|
“And with
you shall be each person to his tribe, each person to
his father’s family.” (Bamidbar 1:4) Hashem instructed Moshe to count Bnei Yisroel as a whole, as well as each tribe individually.
The holy Tiferes
Shlomo interpreted this verse as a lesson for the
righteous to help out Jews who have lost their way. Even a Jew who loses his spiritual footing is still a child of Hashem. He should not be given up on, but the tzaddik should help him come back into the fold.
“And with you
shall be each person to his tribe.” The word “ish -
person” is a term used for worthy people. The word
“mateh - tribe” could mean “slip,” such as in Tehillim
94:18, “mateh ragli, when my legs slip.” The verse
now reads: “With you Moshe and Aharon should be the
worthy people who shall assist the people who have
slipped” because “each Jewish person belongs to the
Fathers,” Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yakov. The word “avosav
– his father” could mean “desire” according to a
different interpretation (see Devarim 25:7). The Torah
is telling us that every Jew has an inner desire to
serve Hashem. Even if he strays from the right path, his soul will not be lost because this inner desire can always be reawakened; the sparks of kedusha could be fanned into flames.
Shabbos is
similar to the concept of a tzaddik. The Torah says that
on Shabbos the sea calms down. A rasha, sinful person, is likened to the sea. On Shabbos, the sinful urges within a person are calmed and the forces of holiness take over. The person becomes attracted to kedusha and spirituality.
The letters of
the words “rosh bais” avosav – the leader of his
father’s house – can be rearranged to spell the words
“Shabbos, Rebbe.” The verse is hinting to us that
Shabbos has the power to bring back a straying Jew, just
like a tzaddik. Hashem does not want a single Jew to be
lost to Klal Yisroel, even if he has left the path of
Torah. Through Shabbos, the inner Jewish spark within
his soul can be reawakened and he can be drawn back to
the true source of light – the
Torah.
|