead Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael together with the Zekainim She'bador. He assumed he had bequeathed to Yehoshua the same qualities as himself of being K'Pnei Chamah. Just as Moshe was like the sun and able to light up others, similarly Yehoshua would be able to not only lead with his own light, but that he would give light to others, specifically the Zekainim She'bador.
However, when Hashem blesses Yehoshua He tells him Atah Tavi es Ha'Am Hazeh. He was telling Yehoshua that his face was like the reflected light of the moon. He had light from Moshe with which to lead Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. But he didn't possess the same abilities as Moshe to reflect light onto others. He was not able to lead together with the elders of the generation by reflecting light onto them. Therefore Hashem tells him you will lead alone; there is one leader for the generation, but not more.
This is how the Meshech Chachmah explains the Gemara in Baba Basra. It is precisely the Zekainim She'bador who understood that Yehoshua was not on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu. This is because they were excluded from leadership since Yehoshua didn't have the same qualities ofPnei Chamah that Moshe had. And the Gemara concludes by saying, woe to the embarrassment and shame for Yehoshua who wasn't on the same level of Moshe. Yehoshua's lacking became more pronounced when he couldn't give over light to the elders of the generation and have them join in the leadership of Bnei Yisrael.
The Maharsha on the Gemara learns that the embarrassment didn't belong to Yehoshua. While it's true that Yehoshua didn't have the same illuminating qualities as Moshe Rabbeinu, he had his own qualities which Moshe didn't share. Yehoshua merited leading Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael while Moshe didn't. Each person has his own achievements and qualities which the next person doesn’t have. But when the Gemara says Oy Lah L'Osah Bushah, Oy Lah L'Osah Kelimah it is referring to those who don't have their own achievements and special qualities. But Yehoshua himself had nothing to be embarrassed about, even in comparison to Moshe Rabbeinu.
The Rambam teaches in Hilchos Teshuvah that one of the basic components of Teshuvah is remorse and embarrassment. The Rambam teaches in Chapter 1 Halachah 1, V'Haraiy Nichamti U'Boshti M'Ma'asai, I regret and am embarrassed by my actions. We are not expected to be like Moshe Rabbeinu; this wasn't the reason for embarrassment for Yehoshua, and certainly not for us. But when our own level of Avodas Hashem is not what it should be then, Oy Lah L'Osah Bushah, Oy Lah L'Osah Kelimah. We need to be ashamed and embarrassed.
It is brought in the Sefarim that the word Shuvah, the word for return, is the same letters as Bushah, embarrassment. A person has to feel embarrassment to the point that he feels he has no place in the world. He is embarrassed before Gd. The Chidushei HaRim teaches that when we feel ashamed to the point that we have no place, then Hashem reaches out to us and provides with a place; He returns us to a place close to Him. This is why Yom Kippur is followed by Succos. We are given a place under the schach, the Tzila D'Haimnusa, a place of connection with Hashem.
May we merit on Yom Kippur to be embarrassed for not achieving what we are capable of and in return Hashem should help us to reach greater and more meaningful levels of Avodas Hashem.
Good Shabbos and Gemar Chasimah Tovah.
Print this article