This week we read how the Children of Israel kept Pesach in the wilderness on the 14th of Nisan of the second year. This is earlier than the census that was recorded at the beginning of the book, which took place on the 1st of Iyar. In answering the question why the Torah waits until now to inform us of the event, Rashi quotes the midrash to the effect that this was to hide the shame of Israel, who kept only this Pesach but no other, during their sojourn in the wilderness. Yet there is a problem with this explanation. The reason that the Jews did not keep Pesach in the wilderness, as given by the book of Joshua for example, was that the new generation were not circumcised, thus disqualifying them from bringing the Pesach sacrifice. And the reason for not being circumcised, say the Rabbis, was that it was dangerous to circumcise in the conditions of travel in the wilderness. In that case, what was the shame of following the Torah’s injunction to put life above even keeping most of the mitzvot? The Ramban, who feels this difficulty, gives a fascinating explanation. The shame was in the fact that they had to wander in the wilderness for forty years as a consequence of the sin of the spies. It was their rebellion that caused them to be punished in this manner, thus rendering it impossible for them to circumcise their sons and so keep Pesach. This is a wonderful psychological and moral insight into human responsibility. We often hear the use of duress as a mitigating factor in non-observance of the Torah. Indeed, the Halakhah itself recognises coercion as a reason for exemption. Yet the Ramban asks us to not let ourselves off so lightly. It may be that we are presently unable to observe this or that mitzvah because of circumstance. But if that circumstance is the cause of our choices or failings, then we cannot claim to be totally not responsible for our non-observance. A classic case is Maimonidies’ instructions to a group of Jews living under a coercive Moslem regime. While he presently absolves them from responsibility for their outward conformity to Islam, he requires them to leave that country as soon as practicable. They cannot choose to stay in such a situation and then claim to be acting under duress. These comments require us to examine our own excuses for non-observance. Are they really the consequence of circumstance or the result of choices we have made and which we can and should change for the better.

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Behalotcha

·               has 136 verses;

·               is the 3rd  in Numbers,  36th  in the Torah

·               3rd longest in Numbers,  10th  longest  in the Torah  

·                has 3 pos + 2 neg =  5 mitzvot.