REFLECTIONS ON PARSHAT BEHA’ALOTECHA 5786: WHY SHOULD WE BE DIMINSHED?

בס”ד

Integrating Torah into one’s life through reflection and conversation can be an incredibly fun and engaging experience. It’s a journey of discovery, where ancient wisdom and timeless teachings come to life in our daily experiences. Through reflection, we have the opportunity to dive deep into the rich tapestry of Torah, extracting profound insights and lessons that resonate with our modern lives. The joy lies in the ‘aha’ moments, those instances when a Torah verse or story suddenly connects with our personal challenges, aspirations, and values. And when we engage in conversations about Torah with others, it becomes an interactive exploration, where diverse perspectives and interpretations enhance our understanding. These dialogues often spark excitement and intellectual curiosity, making the learning process both enjoyable and fulfilling. Torah becomes a vibrant and dynamic part of our lives, offering not just guidance but also a source of endless fascination, connection, and growth.

NOTE: Don’t feel obligated to go through every source or answer all the questions—unless you want to. Even one source, or one question will give you plenty of material for discussion and meditation. Enjoy this!

Some thoughts about Parshat Beha’alotecha

“And there were men who were impure through contact with a dead body and could not offer the Passover sacrifice on that day. They approached Moses and Aaron on that day, and those men said to him: ‘We are impure through contact with a dead body. Why should we be diminished by not bringing the offering of the L-RD in its appointed time among the Children of Israel?’” (Numbers 9:6-7)

One of the most remarkable moments in the Torah begins with a question. A group of men found themselves unable to participate in the Passover offering because they had become ritually impure. According to the law as it stood, they were exempt. They had a valid reason. They had done nothing wrong. Yet instead of accepting their exclusion, they approached Moses with a heartfelt plea: “Why should we be diminished?”

What makes this episode extraordinary is that these men were not seeking a loophole, an exemption, or a reduction in obligation. They were seeking participation. They wanted to draw closer to G-d. Their pain was not that they had too much asked of them, but that they could not take part in something sacred. In response to their request, G-d revealed the institution of the Second Passover, granting another opportunity to those who had been unable to participate at the appointed time.

This episode reveals an important spiritual principle. Genuine devotion is not measured by how little one can get away with doing, but by the desire to embrace what is meaningful. Much of human nature looks for reasons to exempt itself from responsibility. These men did the opposite. They saw a barrier and asked whether there was a path forward.

For many Noahides, this passage resonates deeply. Throughout history, the nations of the world were often distant from the knowledge of the G-d of Israel and His Torah. Today, many sincere Noahides discover the Seven Noahide Laws and begin a journey of learning, growth, and service to G-d. In that process, it is not uncommon to encounter a feeling similar to that expressed in our parsha: a longing to draw closer, to participate more fully, to become more connected to the Divine.

Yet the Torah’s response is both encouraging and instructive. G-d did not tell these men to become something they were not. He did not abolish distinctions or erase boundaries. Instead, He created a path appropriate to their circumstances. The lesson is that spiritual growth is not achieved by rejecting one’s G-d-given role, but by fulfilling it more completely.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch notes that the greatness of these men lay in the fact that they transformed an obstacle into a request for greater service. Rather than accepting distance, they sought connection. Their question became the catalyst for a new revelation in the Torah itself. Sometimes the most powerful spiritual advances begin not with certainty, but with a sincere question asked from the heart.

This has particular relevance in an age of spiritual consumerism, where people often move from path to path searching for novelty or status. The men of the Second Passover were not seeking prestige. They were seeking relationship. Their concern was not, “How can I become more important?” but “How can I become less distant from G-d?”

The challenge for Noahides is similar. The goal is not to become someone else, nor to measure one’s spiritual worth against that of others. The goal is to ask honestly: How can I serve G-d more faithfully within the mission He has given me? How can I deepen my commitment to justice, reverence, compassion, and moral responsibility? How can I ensure that I am not diminished by neglecting opportunities for spiritual growth?

The beauty of the question, “Why should we be diminished?” is that it emerges from love rather than obligation. It is the cry of a soul that does not merely wish to avoid wrongdoing, but longs to draw nearer to what is right. That longing itself is one of the greatest gifts G-d has given humanity.

Now, reflect on the following questions:

Why do the men in this passage seek participation rather than exemption?
What is the difference between wanting to avoid punishment and wanting to draw closer to G-d?
Have I ever accepted a spiritual limitation too quickly without asking whether there was a path forward?
How can a Noahide pursue greater closeness to G-d while remaining faithful to the role G-d has assigned humanity through the Seven Noahide Laws?
If I were to ask G-d one sincere spiritual question today, what would it be?

Shabbat Shalom

By Rabbi Tani Burton

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