What Is Primary and What is Secondary in Life?
PARSHAS BESHALACH
Good Shabbos. I just returned from my son’s wedding in New York where I heard the story of two men at a wedding who were discussing their recent losses in the stock market. The first complained that he lost nearly 40% of his money and it weighs so heavily on his mind that he can not eat or sleep. The second said he lost over 50% of his life savings and he is sleeping like a baby.
“How can you sleep so well if you lost so much money”, he asked. His friend answered, “I said that I sleep like a baby. I wake up every two hours and cry”.
I also heard a story of a Rabbi who was about to speak to his Congregation but was unsure what to say. Suddenly an angel appeared and the entire congregation went into a trance. The angel told the Rabbi that in reward for his devotion and piety he would be rewarded with a gift of his choice. He could choose to be either the most beloved person, the richest person, or the wisest person.
He immediately ruled out most beloved for the Sages teach that a Rabbi who is loved by all is not fully urging his congregation to positive change. Riches sound great but he didn’t become a rabbi to become rich. But wisdom - if he could be the wisest of all men, he would always know what to say and do. He chose wisdom. “So shall it be”, said the angel, and the congregation awoke from the trance. And then, with his newfound wisdom, he approached the podium and said: “I should have taken the money”.
Our portion makes an amazing juxtaposition between the Jews busying themselves with gathering the gold and silver of Egypt while Moshe busied himself with finding and preparing the bones of Yosef to bring with them to Israel for burial. The Gemara comments: “How precious were the mitzvos to Moshe, for while all of Israel occupied themselves with accumulating gold and silver, Moshe occupied himself with mitzvos” (Sotah 13a). The Gemara explains this as a proof of the verse “Chacham Lev Yikach Mitzvos - the wise man chooses mitzvos” (Mishlei 10:8).
Obviously it was a mitzvah to fulfill the promise made to Yosef that when the Jews would be redeemed they would take his remains with them for burial in Israel. But the fact is that gathering the gold and silver of Egypt was also a mitzvah. They were commanded to gather these riches to fulfill the promise which G-d made to Abraham (Shmos 11:2), that his children would be enslaved for 400 years and then return to Israel with great wealth (Brachos 9b).
So why was gathering the silver and gold of Egypt any worse than gathering the bones of Yosef? Also, why should choosing to remove the bones of Yosef instead of collecting great wealth be called an act of “wisdom” on Moshe’s part?
The answer to this second question might be based on the teaching that we read in Ethics of the Fathers: “Who is a wise man, one who sees the future.” (Ethics Chapter 5) Moshe sensed that, in the future, the Jewish nation would misuse these riches, and indeed that is what they used to build the golden calf.
While the Jews emptied Egypt of their wealth and riches, Moshe chose to personally busy himself with finding and preparing to remove the bones of Yosef for burial in Israel. So it was, that Yosef who personally dealt with the burial of his father, now merited that Moshe personally dealt with his remains being taken out of Egypt for burial in Israel. And by doing this, Moshe merited that his own burial was personally carried out by G-d Himself.
There is a fascinating Medrash that tells of Moshe’s trouble in finding the casket of Yosef. As hard as he tried, Moshe could not find it. Finally, Serach, the daughter of Asher, told Moshe that she remembered that the Egyptians had made the casket weighing 500 talents and dropped it deep into the Nile River. By doing so, the Egyptians hoped that no one would be able to lift it from the river, and that the Jews would be unable to leave Egypt without it.
Moshe stood in that spot and called out: “Yosef, Yosef, you swore that G-d would redeem your children - do not delay that redemption!” At that instant, the casket miraculously floated to the surface and Moshe lifted it onto his shoulder. As the Jews carried out the gold and the silver, Moshe was carrying the bones of Yosef.
We are still left with the question of why we seem to be criticizing the Jews for collecting the gold and silver when that was also a mitzvah commanded by G-d. Why is Moshe’s mitzvah explained as such a positive choice while the mitzvah the Jews chose to fulfill seems to have a somewhat negative connotation?
The answer is that there are all different types of mitzvos in life and we have to choose them based on what G-d wants, and not on what we might like best at any given time. Gathering gold was a mitzvah and gathering Yosef’s bones was a mitzvah. Moshe chose the mitzvah of dealing with the bones of Yosef and he was eternally rewarded. The Jews chose the mitzvah of wealth and it was later squandered at the Golden Calf.
In fact, our portion says: Vayasa Moshe es ha’am — “Moshe made the people journey from the Sea.” According to Rashi, the Jews were so busy collecting the riches at the sea that Moshe had to force them to stop and to carry on with their journey to Mount Sinai.
Gathering money and building wealth is a good thing, but going to receive the Ten Commandments was the purpose of the entire exodus and all of the miracles that were performed in Egypt. This was the Revelation that would give the Jewish People its unique way of life and outline our responsibilities and Divine Mission in life. Even when two things are both good, one often has to choose which is primary and which is secondary.
During this period of recession that our country is facing, at times of crisis such as during our recent storm, and certainly at times of joy such as during my son’s recent wedding - we are clearly reminded of what is most important in life and what is only secondary.
May we all be blessed with health and wealth, nachas from our children and good weather to enjoy it all, and let us say Amain.
