30 Jul PARSHAS MATOS/MASEI: LISTEN TO THE MUSSAR

And Moshe said to
the people of Gad
and Reuven, “Your
brothers will go to
war and you will
remain here?”

(Bamidbar 32:6)
The first Gerrer Rebbe was the
Chiddushei HaRim. The second
Gerrer Rebbe, the Sfas Emes, was not
his son but his grandson. The Sfas
Emes’ father passed away when he
was a child, and his grandfather raised
him. He was an illui, a prodigy, the
apple of his grandfather’s eye. One
night, when he was still a young boy,
the Sfas Emes learned with his
chavrusa straight through the night.
He nodded off right before Shacharis,
resting his head on the Gemara. After
a few minutes, he awoke with a start.
He washed his hands and hurried to

the shul, but he was already a little
late.
After Shacharis, the Chiddushei
Harim called him over.
“What’s this with coming late to
Shacharis?” he said in a sharp tone.
“It’s bad enough for yourself, but
think how it will affect others. If the
grandson of the rebbe can come late,
what kind of example is that for other
boys? Or even men! It’s a Chillul
Hashem, no less!”
The Chiddushei Harim went on in
this vein for another few minutes, but
the Sfas Emes did not say one word in
his own defense. He could have
argued that it had been an accident,
that he had stayed up all night learning
Torah and that sleep had overcome
him at the end for just a few minutes.
But he remained silent.

A little while later, the
chavrusa of the Sfas
Emes asked him, “Why
didn’t you say anything
to defend yourself? You
were innocent! Why
were you silent?”
“When a great man
gives you Mussar,” said
the Sfas Emes, “it is
worthwhile to listen,
even if you don’t deserve
it, even if you are
completely innocent. I
wanted to hear my grandfather’s
Mussar.
“I have a proof to this from the Torah.
Moshe Rabbeinu gave the tribes of

Gad and Reuven a strong tongue-
lashing. He accused them of

cowardice. He told them they were

demoralizing the people just like the
spies did. He went on and on for nine
verses, and they remained silent. They
never mentioned that they had
intended all along to participate in the
conquest. Why? Because it is always
worthwhile to hear the Mussar of a
great man.”