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The HAMIZRACHI GUIDE to the SEVEN SPECIES

















                                                   Figs                                    Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald






             pon hearing that he would      leader’s successor be chosen on the    Yehoshua literally hung on to Moshe’s
             not enter the Land of Israel,   basis of loyal service, in addition to   every word. Yehoshua ate, drank,
      UMoshe’s  first  concern  was         their intellectual prowess. 4          breathed and slept in order to serve
      that G-d should make sure He had                                             Moshe, his master. In this manner,
      an  appropriate  leader  to  replace  him.   Rabbi Soloveitchik cites two exam-  Yehoshua learned the nuances of gran-
      Such was the unparalleled selflessness   ples: when the Ba’al Shem Tov passed   deur and greatness firsthand. Through
      of the great Moshe.                   away, the logical choice to succeed    his conscientious service, Yehoshua
                                            him would have been Rabbi Ya’akov
      G-d commands Moshe to ordain          Yosef, the Torah giant and author of   picked up the “tricks of the trade” that
      Yehoshua as the new leader.           the  Toldot. Instead, the Maggid of    Moshe had mastered over the years, on
                                                                                   how to deal with a stiff-necked people.
      Although  it seems perfectly natu-    Mezeritch was chosen, in part because   Yehoshua  learned  when  to  dig  in  his
      ral that Yehoshua would assume the    he had selflessly served the Ba’al Shem   heels and be unyielding, and when to
      mantle of leadership from Moshe, the   Tov.                                  be flexible and understanding.
      commentators suggest that there were   The second example is Rabbi Chaim
      other deserving candidates for the    Volozhin, who  succeeded his  teacher,   Just  as Yehoshua  spent his  whole life
      position.                                                                    preparing  to  lead  the  Jewish  nation,
                                            the Vilna Gaon. Rabbi Chaim            learning the necessary skills firsthand
      Nevertheless, G-d informs Moshe that   Volozhin was chosen, in part, due     from his beloved mentor, Moshe, so
      Yehoshua is the only one who is truly   to his trusted role as the Gaon’s pri-  to, should we spend our lives devoted
      worthy. After all, it was Yehoshua who   mary confidante. It was in this role in   to  understanding  Torah  and  gain-
      served  Moshe  selflessly,  who  “would   which Reb Chaim distinguished him-  ing mastery of the true knowledge it
      not depart from within the tent.”  In   self because he was a confidante to a   contains.
                                     1
      support of the choice of Yehoshua,    greater degree than the Gaon’s other
      Rashi cites a verse ascribed to Shlomo   disciples.
      HaMelech:  ּ הָי ְ ר ִּ פ ל ַ כאֹי ,הָנ ֵ א ְּ ת ר ֵ צֹנ He who   Rabbi Soloveitchik draws attention to   1   Shemot 33:11.
      guards the fig tree, shall eat its fruit.
                                      2
                                            the Midrash’s deliberate use of the fig   2   Mishlei 27:18.
                        3
      The Rabbis suggest  that the choice   tree metaphor. Unlike the fruits of the   3   Bamidbar Rabbah 21:14.
                                                                                      As cited in  Darosh Darash Yosef, by Rabbi
                                                                                   4
      of Yehoshua as Moshe’s successor      olive or date trees, the fruit of the fig   Avishai David.
      reflected an appreciation of Yehoshua’s   tree takes particularly long to ripen.   5   Shemot 33:11.
      loyal service to his master; Yehoshua   This lengthened ripening period is lik-
      had faithfully ministered to Moshe    ened to a person’s acquisition of Torah,
      by arranging the chairs and spreading   which, rather than being learned
      the  mats  in  preparation  for  Moshe’s   quickly overnight, is absorbed, studied
      classes. According to this interpreta-  and learned over an extended period
      tion, only he who keeps watch over his   of time. Only he who guards the fig
      master [“the fig tree”] shall be honored   tree will merit to eat its fruits – the
      [“to eat its fruits”].                fruits of Torah and of kingship. This is
                                            precisely what happened to Yehoshua.
      Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik expands                                         Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is Director of
                                                    ְ

      on this concept suggesting that it is   5 ל ֶ הֹא ָ ה ךֹו ּ ת ִ מ  ׁשי ִ מָי אלֹ – Yehoshua   NJOP and Rabbi of the Beginners Service at
      not unusual in Jewish history for a   would never leave the tent of Moshe.   Lincoln Square Synagogue
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