Why We Survive
From the Munk Debate to Parashas Beha'aloscha: Rav Moshe Dovid Vali’s Profound Lessons on the Endurance of the Jewish People
I just watched the Munk Debate on whether anti-Zionism equates to anti-Semitism. The debate featured two non-Jewish advocates on the pro side, Douglas Murray and Natasha Hausdorff, and a Muslim and a Jew on the con side, whose names I will not honor by mentioning in this post. It was a heated exchange, highlighting the starkly different and vehement narratives people hold. Yet, the undeniable thread running through it all was the rampant anti-Semitism that persists today. The question remains: who is to blame? Are our enemies to blame, or should we accept the gaslit version that we are somehow at fault ourselves?
In his closing statement, Douglas Murray, the great friend of the Jewish People, echoed the timeless truth that the Jews have outlasted every empire—from the Pharaohs to the Greeks and beyond. Each sought to erase us and see us gone through various forms of what we now recognize as anti-Semitism. And yet, we have always prevailed and will continue to do so.
Watching this, I found myself wondering why it is that we must endure the onslaught of every single empire? Why, despite enduring immense pain, loss, and near annihilation, do we always manage to rise up again, while those who hate us are left to the history books and museums?
I believe the answer is found in a beautiful idea shared by Rav Moshe Dovid Vali on this week’s parashah, Beha’aloscha.
At first glance, Beha’aloscha appears disjointed, leaping from topic to topic with dizzying speed, making it hard to discern a clear theme. However, one subject the Torah elaborates on extensively is the formation of clouds above the Mishkan and the subsequent movements of the Mishkan directed by these clouds. What could be summarized in a single pasuk or two is instead explained over nine pesukim, detailing times when the Bnei Yisrael would remain in one place for extended periods and other times when they would move after only a day. But why such a lengthy explanation?
Rav Moshe Dovid Vali, often referred to as the Ramdu, was one of the great Torah leaders of 18th century Padua. He gives a beautiful explanation:
להודיע שהיו נוסעים בכי טוב וחונים בכי טוב, מאחר שלא נזכרה עמוד האש לא בנסיעתן ולא בחנייתן. שהרי כל נסיעתן וכל חנייתן לא היתה אלא בהנהגת השכינה, לפי שכל המסעות לא היו אלא עליות אל השכינה ועליות לישראל מסודרות בסדר הנכון של המאציל ית׳.
ועוד, להודיע שבחן של דור דעה שכלם היו חכמים גדולים ויודעים שאין המסעות שלהם תלויות במקרה השפל של דרכי העולם, אלא בעצה עמוקה של המאציל העליון.... שלא היה מזיד אפילו אחד מהם לנסוע ממקומו קודם שיסתלק הענן.
All their journeys and encampments were under the guidance of the Shechinah. These travels served to elevate Bnei Yisrael spiritually, arranged in perfect order by Hashem. Furthermore, the generation of knowledge, Dor De’ah, were all great sages who understood that their movements were not dictated by random worldly events but by the profound counsel of Hashem. Not one of them moved from their place before the cloud lifted.
Later, the Ramdu writes:
ולמה האריך כל כך בענין הזה שכתב פרשה שלימה, והיה די בפסוק אחד. נלע״ד שהוא לב׳ טעמים: הא׳ — כדי להודיע שבחן של דור דעה, שהיו נמשכים אחר ההנהגה העליונה בענין המסעות בלי שום תרעומת כד״ל. שלטעם זה אמר הכתוב עליהם: זכרתי לך חסד נעוריך אהבת כלולותיך לכתך אחרי במדבר בארץ לא זרועה. ובשכר זאת להיות נכללים בקדש העליון, כדכתיב: קדש ישראל לה׳ ראשית תבואתה , וגו׳. כי מי שסובל את צרותיו באהבה, סופו שעולה ונכלל במקום כלל האהבה העליונה שאין שם עירבוב של דין כלל ועיקר. וכן בדוד הוא אומר: צמאה לך נפשי כמה לך בשרי בארץ ציה ועיף בלי מים, ותכף סמיך ליה: כן בקדש חזיתך לראות עזך וכבודך, כי זה גרם את זה. וכענין אמרם ז״ל: דוד, חיים את בעי, צפה ליסורין. זהו הטעם הראשון של אריכות הענין. והטעם השני הוא, כדי ללמד לדורות הבאים שיהיו נכנעים ברצון טוב אל ההנהגה העליונה, ולא יתרעמו כלל לא בשינוי מזל ולא בשינוי מקום, ולא בכל שאר המאורעות המגיעות אליהם. שהרי יהיו נושאים ק'ו בעמצם מדור המדבר, אם נכנעו אלו ונמשכו אחר ההנהגה העליונה בלב שלם ובנפש חפצה, אע"פ שהיו הולכים תמיד בארץ ציה וצלמות, כל שכן שצריכין להכנע ולסבול כל צרותיהם העומדים ביישוב, וחוט של חסד משוך עליהם לזונם ולכלכלם, שלכן הם צריכין להודות בפה מלא, חסדי ה' כי לא תמנו כי לא כלו רחמיו. ואם המנהיג של הדור אינו ישר בעיניהם, יכירו וידעו שיפתח בדורו כמשה בדורו, שהרי על כל פנים הנהגת השכינה היא ששורה עליהם והכל בגזרתה.
Why did the Torah elaborate so much on this matter, writing an entire section when one pasuk would have sufficed? There are two reasons. First, to highlight the merit of the generation of knowledge, Dor De’ah, who followed heavenly guidance in their travels without complaint. The Navi says about them, "I remember the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown." As a reward, they were included in the Kodesh Elyon, supreme holiness. For whoever endures their suffering with love will ultimately ascend to the place of supreme love, devoid of judgment. Similarly, David says, "My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land without water," and immediately follows with, "So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory," because this suffering leads to that reward. As our sages said, "David sought life, he foresaw suffering." This is the first reason for the detailed description.
The second reason is to teach future generations to willingly submit to higher heavenly guidance, without any complaints about changes in fortune, place, or any other events that happen to them. If the generation of the wilderness could submit and follow the higher heavenly guidance of Hashem, with a whole heart and willing spirit, even while traveling in a barren and shadowy land, how much more so should those in settled areas endure their challenges with a thread of divine kindness to sustain them. Therefore, they should openly acknowledge the mercies of the Lord, for they are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. And if the leader of the generation is not pleasing in their eyes, they should recognize and understand that each generation has its leader, just as Moshe was the leader in his generation. For in any case, the guidance of the Shechinah is always upon them, and everything is by divine decree.
The Midbar and our journey through it were perhaps a prototype of what we will face in the future. Rav Vali explains that each stop in the Midbar was to eradicate different Klipos, the forces of evil present there. Sometimes, a large amount of Klipos needed to be subdued; other times, it was a small amount, requiring only a day’s stay. In the Midbar, the Bnei Yisrael, though beset with challenges and hardships, moved only with the direction of Hashem.
Our growth comes through yissurim; our challenges are the ingredients that lead us to greatness. We know this is true on an individual level—who has not faced life’s challenges and emerged stronger? This is also true on a communal and national level. The challenges we face contribute to our growth. Sometimes they last a day, sometimes months, sometimes even centuries. Yet, they are all catalysts for growth and becoming closer to the Shechinah.
We have endured the worst humanity can inflict on one another, yet we continue to grow through the process, difficult as it is. Through this growth, may we see the end result, with the crossing of the Yarden into Eretz Yisrael or, in our drawn-out version, the final Geula.