TheYeshiva.net - Rabbi YY Jacobson

Why Doesn’t Moshe Protest the Annihilation of 3 Million Jews?!

How Are We to Understand the Punishments in the Torah?

1 hr 37 min

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Class Summary:

This text-based class on Likkutei Sichos vol. 23 Shlach was presented on Monday, 18 Sivan, 5784, Parshas Shlach, June 24, 2024, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

Something very disturbing emerges during the story of the spies. When G-d tells Moses He will annihilate the entire nation, Moshe argues that this will cause the Egyptians to claim that G-d was incapable of bringing the people into the Promised Land. Could Moses not find any other rationale to influence G-d not to annihilate an entire nation of some three million people, men, women, and children, save the fact that it won’t look good for the neighbors?!

Moshe should have said: “These are Your creatures, which you created. These are Your children, Your nation, which You have taken out of Egypt and chosen as Your people! Have compassion for them!” This is exactly what he said at a previous disaster when the nation constructed the Golden Calf, and G-d wanted to annihilate them.

At the Fabrengen of Shabbos Parshas Shlach 5740 (1980), published in Likkutei Sichos vol. 23 Shlach, the Lubavitcher Rebbe offered a paradigm shift in understanding rewards and punishments in the Torah.

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Anonymous -4 months ago

Some questions on the Shiur you gave to explain why Moshe Rabbeinu did not plead for Klal Yisroel's life, instead of pointing out to Hashem that killing the Jews for Chet Hameraglim would create a public relations issue.

1. Your assertion that Rashi did not ask this question because it was so obviously answered by the labeling of the potential killing as a "Shechita" which would have elevated them, like animals being slaughtered for a higher purpose, was difficult, prima facie!

If it was so "obvious", why did it take a whole Shiur to explain it?

2. The word "Vayishchoteim" was misattributed. The answer might have worked if Moshe rabbeinu, himself was calling it a Shechita. What Moshe Rabbeinu is saying is that the EGYPTIANS who hear of it will call it a "Shechita". Is it at all likely that the Egyptians would have meant "Yishchoteim" to imply such lofty concepts - that the Shchita was to be a purifying process?

3. Most difficult of all, your premise that "Vayishchoteim" applies exclusively to animal slaughter, is incorrect! The exact same word IS used elsewhere in Tanach in reference to the slaughter of people!

See in Melochim A, (18:40) where Eliyahu slaughters the Neviey HaBaal at Nachal Kishon.

See Yirmiyah (41:7) where Yishmael ben Nesanya slaug

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  YYJ -4 months ago
  Thanks so so much. it means so much to me. Ty for all the questions. I appreciate them.
  
  1. As the Rebbe explains in the beginning of Sicha “obvious” does not mean clear to everyone in an easy way. It means that if someone truly studies Rashi on all of Chumash till now and really masters his approach, he or she can come to understand an answer even if he does not state it. Hence throughout the explanation, he references the commentary of Rashi in Chumash till now as a foundation. Especially in footnotes. Perhaps read the text inside with all footnotes and you can see it clearer.
  
  2. Awesome and excellent question. That’s the Rebbe question on the second half of the talk. Plse listen to part two. Of this Sicha. it is on the website, part two.
  
  3. Right. As the Sicha says only in Chumash do we find it only once more by the akeida. see the footnotes. And there indeed yitzchak is a karban olah. But all other place in chumash the word used for human death is misa or other terms.
  
  What is more, in this very conversation Moshe himself in the previous verse uses the word והמתה
  
  And Hashem himself uses the word אכנו.
  
  Hence the fact that Moshe changes to the term וישחטם requires explanation.
  
  Further proof to this is the fact that many commentaries here ask this question and offer different insights. Like Ibn Ezra. Abarbenel. Shach. Ohr hachaim. The Rebbe quotes them all in footnote to this Sicha. this means they were all perturbed by this issue.
  
  4. in melachim too I think it makes sense, as it follows the slaughtering of the oxen for Hashem and for the baal -- and their lie in slaughtering the ox to the fake deity is reciprocated.
  
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Shmuel Rosenfeld -5 months ago
How could Hashem tell Moshe Rabbenu that he willstart from him a new nation in Eretz Yisroel. Didnt he already tell him .. עקב אשר לא שמעת בקולי..לא תוכל לעבור את הירדן. Moshe knows that he cant go in?=3
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Alter Egoz -5 months ago
Sometimes what appears as a punishment actually saves
The person from later suffering. E.g. thevchildren were emured in the walls ofcMitzrayim. The complaint to Hashem was that they had done no wrong as little kids so it was unjust Hashem told Hashem told Moshe try to save just one child. He did. That one saved child turned out to be Micah, who caused great problems for the yiddenm
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