Parshas Masei

This week's parsha is Parshas Masei, which discusses the travels of Klal Yisroel. It is also the week of Shabbos Chazak, when we finish one of the five Chumashim and say "chazak, chazak, v'nischazeik". What connection can be drawn between these two points?

Perhaps we can suggest as follows: when a person is travelling, he is "out of his element". He is no longer secure in his comfortable, familiar surroundings, but rather he is out "in the wild", unaware of the dangers lurking just around the corner. The spiritual challenges he faces can be quite overwhelming. At a time like that, the solution is to band together with other people. As the pasuk says about Yaakov Avinu, "Vayevoseir Yaakov levado" - when Yaakov remained alone, with no one else with him - "vaye oveik ish imo" - only then was the Saro Shel Esav able to attack him. But when a person is together with friends, then "Ish es rei'eihu ya'azoru, ule achiv yomar chazak" - he can be strengthened enough to defeat the challenges that come his way. And that is perhaps why we end the parsha discussing Klal Yisroel's travels by saying "chazak, chazak, v'nischazeik" - to remind us of the importance of a traveler being mechazeik himself through his friends.

As we enter Bein Hazmanim, we should keep this lesson in mind, being that Bein Hazmanim is the "travel season". We should use this opportunity to meet with each other, to renew old relationships, and be mechazeik one another. And b'ezras Hashem, the chizuk will hopefully carry us through any challenges that may arise.

Parshas Mattos

In this week's parsha, when discussing how to handle spoils of war, the Torah begins by saying "Elazar the Kohein said to the soldiers who were coming to war". The question that arises is, since Elazar was speaking to the soldiers who were returning from war with the spoils after the war was already over, why does the pasuk say "haba'im l'milchama" ("who were COMING to war")? Shouldn't it rather say "haba'im me'hamilchama" ("who were RETURNING from war")?

The Divrei Shaul answers by quoting a story from the Chovos Halevavos. There was once a wise man who saw a group of soldiers returning from war laden with riches which they had conquered, joking and laughing about all the parties they were going to have now that the battle was won. "Fools!" he said to them, "you think the war is over? Quite the contrary, the battle has only just begun: the war you are returning from is a small, physical battle. Now you have to fight a much bigger battle - the battle of the Yetzer Hara! Now that you are rich from the spoils of war, your nisyonos are immeasurably greater!"

So too, says the Divrei Shaul, is the case over here. Although the soldiers were returning from the battle of Midyan victorious, the pasuk refers to them as "haba'im l'milchama" ("who were coming to war") - because indeed, their real battle was only just beginning. Now was when they would have to fight their evil inclinations and make sure to take the proper course of action in handling the spoils.

Indeed, this concept does not only apply to war, but to our regular daily lives as well: whenever a person's physical or monetary situation improves, his nisyonos grow as well. The Chofetz Chaim says that in Rosh Chodesh bentching, we ask for yiras shomayim twice. Why? Because after asking for yiras shomayim the first time, we ask for "chaim shel osher v'chovod" - a life of wealth and honor. And once a person has wealth and honor, his previous level of yiras shomayim will not be enough to sustain him - he must ask again for additional yiras shomayim, so as to triumph the new nisyonos that will undoubtedly arise.

As we go through life, we must be sure that as our status in life changes, so must our level in Avodas Hashem. A person cannot "rest on his laurels", expecting his current spiritual level to carry him through life at a constant, positive pace. Rather, he must constantly ensure that his level of yiras shomayim is on par with his station in life. One must always strive to reach higher and higher.

Parshas Pinchas

In this week's parsha, we find the story of Pinchas, who was the epitome of zeal on behalf of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. With one zealous act, he curbed Hashem's anger, and ended the plague that was raging through Klal Yisroel. The obvious question is, what was the source of this unusual display of courage? How did Pinchas have the fortitude to rise above the level of those around him, and do what no one else was brave enough to do?

The answer is that unfortunately, most people do not act according to what is right, but rather according to the way they feel society dictates they should. Even if people know that something is wrong, they will not speak out against it and protest it if they feel that people will look down upon them for taking the unpopular side. Pinchas, on the other hand, acted according to what was right, not what was popular. Pinchas realized that the situation called for an "out of the box" approach and took action accordingly, despite the risk that people would look upon him as a fanatic. He didn't care what people thought - his only concern was to do what was right, for the kavod of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. In fact, the pasuk does not say "tachas asher kino l'Elokim" (merely "to G-d"), but rather "l'Elokav" ("to his G-d"). Because in this case, his devotion to Hashem was singular to him. He was the only one who took a stand for what he felt was right, without factoring in the opinion of the rest of the world.

Taking action the way Pinchas did can only come from a very deep sense of devotion to Hashem. That's why we say the halacha in such a case is that although "kano'im pogim bo" (kano'im may take matters into their own hands, and administer vigilante justice), nevertheless "v'ein morim kein" (we do not instruct people to do so) - an act like that cannot be planned or rehearsed; rather, by definition, it must be spontaneous and unexpected. It must come from deep within a person, from a natural revulsion toward evil and a desire to do the right thing. That is why although the parshiyos of Chukas and Balak (the parshiyos immediately preceding Pinchas) may be paired as a "double-parsha", as well as Matos and Masei (the parshiyos immediately following Pinchas), the parsha of Pinchas always stands alone. It is to remind us that Pinchas is unique. His parsha is always by itself to highlight his individuality.

We each have challenges in our lives that we face. We must learn from Pinchas not to merely "follow the herd", but rather to make our own choices. We must always rise to the occasion, and do what we know is right.