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PERASHA CHUKAT

07/08/2022 11:28:10 AM

Jul8

The merit of one who performs kindness

"... fear him not for I have delivered him into your hand.... and you shall do unto him as you did unto Sichon king of the Amorites..." (21,34)

The Parsha of Chukat ends with a description of the victories of the Children of Israel over the two kings in the Eastern side of the Jordan River – Sichon the King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan.

This is mystifying – that after the decisive victory over Sichon, Moshe was afraid of his upcoming battle with Og the King of Bashan to the point that G-d had to encourage him and strengthen him saying "Fear him not for I have delivered him into your hand.... and you shall do unto him as you did unto Sichon king of the Amorites."

This unexpected fear is brought in Masechta Nida: Why was Moshe afraid of Og and not afraid of Sichon? The Gemara answers: Moshe was afraid that the merit of Avraham Avinu would be in Og's stead, as it says "And one that had escaped came and told Avraham the Hebrew..." Rabbi Yochanan said that this was Og who had escaped from the generation of the Deluge.

On this Gemara Rabbi Yakov Moshe Charlap of Jerusalem said: Og the King of Bashan had a malicious intent when he came to Avraham Avinu and told him about the captivity of his nephew Lot, as our Sages ob'm said "He intended that Avraham should be killed in the war and he would marry his wife Sara who was very pretty." Nevertheless, since Og's tidings was a favor to Avraham, it is considered as a great merit for Og and Moshe Rabenu was afraid that this merit from the days of Avraham would help Og in his war against the Nation of Israel.

Rabbi Charlap concludes – We learn from here how great the merit of someone who performs kindness is, even if he does not have good, desirable intentions in the deed.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784