In the last year of his life, my maternal grandfather, Rabbi Sholom Gordon, was weakened by a dreaded illness. Nevertheless he refused to cut back on his obligations as a Synagogue Rabbi and hospital chaplain. With a son or grandson in tow, he would shlep himself to Shul for classes and services and from room to room at the two hospitals that he served. When challenged why he did not consider slowing down, he replied with the following analysis.
A fool can be identified in different ways. Sometimes the way a person opens the door you can tell that he is a fool. There can be a person who opens the door like a mensch but then when he opens his mouth you he gives himself away as a fool. Then you have the person who comes in like a mensch and speaks like a mensch but when he leaves he slams the door like a fool.
My grandfather concluded, “I do not want to close the door on life like a fool, by neglecting what is the most valuable.”
In this Parsha, Moshe begs Hashem to allow him into Israel. Hashem instructs him to cease his pleading. Was Hashem so hard-hearted and was Moshe so unworthy that the request was refused? The Rebbe explains that certainly Moshe’s request for entry to the land as a private person would have been granted. However, were he to go into Israel at the point, his entire generation that died in the desert would have been lost forever. So when his request to go as their leader was denied, he opted to remain back and pass away in the desert so that when he comes back at the end of times, his generation will come back with him.
Throughout his lifetime Moshe displayed intense dedication to the Jewish people, even at the risk of personal loss, over and over again. Now at the end of his life Moshe came through once more for his people, choosing leadership over personal gain, thereby closing the door like the devoted shepherd that he always was.
This week we celebrated the Bas Mitzvah of our daughter Basy. Malkie and I are very touched by the good wishes and blessings of all of the women that attended and celebrated with us. I will give a full report along with photos next week, G-d willing.
This past week the renewed Camp Gan Israel of New Orleans wrapped up a very successful inaugural year. For photos, videos and more go to www.cgineworleans.com.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin