Is There Ever Enough Gold? 

We begin the Fifth book of the Torah this week, the
book of Devarim. We have mentioned many times that the Rabbis teach us that
this book made up primarily of Moshe Rabeynu’s final speech and testament was
an optional book to be included at Moses discretion. The first three portions
feature Moses narrating a brief history of the past four decades to those about
to enter the land (see our short class on Deravim, memory and Tisha BeAb). 

The opening verse is as follows:  

אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר
דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֡ר
בָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין־פָּארָ֧ן וּבֵֽין־תֹּ֛פֶל וְלָבָ֥ן וַחֲצֵרֹ֖ת
וְדִ֥י זָהָֽב׃ 

These are the words that Moses addressed to all
Israel on the other side of the Jordan.—Through the wilderness, in the Arabah
near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab, 

The Rabbis teach us that these words refer to places
and hint at where the Jews sinned in the desert. But then Moses adds one more
place, “Di Zahav.” 

Rashi explains: “In the vicinity of Di Zahav”, he
alluded to the affair of the golden calf, that due to Am Yisrael’s excessive
wealth they sinned and fashioned a calf out of gold. 

I would like to share a story and a lesson based on
the teachings of Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef ZSL as posted by Halacha Yomit which
should motivate each of us lilmod ulelamed. Not only to learn but to realize
the best path to learn is to give over what I learn, lishma, for the sake of
Heaven.  

There was once a gaon, philosopher and kabbalist,
Rebbi Yehudah Aryeh of Modena z”l (1571-1648) who has a book called “Ari Nohem”
and responsa. This gaon was graced by Hashem with a great talent for learning,
his was literally a fulfilment of the passuk, “the words of his palate are
sweet and he is all delight” [Shir HaShirim 5:16]. He lived in Venice and
during his time there was a huge bet knesset in the city which could seat a
thousand men. 

One day the gabbaim of the bet knesset came to the
rav and asked him that since they don’t have a rav who can give derashot that
he come on Shabbat to the bet knesset and give them a derashah before Musaph.
The rav replied that since the bet knesset was far from his home and he was
getting old he was unable to come and give them a derashah. The gabbaim greatly
pressured him to head to their request to come just for one Shabbat. Until the
rav was unable to withstand their pressures and he ceded to their request to
come and give them a derashah. 

On Shabbat Kodesh before Musaph the rav was honored
to stand before the whole kehillah and he gave a derashah for a full hour about
the Parashah of the week. The rav darshened and his mouth spoke pearls and
gems! The congregation made their ears receptive to hear his sweet words and
they very much enjoyed it. They were literally unaware that a whole hour had
passed! 

On Sunday the gabbaim came to the rav’s home. They
said to him, “Kavod harav we have brought you something, not chas veshalom as a
payment, for it is impossible to paid his honor for the words more precious
than gold and fine gold, just a token due to ‘appreciation’, we brought his
honor a gold watch!” The rav saw and accepted the watch. The gabbaim said to
him, “Kavod harav, his honor saw how much the congregation benefitted from his
words on Shabbat, do us a favor for Hashem’s sake and darshen before us also
this coming Shabbat, this is a matter of meriting the many!” The rav responded,
“I cannot! It is difficult for me to make the journey to you on Shabbat!” The
gabbaim said to him, “How hard is it? Since this Shabbat his honor already came
to us, if so, just like on one Shabbat his honor was able to walk, so shall he
do also on this coming Shabbat!” The rav answered them, “Fine, I will come also
this Shabbat! One Shabbat and that will be enough!” 

The rav was further honored to darshan and the bet
knesset was packed from wall to wall and all the congregation were listening
most intently to every word that came out of his mouth, “words that come out of
the heart enter the heart!” [The source of this adage is Rav Moshe ibn Ezra z”l
1055-1140 in his Shirat Yisrael.] A whole hour did the rav speak and then he
returned home. 

On the next day, Sunday, again the gabbaim arrived
at the rav’s home, they said to him, “Kavod harav the payment which his honor
is entitled to has no bounds, but we have just brought a token gift, they
produced an expensive chandelier and presented it to the rav.” Immediately
afterwards they again pressured the rav that he come again on the next Shabbat
to the bet knesset to darshan for a third time since “a three-ply cord Is not
easily severed” [see Kohelet 4:12] and the rav’s words in a further derashah will
certainly make a tremendous impression! 

The rav agreed and again arrived in the bet knesset
, but this Shabbat the rav’s derashah was extraordinary, above anything that
the kehillah had heard. The derashah was full of words of wisdom which were
pleasant for the ear to hear and the congregation rejoiced in it in an
exceptional way. 

Again, on Sunday the gabbaim went up to the rav’s
home and presented him with a unique gift, an etrog box of pure silver! And as
they were accustomed to, they again pressured the rav that he continue to give
derashot in their bet knesset. The rav answered, “Enough! I already told you
that I will darshan a third time because ‘a three-ply cord Is not easily
severed’, and is now required ‘a four-ply cord’? What do you want from me?”
They pressured and pressured, and attempted to convince the rav that he present
on a permanent basis in the bet knesset. 

Eventually the rav conceded, but he said to them, “I
have a condition! Before I become the permanent darshan in your holy camp, take
with you all the gifts which you gave me, the watch, the chandelier, the etrog
box, take everything with you! Only then will I agree to darshan!” 

The gabbaim were astonished. “What’s the connection?
Why is the rav not prepared to accept the gifts?” The rav replied to them, “I
will respond with a parable. A person entered a watch shop. He was interested
in a unique expensive gold watch, he paid the full price and immediately in
front of the seller he took the watch and threw it on the floor smashing it at
his feet! The shop keeper won’t be angry with such a person, since he paid for
the watch, on the contrary perhaps now he will buy another watch! 

“In contrast a chatan stood under the chuppah and
one of his loved ones came to him and in their hand was a gold watch which they
purchased as a gift with their money. Suddenly the chatan took the watch and
threw it to the ground and smashed it at his feet! Surely such behaviour will
offend the giver! How dare the chatan despised his precious gift! This is so
offensive! 

‘The analogy is as follows. I see that I gave
derashot in the bet knesset three times. Indeed, the congregation were
attentive and very much enjoyed them, but I didn’t notice that the words
influenced them to change their ways, and why is this? Because they know that
the gabbaim took money from the congregation’s funds, and bought gifts from it!
If so, the feeling of the congregation is that they paid me for the derashot!
And now they don’t care to address things in a practical level! In contrast to
this, when I speak for free and the congregation hear the derashah and they
know that I don’t receive payment for it, they won’t be brazened to despise the
matters, the rav stands and makes every effort in his old age to darshan, surely,
they will learn that they must change their ways!” 

Likewise with Moshe Rabbeinu a”h he said to Am
Yisrael, “See! I have taught you rules and laws as Hashem my L-rd has commanded
me” (Devarim 4:5), “Just like I taught for free - so shall you teach for free”,
Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t take a penny from Am Yisrael, because then, each person
that influences the community for the sake of heaven, Hashem gives him grace
and kindness that his words be heard. 

Each person that has the ability to enthuse others
to fulfil Torah and mitzvot, especially regarding Torah-study, for through the
merit of Torah-study Hashem will send Eliyahu HaNavi because the Bet HaMikdash
was destroyed due to not sufficiently studying Torah. Likewise, the redemption
will be due to the merit of Torah-study, as it states, “Remember the Torah of
Moshe My servant, which I commanded him at Chorev for all of Yisrael – [its]
decrees and [its] statutes”, and immediately after this the prophet said,
“Behold, I send you Eliyahu HaNavi before the coming of the great and awesome
day of Hashem. And he will turn back [to Hashem] the hearts of fathers with
[their] sons and the hearts of sons with their fathers” (Malachi 3:22-4).
Be”Ezrat Hashem we will merit Eliyahu and Mashiach Bimhera Beyameynu Amaen!  

I would like to share an alternative answer as well
based on a reading of the Gemara in Berachot which tells us that Moshe, in an effort to defend the Jews, told
Hashem that the Jews were not completely at fault for the sin of the Golden
Calf because “You gave them so much gold, until they said ‘enough.'” The
abundance of gold caused them to sin. 

מַאי ״וְדִי זָהָב״? אָמְרִי
דְּבֵי רַבִּי יַנַּאי: כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בִּשְׁבִיל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁהִשְׁפַּעְתָּ לָהֶם
לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ ״דַּי״ — הוּא גָּרַם שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל. 

We must clarify: What is the meaning of and Di
Zahav? The Sages of the school of Rabbi Yannai said that Moses said the
following before the Holy One, Blessed be He, to atone for Israel after the sin
of the Golden Calf: Master of the Universe, because of the gold and silver that
you lavished upon Israel during the exodus from Egypt until they said enough
[dai]; it was this wealth that caused Israel to make the Golden Calf. 

Rav Mordechai Kamenetzky asks a question and shares
the following story: There is still a troubling detail. We know the famous
adage of the sages, “One does not die with even half of his desires fulfilled,”
and “One who has one hundred desires two hundred.” How is it that the Jews in
the desert were satisfied with the gold they received? Why did they say,
“Enough”? 

A grandson of Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l,
a Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh in Bnei Brak, bought a gift for his grandparents – a
beautiful mirror nameplate for their front door, completely customized with the
Hebrew name “Lefkowitz” engraved – a standard household ornament in Israel.
However, a few weeks went by and the front door remained bare. Rav Lefkowitz
did not put up the nameplate. 

He finally approached his grandfather and asked him
why he is not using the nameplate. Rav Lefkowitz hesitated before
finally admitting the truth. “Our apartment is old,” he began, “And the front
door has seen better days. If I put up the nameplate, it is only a matter of
time before someone will suggest that I replace the door. After all, the
nameplate must match the décor of the apartment. Once the door is replaced,
someone will suggest that the interior walls need to be repainted. One thing
will lead to another, and before long, I will be living in a completely
redecorated apartment! I’d rather life a much simpler life with the least
amount of distractions, and serve Hashem with all my abilities.” 

He quoted his grandfather, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l offers the
following explanation. Before the evil inclination, yetzer horah, became a part
of man’s inner being, man was pure. He was able to withstand the pressure and
desires for physical pleasure and possessions. But after Adam sinned by eating
from the Tree of Knowledge, the evil inclination became part of him, and the
infamous daily struggle of man began. 

When the Jews received the Torah at Mount Sinai, and
Hashem revealed Himself with all his glory, they reached such a lofty spiritual
level, that their impurity ceased (“paska zuhamasan”). The evil inclination
left their bodies, and only affected them externally. When they took the
Egyptians’ gold and riches from the shores of the Sea of Reeds, they were able
to control controlled themselves. They took what they needed and then said,
“Enough!” 

The Rabbi concludes: During the time when we mourn
the two Batei Mikdash – both destroyed on Tisha B’av, we too can look around at
the world we live in, and see how fortunate we are to have what we need. At
this point in history, when Hashem in not dwelling in His Beis Hamikdash, do we really need one more
golden nugget? We can also sacrifice for Hashem, and say, “Enough”. 

Who is strong enough to say enough? Only great
rabbis? No!  

I have told the story of how my friend Abie and I
fretted one evening over yerida hadorot, 'the decline of the
generations', as we looked at ourselves and compared ourselves with our
meritorious fathers and holy grandfathers. In comparison, we were the bottom of
the barrel and what would our children be? And how we breathe a sigh of relief
that we are blessed to live in the age of Mashicach when children will teach
their fathers. We are blessed with special children and we remain the bottom of
that barrel.  

I give tremendous credit to our children who
sacrifice much to make Eretz Yisrael their home. In many ways, life is more
luxurious, care free and monetarily richer in the United States, but they and
those who have made Aliyah have in essence said, “di Zahav” – enough. This is
something human beings are rarely capable of doing. They have reached back to
the soul within them which connects to the soul of Adam before the sin. And
this deserves, blessing, protection and the promises of Mashiach. They should
be blessed in happiness as Adam and Chava in Gan Eden. They should be blessed
with parnassa, health, peace and prosperity and through their sacrifice and
example, Hashem should bring Eliyahu as He promised!