D'Var Torah - Parshas Bamidbar - 5764
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
The Children of Israel, led
courageously by Moshe Rabeinu (Moses), traveled
through the wilderness for 40 years with the
help of Hashem (G-d). Many of us have heard this
story hundreds of times, since we were children;
but it is AWESOME, almost overwhelming when you
think about it in detail:
Moshe and the people were in the desert, but
what was he going to do with them?
They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3
million people requires a lot of food.
According to the Quartermaster General in the
Army, it is reported that Moshe would have to
have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know
that to bring that much food each day, two
freight trains, each at least amile long, would
be required!
That is why Hashem provided them with Manna
each day!
Besides you must remember, they were out in
the desert, so they would have to have firewood
to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000
tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each
a mile long, just for one day.
The manna came fully cooked.
And just think, they were forty years in
transit.
And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If
they only had enough to drink and wash a few
dishes, it would take 11,000,000 gallons each
day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800
miles long, just to bring water!
Hashem provided water from the rocks!
And then another thing!
They had to get across the Red Sea in one
night. Now, if they went on a narrow path,
double file, the line would be 800 miles long
and would require 35 days and nights to get
through. So there had to be a space in the
RedSea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk
5000 abreast to get over in one night.
Yet Hashem made the ground hard and smooth
for them. Who else but Hashem could build a road
so fast?
But then, there is another
problem...............each time they camped at
the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the
size of the state of Rhode Island was required,
or a total of 750 square miles long........
think of it!
This much space for just for nightly camping.
And they didn't even have cell phones to stay in
contact with each other to coordinate their
actions and movements.
Do you think Moshe figured all this out
before he left Egypt? I think not! Moshe
believed in Hashem. Hashem took care of these
things for him. Do you think Hashem has any
problem taking care of all your needs? When the
road you're traveling on seems difficult at
best, just remember; Hashem has an amazing track
record of helping and providing for us. Hashem
did it before, He can do it again no matter how
bleak or helpless your situation seems.
D'Var Torah - Parshas Bamidbar - 5762
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
Hashem counts the Jewish people over and over again in
the wilderness. Rashi explains that this is a sign of chiba
(affection). Just as a King, continually counts his precious
treasures, every Jew is precious to Hashem and he counts us
devotedly. Every Jew is valuable and can make a huge
difference, as the following true story illustrates:
Mrs. Celia Rosen, lived in the Williamsburg section
of Brooklyn. Her husband was a roofer and a tinsmith. They
lived in an apartment house with six families to a floor. One
of their neighbors was a fellow roofer Mr. Salganick.
Although the Salganicks had a cultural connection to Judaism,
they had never received a thorough Torah education and as
such sent their son Al to public school, even though they
lived only one block from the Torah Vodaas Yeshiva.
When Mrs. Rosen saw a Jewish boy going to a public
school and missing out on a Torah education, it tore her
heart out. Many would have just wrung their hands in
distress, but not Mrs. Rosen - she was ready for action. She
befriended the Salganick family and soon little Al became her
"adopted nephew."
One day, she marched into the Salganick apartment and
announced that public school was not a place for a Jewish boy
- he belonged in Yeshiva. It took a lot of guts to do this
because they were not receptive to the idea. After
nudging (badgering) the apprehensive parents long and
hard and smoothing over every objection, Mrs. Rosen succeeded
in her mission.
The next day Mrs. Salganick went to speak to the head
of the admissions department of the Yeshiva. She said that
perhaps her son wouldn't be welcome because they, the
parents, were uneducated and not religious. The Rabbi said,
"Mrs. Salganick, yours is exactly the type of family we
want!" and the boy was enrolled on the spot.
The Salganicks and the Rosens were extremely proud at
Al's Yeshiva High School graduation. All that Torah was
learned and lives were changed, all because of one woman who
cared and dared.
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D'Var Torah - Parshas Bamidbar
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
Moshe was instructed to count the Jews in the wilderness, not just by
number, but by name; because every individual is important.
There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was
Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the
very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most
teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the
same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in
his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had
watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with
the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly
needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where
Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a
broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of
his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However,
when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
1. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a
ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy
to be around."
2. His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student,
well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a
terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
3. His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on
him. He tries to do his best but his father is overwhelmed and his home
life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
4. Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't
show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes
sleeps in class."
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of
herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Holiday
presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for
Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that
he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the
middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when
she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a
bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the
children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was,
putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy
Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs.
Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children
left, she cried for at least an hour.
On that very day, she quit teaching
reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach
children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked
with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the
faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the
smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love
all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her
that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Six
years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that
he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the
best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she
got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times,
he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from
college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was
still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then
four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he
explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and
favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The
letter was signed, "Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D."
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that
spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He
explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding
that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs.
Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with
several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the
perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing. They hugged each other,
and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs.
Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel
important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson,
with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all
wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I
didn't know how to teach until I met you."
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