The Weekly Shtikle - Chukas / Balak

This coming week is unfortunately full of Yahrtzeits. This Monday is the Yahrzeit of R' Yaakov Yitzchack Ruderman, zt"l, the first Rosh HaYeshivah of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel. This Tuesday is the Yahrzeit of my wife's grandmother, Mrs Shirley Yeres, Chaya Sheindel bas Alexander. Thursday, Shiv'ah Asar B'Tamuz, is the Yahrzeit of R' Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, zt"l, Rosh HaYeshiva of Ner Yisroel. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasam.

    Towards the end of this week's parsha, B'nei Yisroel are confronted by Sichon and his mighty army (21:1-3). B'nei Yisroel made a vow to HaShem. The vow itself is cause for discussion in and of itself. Whatever it was, HaShem delivered them and they defeated the Canaanites and destroyed their cities. They then named the place of their battle Charmah, destruction.

 

    Charmah - that should sound familiar. Only two parshios ago, a small group from B'nei Yisroel rose up and charged towards Eretz Yisroel in an attempt to vindicate themselves for the sin of the spies which had doomed them to 40 years in the desert. As we know (14:45) They were quickly wiped out by the Amalekites and Canaanites who dwelt on the mountain and were beaten unto HaCharmah. Rashi comments that the place was named for the events that transpired there, namely the destruction of that group from B'nei Yisroel. Being that the battle site in this week's parsha was named on the spot, it is safe to assume that these were not the same place.

 

    I believe the identical names given to these places is surely no coincidence. The Charmah of parshas Shelach was named for a tragic destruction of a group of over-zealous fighters. More importantly, it symbolized that HaShem had put His final stamp on the 40 year decree. It became clear that no act of repentence could possibly overturn the decree. The Aron stayed put and did not go out to accompany the fighters, thus devoiding them of Divine protection. This defeat brought home the reality of B'nei Yisroel's failure.

 

    It was now many years later. Most of B'nei Yisroel was now made up of those who would merit to enter Eretz Yisroel. This was the first battle that B'nei Yisroel would fight since that fateful defeat at the hands of Amaleik and Canaan. It did not get off to a good start, either. But B'nei Yisroel endured with prayer and devotion and through their prayers HaShem led them to victory over their adversaries. This battle symbolized the turnaround from the previous generation. The dramatic defeat of decades ago made the clear statement to their forebearers that they would not enter Eretz Yisroel. Contrarily, this dramatic victory over Sichon indicated that the conquest of Eretz Yisroel had begun. To accentuate this turnaround, they named the site of this great battle the very same name as the site of the previous battle. The name of the site where B'nei Yisroel were once smitten by the Amalekites and Canaanites was now the very same name of the place where they destroyed Sichon and his army on their way to entering Eretz Yisroel.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
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