We are familiar with the incident in which Moshe Rabbeinu killed the Egyptian who was beating a Jewish man. In Shemos 2:12, the Torah states: “He turned this way and that, and saw that there was no man, so he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Moshe Rabbeinu had a prominent position in Pharaoh’s court and, thus, had the unique opportunity to wield positive influence to help his brethren. In fact, the Midrash Rabbah (Shemos Rabbah 1:28) says that Moshe utilized his position to convince Pharaoh to grant the Jews one day of rest from their brutal labor. Hence, by killing the Egyptian to save one Jew, Moshe was forced to flee and give up all his power and good standing with Pharaoh, which could have benefitted many more Jews than the one individual he saved.
Thus, asks [1]Rav Avrohom Yaffon, the cost of saving a single Jew does not appear to justify the lost opportunity of helping an entire nation?
As a preface to Rav Yaffon’s answer, we will introduce the following: In Sefer Tomer Devorah, Rebbi Moshe Cordovero (the Remak) describes G-d’s thirteen attributes (middos) of Divine mercy and the imperative for us to emulate these Divine middos. When we emulate one of the Divine attributes down here in the earthly world, we trigger a chain reaction that results in the downward flow of the same attribute (middah) from Heaven toward us.
The Remak explains: Just as we behave, so too, we influence the flow from Above, causing that same attribute to shine in the world.” Thus, to the degree we emulate a Divine attribute, its flow toward us from Heaven is proportionally triggered. The fourth of these Divine attributes, “Lishearis Nachalaso” (from Michah 7:18), is an expression of G-d’s empathy with the suffering of the Jewish people. Hashem identifies with our pain so keenly that, so to speak, He cannot bear to see us suffer (Tomer Devorah).
Hence, says [2]Rav Matisyahu Salomon, when we share and empathize with our fellow Jew’s hardships, (we are nosei b’ol im chaveiro), we emulate Hashem’s middah of “Lishearis Nachalaso,” thereby inducing the downward flow of His Divine empathy. This results in a shefa, i.e., an abundance of good and mercy flowing toward us.
With this introduction, we can appreciate Rav Yaffon’s answer to the above question. He explains that when the Torah states, “He turned this way and that, and saw that there was no man,” it means that Moshe looked to see if anyone else would be aroused to rise up on behalf of his fellow Jew being beaten, but he saw no one sufficiently inspired with the spirit of nesiah b’ol (sharing someone’s suffering) to come to the victim’s defense. Moshe realized that the redemption of the Jewish people could only come about by them activating the flow of Hashem’s Divine empathy. Such a Divine flow would be triggered only by the Jewish nation initially demonstrating empathy toward each other. Consequently, when Moshe observed the apathy of one Jew toward his fellow’s suffering, he realized that in the current state, without the spirit of nesiah b’ol, there was no hope of the Jewish people meriting Hashem’s redemption.
Thus, any cost-vs.-benefit analysis, i.e., saving one individual versus millions, was immaterial since without the merit of nesiah b’ol , all of Moshe’s influence in Pharaoh’s palace could not accomplish anything. Moshe, therefore, took matters into his own hands, rising up for his imperiled brother, creating an inspiration of nesiah b’ol below, to arouse Hashem’s empathy Above (i.e., the Divine middah of “Lishearis Nachalaso”), through which G-d would redeem His people.
Rav Yaffon adds that in every generation, the holy Shechinah (Divine Presence) seeks out individuals who are like Moshe Rabbeinu, i.e., when these individuals see “there is no man,” i.e., no one else is inspired to feel the Jewish people’s pain and cry out in prayer for their suffering, they take the responsibility upon their own shoulders. The Shechinah seeks out these individuals who are inspired with the spirit of nesiah b’ol, and through their mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) below, Hashem’s Divine empathy Above will be aroused to save the Jewish people.
After the sin of the Golden Calf, G-d informed Moshe of his plan to destroy the Jewish nation. Moshe prayed for the forgiveness and survival of the Jewish people (Shemos 32: 32): “And now, if You would but bear their sin! – but if not, erase me from Your book that You have written.” The Gemara (Berachos 32a) states that Moshe wanted to sacrifice his life to suffer the very fate of annihilation decreed upon Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people). Moshe thereby declared his entire existence was tied to the survival of Klal Yisrael, i.e., he could not bear living without them, an act of supreme nesiah b’ol.
Moshe’s prayers succeeded in annulling the decree of destruction against the Jewish people. What was the “formula” by which Moshe Rabbeinu’s efforts succeeded in convincing Hashem to annul His decree of destruction? This “formula” was explained by Rav Yechezkel Levenstein in an address to the Mirrer Yeshiva students while they were refugees in Shanghai during World War II. In his address, Rav Levenstein urged the Yeshiva students to uphold their awesome responsibility of pleading for mercy on behalf of their brethren trapped in the raging inferno in Europe:
[3]“We read ‘Va’yechal Moshe ...’ [And Moshe pleaded ...], on a fast day to impress upon us that all of Israel’s salvations depend upon one’s identification with, and feelings for another’s pain and trouble ... From Moshe Rabbeinu’s actions we learn it is within the power of one person – the personality whose soul is filled with the suffering of Klal Yisrael – to annul even a Heavenly decree of destruction.
Do not think that it was because of Moshe Rabbeinu’s exalted spiritual stature that his prayers were accepted and Klal Yisrael was forgiven for the sin of the Golden Calf. This is not so. It is because he was willing to stand in the breach and have his name erased from the Torah for Israel’s sake that he was answered. It was his complete mesiras nefesh for others that overturned the Heavenly decree.”
Thus, the formula for Moshe Rabbeinu’s success in saving the Jewish people from destruction was his total nesiah b’ol which he invested into his prayers on their behalf. We might think that only Moshe could accomplish this, but Rav Levenstein teaches us otherwise. It is within the power of anyone whose soul is filled with the suffering of his or her fellow Jews, to achieve great salvations for them when we pray with the spirit of nesiah b’ol.
Hashem seeks out the “Moshe Rabbeinu personalities” in every generation, i.e., the people inspired to feel Klal Yisrael’s pain and cry out in prayer for relief of their suffering. When G-d finds these individuals, His Divine empathy Above will be aroused to flow down to His people and deliver salvations (yeshuos).
Are we ready to actualize this “Moshe Rabbeinu” potential with ourselves, to feel the suffering of our fellow Jew and parlay such feeling into heartfelt prayer? Prayer which emerges from an anguished heart that identifies with someone who is suffering, has the power to penetrate the gates of Heaven and evoke Hashem’s mercy for the person in distress, thereby eliciting salvation for him or her. [4]Rav Matisyahu Salomon asserts that the effectiveness of our prayers on behalf of others is directly proportional to the degree of nesiah b’ol we project into our prayers for them.
Similarly, Sefer Chassidim (Siman 553) says: “Some people pray and their requests are answered, while other people’s prayers are not answered. The reason that some people’s prayers go unanswered is because they do not take the suffering and humiliation of others to their heart, i.e., the pain of another person fails to arouse them to pray on their fellow’s behalf.” Thus, we see that the opportunities for us to effect salvations for our fellow Jews with our heartfelt prayers are endless.
Previously, in Arutz Sheva, I suggested that we take two minutes at candle lighting time on Erev Shabbos to contemplate and visualize the fate of fellow Jews who are facing loneliness on Shabbos, such as childless couples, unmarried people, parents of children lying in the hospital and Agunot. Then, say a short personal prayer asking Hashem to remove their suffering and enable them to enjoy their future Shabbos experiences with relief and joy.
I believe that this would be a potent activity to bring forth our hidden “Moshe Rabbeinu personalities” to the surface, which undoubtedly will pay very beneficial dividends for our brethren on whose behalf we pray. Let us remember Rav Levenstein’s words, “all of Israel’s salvations depend upon one’s identification with, and feelings for another’s pain and trouble.”
How powerful is our “Moshe Rabbeinu” potential, by identifying with these lonely people for two minutes weekly, we can bring them so much hope and salvation. Conversely, what a shame it is to waste this immense and awesome power within us, denying our fellow Jews the salvations they desperately crave. It is within our ability to bring down a shefa of abundant Divine mercy and empathy for those who look toward us to generate hope for them.
To help visualize the suffering of childless couples, I composed a poem to help “set the scenery” in my mind and transport myself “into their shoes” (in an albeit a tiny way), so as to pray with a modicum of empathy and identification with their plight. I hope that by reading this poem, your readers will be inspired to compose their own personal prayer for childless couples and other people in anguish. Permit me to share this poem:
Our dear Father in Heaven, may Your mercy please be aroused and take pity on couples who are deprived of children.
Please look into their hearts - in so much pain, yearning that at last their lives will become complete, when –
They will be blessed to joyously sit together with their own children at the family Shabbos table.
But now, alas, see the hole in their hearts on every Leil Shabbos,
Without any sweet children to kiss and bless or to listen to their adorable Parsha stories.
O King who finds favor in tears, let our tears serve as healing potions for these couples.
Our merciful King – don't hold back Your endless mercy from these couples,
Please speedily deliver Your wondrous salvation to them.
Master of the world, all the glorious wonders of the world are Your daily deeds.
Nothing is too difficult for You – it is such a simple matter for You to bless them with beautiful wonder of fertility.
Please grant to all who pine for a baby - the indescribable and wondrous joy of
Looking into the beautiful eyes of their own children and singing sweet songs with them, very soon.
They want so ardently to transmit their love of Torah and Mitzvos to the next generation.
Please let them be partners with You in the miracle of creation.
Remember these couples and bless them with Your miraculous salvation, as You did to Soroh, Rivka, Rochel and Channah.
May their hearts overflow with joy hearing the sweet voices of their children singing Zemiros and telling Parsha stories every Shabbos.
Behold like the glass in the hands of the blower; he forms at will and he dissolves at will,
So we are in Your hands, our loving and powerful Creator, Who forms us from nil every second.
Father Dear, please look at your precious children –
Like destitute paupers knocking on Your door, pleading, hoping, perhaps Your mercy will be aroused for them.
Please do not hold back Your wondrous healing powers from Your children who wait for Your great mercy.
Please have mercy and bless these couples to hold beautiful, healthy babies that You will grant them, close to their hearts,
And to joyfully transmit their love of Torah and Mitzvos to the future generations.
May it be Your will that their days of darkness, anxiety and pain will vanish very soon, to be replaced with true joy.
Please bring to fruition for them “He transforms the barren wife into a joyous mother of children”.
References
Rav Avrohom Yaffon: HaMussar V’HaDaas, Shemos. Ma’amar “Nosei B’ol Im HaTzibbur.”
Rav Mastisyahu Salomon: Matnas Chaim (Ma’amarim). Ma’amar “Sod Ichud HaNefashos.”
Reb Chatzkel, by Rabbi Yitzchak Kasnett, Artscroll-Mesorah Publications, 2007, pp. 201-202.
Rav Mastisyahu Salomon: Matnas Chaim (Ma’amarim). Ma’amar “Nosei B’ol - Sod HaKehunah.”