06 Jun PARSAHAT BEHAALOTECHA: ATTITUDE IS ALTITUDE

The Torah in Parashat
Behaalotecha tells
of Beneh Yisrael’s
departure from Mount
Sinai, where they had
been encamped for nearly a year: “Va’yis’u
Me’Har Hashem” – “They journeyed from the
Mountain of G-d” (10:33).
The Talmud Yerushalmi, in Masechet Ta’anit,
comments that Beneh Yisrael left Mount Sinai
like children run from school, hurrying before
the teacher can teach more or give more
assignments. This comment appears also in
the Midrash, which famously describes Beneh
Yisrael as leaving Sinai “Ke’tinok Ha’bore’ah
Mi’bet Ha’sefer” – “like a child running away
from school.” They left Sinai quickly, fearful
of receiving more Misvot.
After telling of the journey from Sinai, the
Torah presents the two verses of “Va’yehi
Bi’nso’a Ha’aron” and “U’be’nuho Yomar,”
the pronouncements which Moshe made
when the nation began journeying, and when
they encamped. In the Torah scroll, this pair of
verses is surrounded by two unusual symbols
– an upside-down letter “Nun.” The Gemara
explains that these symbols were added to
indicate that these two verses do not actually
belong here, and they were placed here “to
separate between one catastrophe and another
catastrophe.” Before these two verses, the
Torah tells of Beneh Yisrael’s departure from

Sinai, and after these verses, it tells of their
complaints during travel, for which they were
severely punished. The Torah did not want
these two calamities to appear one right after
the other, and so it interrupted the narrative
with the two verses of “Va’yehi Bi’nso’a
Ha’aron” and “U’be’nuho Yomar.”
It emerges, then, that Beneh Yisrael’s
departure from Sinai, their “running” like
“a child running away from school,” is
considered a “catastrophe” – a catastrophe
so severe that the Torah found it necessary to
make a separation between this story and the
catastrophic episode that followed.
We must wonder, how could Beneh Yisrael’s
departure from Sinai have possibly resembled
children running away from school? Beneh
Yisrael did not leave Mount Sinai until they
were instructed to do so. The Torah in this
Parasha describes in great detail how Beneh
Yisrael strictly followed G-d, journeying
when the special cloud which signified G-d’s
presence rose, and encamping when the cloud
descended. They did not leave Sinai a minute
before G-d wanted them to. In what way are
they considered to have “escaped”?
Rav Yehuda Leib Chasman (1869-1936), in
Or Yahel, explains that indeed, Beneh Yisrael
did not outwardly do anything wrong. They
left Sinai precisely when they were told to,
and not a moment earlier. The problem was

in their mind, in their attitude. They left
gleefully, relieved that they would not be
receiving any more commands. This was
the “catastrophe” – that they celebrated their
departure from Sinai.
Rav Chasman developed this idea further by
noting the contrast between Beneh Yisrael’s
departure from Sinai and their departure from
the shores of the sea a year earlier. The Torah
tells in the Book of Shemot (15:22), “Va’yasa
Moshe Et Yisrael Mi’Yam Suf” – “Moshe
had Yisrael journey from the Sea of Reeds.”
The Rabbis explained that Moshe needed to
force Beneh Yisrael to leave the seashore,
because they wanted to remain there to collect
all the riches from the Egyptians’ chariots,
which had washed ashore after the Egyptian
army was drowned at sea. When it came to
precious jewels, Beneh Yisrael were eager to
stay to collect more; when it came to Misvot,
they were eager to leave before they received
more. This was the “catastrophe” – that they
showed greater affection for material goods
than for spiritual goods; that they were more
attracted to riches than to Misvot.
The proper attitude towards Misvot is
reflected earlier in the Parasha, in the story
of the Teme’im – those who were impure and
were thus unable to offer the Pesach sacrifice
(9:1-14). These men approached Moshe and
bemoaned their inability to participate in this
precious Misva. G-d responded favorably to

their request, and granted them the opportunity
to bring the sacrifice one month later, on the
14th of Iyar (an occasion that is commonly
called “Pesach Sheni” – “the second Pesach”).
This is the kind of attitude we should have
towards Misvot – a desire to do more, not a
desire to do less.
There is an expression, “Attitude is altitude.”
Meaning, the way we grow is by developing
a proper attitude and mindset. Our actions are
not always going to be perfect, but we must
ensure that at least we approach life with the
correct attitude, with our priorities in place,
with an awareness of what’s more important
and what’s less important. Like Beneh Yisrael,
we are not able to remain forever at “the
Mountain of G-d,” engrossed in Torah and
Misvot at all times. Nevertheless, we should
aspire to the level of sanctity and devotion
which our ancestors attained at that special
site, and make Torah and Misvot our highest
priority and greatest wish.