Chadashos 7.29.22

July 29, 2022 | ‫מסעי | ר''ח אב תשפ''ב‬-‫פרשת מטות‬

‫בס‘‘ד‬

AUGUST 12 The youngster at Mesivta Torah Vodaath was in trouble. Despite multiple warnings, this particular
student consistently slept in. With the permission of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky,
Last day of Camp S.T.E.P. zt”l, he was suspended from the yeshiva’s dormitory. The boy was devastated, and just as it seemed
as life couldn’t possibly get worse, he was summoned by the Rosh Yeshiva. With no choice, he
•••••• knocked on the door of the Rosh Yeshiva’s office and entered. Rabbi Kamenetzky acknowledged the
dormitory suspension and asked if the teenager had a place to stay. The boy responded negatively
AUGUST 31 and Rabbi Kamenetzky invited him to stay at the Kamenetzky home. Noticing confusion on the face
of the student, Rabbi Kamenetzky explained that the boy’s grandfather had been a contributor to
First Day of School the Kovno Kollel where Rabbi Kamenetzky had studied decades earlier, thus Rabbi Kamenetzky was
Early Childhood Orientation a beneficiary of his grandfather’s generosity. While the suspension was appropriate, Rabbi
Kamenetzky explained, his debt of hakaras hatov, gratitude to the donor’s family motivated the
•••••• unexpected invitation to his home.

SEPTEMBER 1 The lessons of hakaras hatov gleaned from Torah sages such as Rav Kamenetzky find its sources
throughout the Torah. This week’s parsha is one such example:
First Full Day of School
First Day of Early Childhood Midyan was responsible for the immorality that infiltrated into Klal Yisrael and resulted in a plague
which claimed the lives of 24,000 people, as previously recorded in the final pasuk of Parshas
8:28 Balak. Now, the Torah begins Parshas Matos with a Divine mandate to Moshe Rabbeinu to take
vengeance upon Midyan for the evil inflicted upon our people (31,2). Rashi comments that
although Moshe was aware that his own death was to follow this war, he nevertheless proceeded
with the mission without delay. In fact, the pasuk tells us that Vayitzbeu al Midyan kaasher tziva
Hashem es Moshe, They massed against Midyan as Hashem commanded Moshe (31,7). Mission
accomplished.

But, wait! We find that Moshe himself did not join the war efforts, and rather appointed Pinchos to
go in his stead. Moshe felt that since he was nurtured in Midyan it would be inappropriate for him
to fight them. Similar to Moshe’s sensitivity found in Parshas Vaera where he felt it inappropriate to
effect the first plague against Mitzrayim by striking the river which had protected him as an infant,
his hakaras hatov to Midyan precluded him from fighting them.

How could Moshe Rabbeinu’s personal debt of gratitude trump the Divine commandment to wage
war on Midyan? Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt”l, Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva explains that from here we
learn that so great is the debt of one’s hakaras hatov that it defines the intent of the tzivuy, the
Divine commandment. Thus, when Moshe was instructed to wage war, he understood that
because of his personal debt of gratitude, his mandate was to appoint an emissary to accomplish
the task—an action validated by the Torah when it states that the mission was accomplished as
Hashem commanded Moshe.

While we may understand the importance of cultivating an attitude of gratitude, perhaps one’s
debt of gratitude is far more powerful than we might think. It could potentially drive, direct and
define Divine commandments!

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

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Camp S.T.E.P.

And the fun con-
tinues… Week 4
at Camp S.T.E.P.

For the Safety of Our Children

Camp STEP reminds parents to please be vigilant as the children make their way to and from camp. Please be sure
that those who are required to wear helmets wear them and pedestrians should exercise caution in crossing South
Green Road to and from the Yavne campus. Please know that while the police department graciously crosses chil-
dren on most days, we have been informed by the Federation that there will be times that a crossing guard is not
present. Thank you for your attention to the safety of our children.

Mazel Tov!

 Dr. & Mrs. Benjamin Miller on the bar mitzvah of Meir
 Rabbi & Mrs. Yaakov Ruck on the birth of a boy
 Rabbi & Mrs. Chaim Zelasko on the bar mitzvah of Nechemia

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