My wallet went missing this week. I did not want my wife to panic because I was confident it was somewhere in our apt, but she became suspicious when she saw that I cleaned my desk. The clock was now ticking before I\u2019d have to cancel my credit cards, and I was faced with the dilemma: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does a Jew do who loses a wallet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, there is a segula for that: a somewhat superstitious practice to help find lost items. Giving Tzedaka in the merit of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes, Rabbi Meir the miracle performer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, I am sure his mother did not call him Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes; in truth, he was probably never called that in his lifetime. Rabbi Meir, mentioned by name over 150 times in the Mishna, is one of the pillars of our tradition and a remarkable human being. But it was not until the sixteenth century, almost 1500 years after his death, that he was nicknamed Baal Hanes. Not long after, a segula popped up: if you give tzedaka in the merit of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes, you will have success finding a lost object. Fast forward another three hundred years, and we have so many tzedaka organizations preaching this segula, with RabbiMeirBaalHanes.com among the 30,000+ google results for searching \u201cRabbi Meir Baal Hanes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05d3\u05b7\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd, \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05d4, \u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b6\u05e2\u05b1\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05bb\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd, \u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05d3\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8: \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05dc\u05b6\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd, \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05e7\u05b8\u05e6\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05bc\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b9\u05e7\u05b5\u05dc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 And the people spoke against God, and against Moses: Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our souls loath this light bread.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this point in the Torah, the complaints of the Jewish people sound like a broken record (or as we say in the YCM, a broken MP3.) Immediately after receiving the Torah, we rebel against G-d with the golden calf. Two weeks ago, we read of the rebellion against the Land of Israel, the sin of the spies. Last week, a rebellion against the authority of Moshe, the rebellion of Korach. So it is no surprise to find more complaints in our parsha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Rabbenu Bechaye points out the unique absurdity of the complaints of our parsha. Mass panic of Moshe\u2019s delayed return led to a golden calf. The giants of the land of Canaan motivated the pandemonium of Parshat Shelach. Korach\u2019s jealousy motivated his rebellion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But ein lechem v\u2019ein mayin?! How can they say they have no food or water? Earlier in the parsha, G-d provided water for them! They have man falling every single day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Says Rabbenu Bechaye:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u05d6\u05d5 \u05d4\u05d9\u05ea\u05d4 \u05ea\u05dc\u05d5\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea\u05dd, \u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d5 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e2\u05e0\u05d9\u05e0\u05e0\u05d5 \u05de\u05e9\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d9\u05df \u05dc\u05e0\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d7\u05dd \u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05db\u05e9\u05d0\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05db\u05d9 \u05e9\u05d0\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05d0\u05dd \u05d4\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d6\u05db\u05d0\u05d9\u05df \u05d0\u05d5 \u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05d1\u05d9\u05df \u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d4\u05dd \u05dc\u05d7\u05dd \u05dc\u05e9\u05d5\u05d1\u05e2 \u2026\u05d5\u05de\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05db\u05dc \u05e2\u05e0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05e0\u05de\u05e9\u05db\u05d9\u05df \u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05e0\u05e9 \u05d5\u05d4\u05e9\u05db\u05e8 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d4 \u05d0\u05e0\u05d5 \u05de\u05d7\u05d5\u05d3\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d4\u05e0\u05d4\u05d2\u05d4 \u05d9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e8 \u05de\u05e9\u05d0\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05ea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Jewish people complained about the nature of man. Every other nation did not feel the burden G-d\u2019s presence at their dinner table. Their cupboards were stocked, and they could rest assured of the next day\u2019s sustenance. But the Jewish people in the desert? Each day G-d\u2019s presence weighed on them as they gathered this miraculous man each morning, and they were forced to rely on G-d tomorrow. This reliance on and relationship with G-d made them uncomfortable. We do not want food from G-d, they complained; we want food from our pantries like every other nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rabbenu Bechaye explains that this is why G-d punished them with fiery snakes. Where did these snakes come from? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The snakes are the indigenous snakes of the deserts. Tens of species of snakes call the desert their home, and they were there the entire time. G-d miraculously prevented these creatures from harming the Jewish people. But if we are not thankful for G-d\u2019s involvement in our lives, if we do not want that relationship with Him, He pulls away the veil of the Clouds of Glory, and in come the desert snakes in their natural environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Jewish people of our Parsha forgot why G-d sent them man in the first place. Of course, we needed food, but the commentaries point out that the properties of the man- its susceptibility to spoil daily and the need to rely each day on this heavenly food- served to teach the Jews in the desert and us some crucial principles. A lesson of Emunah, of faith and trust in Hashem to provide each day. And a tool to build a relationship with G-d, to see firsthand how mankind relies on Him for survival. The Jews in the desert saw the hand of G-d and recognized Who sustains mankind. And unfortunately, in our parsha, they prefer to look away, and G-d shows them that the alternative is unsustainable. We all need G-d in our lives, whether we would like to acknowledge Him or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found my wallet. But I\u2019m embarrassed to admit that while it may have crossed my mind to give tzedaka to Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes, I never considered asking Hashem for help. To turn to Him and ask for His help with an everyday need. Finding it \u201cmyself\u201d feels more convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we do turn to G-d, it is usually as a last resort. Ideally we maintain control. When we feel like we have lost control, we still avoid G-d. We search for a religious shortcut, like a segula or asking someone else to daven for us. Only when all hope is lost do we turn to Him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The story is told of the 19th<\/sup> Centurty Rav Dovid of Tolna, the first Tolner Rebbe, who was asked by his brother how he performs so many miracles for people who seek his blessing. The Tolner Rebbe explained that he was not the source of their salvation; after a frustrating wait in a packed and noisy waiting room, people are rushed into my room and I have just a minute to give them a bracha. They realize how much time they just wasted not even having the time to explain their concerns to me. At that point, explained the Tolner Rebbe, they feel utterly hopeless and call out to Hashem, and their tefillot are answered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We all want G-d to look out for us. The Jewish people in our parsha wanted Him too, but in moderation. They did not want to feel his presence each day. They wanted to go through the motions, without the real relationship or reliance on Him. G-d opens their eyes to show them that He is not only there in the supernatural man, but He saves them from desert snakes, and He protects us each day from everything from viruses to dangerous drivers, even if it goes unnoticed. We will all have desperate moments where we seek G-d\u2019s presence. But He is present every day seeking us, when we decide to notice Him. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My wallet went missing this week. I did not want my wife to panic because I was confident it was somewhere in our apt, but she became suspicious when she saw that I cleaned my desk. The clock was now ticking before I\u2019d have to cancel my credit cards, and I was faced with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,72,10,39],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":358,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357\/revisions\/358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}