This week’s Parshah opens discussing the half-Shekel-census donation. Hashem instructs Moshe “zeh” – “this you shall give”. “Zeh” – “this” always indicates to something that can be pointed at. Here Moshe had difficulty in understanding what exactly the Jews were supposed to give, whereupon Hashem had to show Moshe a coin which was half a Shekel.
The Kabalistic work the Zohar points out that on three occasions, we find Moshe having difficulty understanding something, and Hashem had to show Moshe exactly what he meant. In each of these instances the word “Zeh” is used; with regard to the building of the Menorah and with regard to sanctifying the new moon.
What is interesting is that the Zohar points out that Moshe’s name is actually an acronym of these three things; “Menorah”, “Shekalim” and “hachodesh”.
Why on earth is Moshe’s name a composite of his shortcomings, of all the things he couldn’t do? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for him to be called after his wonderful achievements, like we find many of his other names alluded to?
To understand the importance of Moshe’s shortcomings, we need to understand what role failures play in our lives. To do this let’s go back in time to the very first failures. When Hashem made this world the verse says, “and Hashem saw all that He had made and it was very good”. This double expression, “very good” explains the Medresh is very revealing. Suppose one night ones wife cooks a supper to which one says to her, “thank you for the super delicious stew” naturally this would mean that tonight’s supper surpassed any previous suppers. So too when Hashem said that this world was “very good” what He meant was that the previous ones that He had built weren’t so great. In fact we are told that Hashem made and subsequently destroyed nine hundred and seventy four worlds before our world as we know it came in to existence.
There is a famous saying that ‘surgeons bury their mistakes’, but here Hashem not only makes one ‘mistake’ but 974 of them, and then rather than hide the evidence He tells us about it? Understanding the lost 974 worlds will help us understand the confusing name of Moshe which represents his failures,
The very fact that Hashem told us about the 974 failed worlds, means that there is what to learn from these failures. The great Alter of Slabodka explains that Hashem’s mistakes were very deliberate. Hashem deliberately made mistakes because mistakes are the base for any type of a success. Getting things right is actually predicated with getting it wrong first. A professional dancer must have fallen many times before becoming professional.
In a lecture to up-and-coming Community Rabbis, Rav Zeff Leff exclaimed that he was perhaps the best person to teach them tips and tools for their potential jobs. His audience were aghast at such a seemingly haughty stance. Rav Leff continued, “I have been a Community Rabbi for many years you see, I can tell you exactly what not to do!”
After the Jews finish their forty years of wandering through the desert, Moshe lists out the various locations that they encamped at over the years. Many of these places were called after what happened when the Jews stopped there; and many of these places commemorate the not-so-good side of the Jews. Why does Moshe feel the need to tell the Jews about all the stages of their trip, including all their shortcomings, asks the Baal Shem Tov [1698-1760]. Surely it’s just the final destination that is of importance?
NO! In everybody’s life journey they stumble into different ‘stations’. Some points in our life are full of success and achievement, while other occasions are full of let-downs and failed projects. Such is the pattern of life – ups and downs. However the Torah by listing all the points that the Yidden passed over in the forty years is teaching us that it is all the points that makes you who you are. Your failures are what made you into a success. Every stage, even the ‘flops’ of life are opportunities for growth – even if you fail it is still part of your journey.
Rav Dessler points out that the opposite of ”רע“ – bad, is actually ”ער“ – awake. What we may at first see as bad can actually be reversed to become an awakening for us, to spur us on to the next time, when we will get it right. Statistically alcoholics are more likely to produce alcoholics, and those who were bullied likely to become bullies, but it doesn’t have to be like this, we are not condemned by others or even our own failures. Bad is actually the catalyst to be awake to a new reality.
This is why Moshe’s name is a reminder of what he couldn’t do. Because, with all his qualities and achievements, we have to learn that this only came about because of his shortcomings. Just as this beautiful world in which we live in was preceded by many other unsuccessful ones. So let’s remember that while surgeons may bury their mistakes, Hashem doesn’t, and neither did Moshe’s name.
Good Shabbos, Yaakov