Matos-Masei

In Parshas Matos the passuk says: Hashem commanded Moshe that Bnei Yisroel should take revenge against the Midyanim.  The passuk ends “and afterwards you shall be gathered into your people.”  This refers to the death of Moshe.  The next passuk says, “and Moshe spoke to the nation to get them ready for war against Midyan.”  Although Moshe heard that after the war against Midyan he would die, Rashi says that he still commanded Bnei Yisroel about the war- immediately and happily.

From here, says Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, we see that Moshe’s fulfilling the will of Hashem was the most important thing, even more than his life!  For Moshe’s life was fulfilling the will of Hashem!

After the command of Hashem to fight, the passuk says that Moshe sent Bnei Yisroel with Pinchas.  Why didn’t Moshe go to fight himself?  Rav Chaim, from Chazal, explains that Moshe said, “I grew up in Midyan; it is therefore not proper for me to go fight them.”  This is like the saying, “a well from which you drank, don’t throw in a stone!”

From here we can learn a few lessons in hakaras hatov.  First, we see that even many years later it is still proper to repay kindness.  Also, we see that even if the kindness is repaid to others of the same country (here- Midyan), there is still a purpose of acting with kindness to them. Last, brings Rav Chaim, although Hashem told Moshe to fight, Moshe understood that Hashem meant for him to send Pinchas in his place, because of Moshe’s hakaras hatov to Midyan.  This is like one of the thirteen midos that Chazal darshan the Torah with.  With the midah of hakaras hatov, Moshe explained the command of Hashem to mean he should send Pinchas and not go himself.

May Hashem help us exercise the midah of hakaras hatov to bring us closer to Him!