WITHOUT ETHICS THERE IS NO TORAH

 

"פקד את בני לוי לבית אבותם כל זכר מבן חודש ומעלה…ויפקד אותם משה על פי ה' כאשר צֻוָה" [במדבר ג – ט”ו, ט”ז]

 

“Take a tally of the Leviyim, every male from one month of age and up shall you count them. Moshe counted them, Al Pi Hashem, (according to the Word of Hashem), Kaasher Tzuvah, (as he was commanded.)”

 

Rashi explains, according to Chazal, the seemingly unnecessary words, “Al Pi Hashem,” “According to the Word of Hashem.” Rashi states that Moshe asked Hashem “How can I enter into the tents of the Leviyim to count the number of their suckling infants?” Moshe thought this to be an inappropriate action. He asked Hashem “How can I do this?” Hashem responded, “You do yours and I will do Mine.” Moshe stood at the door of the tent while the Shechinah, the Divine Presence of Hashem, entered first.  The Divine voice then rang out from the tent and said “This is the number of children in this tent.” Therefore, the Pasuk says, “Al Pi Hashem,” “According to the Word of Hashem,” since the actual count came about through the word of Hashem.

 

This is mystifying. How could Moshe Rabbeinu possibly say to Hashem “How can I enter into their homes to count their infants?” Didn’t Hashem specifically command Moshe to do just that, to count the Leviyim from the age of one month and up?

 

Furthermore, how could the Torah say that Moshe did “Kaasher Tzuvah,” as he was commanded? Was not Moshe clearly and explicitly commanded to count the infants himself?

 

It seems, that although Moshe was commanded to count all the Leviyim from the age of one month and up, he nevertheless asked Hashem, “How can I enter into their tents?” because it would not be proper for him to do so. If something is not within the realm of Derech Eretz, it is not the Derech (way) of the Torah. If this is so, Hashem’s command to count the sucklings cannot be interpreted to mean what it simply seems to say. It is not possible that Hashem really meant that Moshe, himself, should enter into the homes of the Leviyim to count the sucklings.

 

According to this line of thinking, our second question is also resolved beautifully. When the Torah says “Kaasher Tzuvah,” “as he was commanded”, it was exactly as Hashem commanded. The trait of Derech Eretz teaches us the correct way of interpreting the will of Hashem. It must be that Hashem meant something other than what He seemed to be saying and it was still “Kaasher Tzuvah,” as Hashem commanded. That is because entering the homes of the Leviyim to count suckling children, is not the Derech HaTorah, since it is not Derech Ertez.

 

This is what it says in Pirkei Avos – “Im Ein Derech Eretz Ein Torah” – if something is inappropriate, it is not the Derech HaTorah. Moshe understood this, and interpreted the command differently, and it was still “Kaa-sher Tzuvah,” as he was commanded.

 

We see from here the tremendous power of Derech Eretz. It is not only what is mentioned in the baraisa of Rebbe Yishmael which teaches us how to interpret the words of Hashem; for example, a Kal Vachomer, a gezera shaveh, etc., but also Derech Eretz, as well stands equal to the aforementioned as a valid method of interpreting the words of Hashem.

 

If this be so, let us exert all our efforts to be baalei Derech Eretz, to do only what is appropriate, to be mentchen, and to honor and respect each other. Amen VeAmen!