Parashas Matos/Masei - Taking Credit

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Refua Shelema: Leah Ayala Bas Yehudis
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This week is a double parasha (Matos/Masei) and also the completion of sefer Bamidbar...

In Parasha Matos, Bnei Yisroel gathered their army to destroy the Midyanites and kill all five of their kings, leaving women and children alive. The army was also ordered to take all the stolen goods from the Midyanim. When Moshe, Elazar the kohen gadol and the Nessi'im came out to greet the victorious army they saw that the army (in addition to bringing back the goods) also brought back the Midyanite women as captives. Moshe got angry at them because he thought the army should not have let the women live; they were the cause of the Jews' sins and deaths! [Bilam advised that the Midyanite women should 'sell articles of clothing and attract the Jews.' They placed the old women on the outside of the booths, but the young, good looking ones inside, hoping to seduce the men.]

Moshe's anger made him forget the halacha of Kashering impure vessels. We've seen in numerous places where someone forgets information as a result of getting angry (This is one of the many places.) The posuk says that Elazar the kohen explained the procedure which he had originally learned from Moshe; "Elazar the kohen said to the soldiers... 'This is the statute of the Torah which Hashem commanded Moshe'." Rashi says the reason why Elazar mentioned the halacha in Moshe's name was because he credited the teaching to his Rabbi. The Gur Aryeh says that Elazar wanted to dispel the impression that he was taking Moshe's place. He was reminding the soldiers (who came to war) that he was just instructing the halacha, but in reality the Torah was originally taught to Moshe.

On Sunday, a friend asked me how my 'Erev Shabbos Preparations' went. I mentioned that while my family was napping, I managed to clean up the living room and kitchen, swept up the apartment, then did sponja, etc...

Every week I read over the parasha and try to compile a list of lessons I've learned. On Monday, as I was reading, I noticed something worth speaking about: Creditability.

A few hours after I found the 'lesson' I wanted to write about in this week's parasha, my friend came over to me and said, 'By the way, thank you!" I asked him, "For what?" He said, "You inspired me and I decided to clean up the house and do sponja while my wife went to a shuir." I told him, "That's so nice, I am glad I inspired you." A few seconds later, he smiled at me and said, "Yup, and I took all the credit for myself."

I mention this story, not because I think he should have told his wife that I was the reason for his inspiration. I brought this story up because I thought it was Min Hashamayim how the conversation took place a few hours after I chose the topic I wanted to write about.

There are people who take credit for ideas which don't belong to them. People get job promotions for taking someone else's idea, when the original person who thought of the idea truly deserved it. Taking credit comes in many forms and in different scenarios.

I remember when I was young, my family would always have get-togethers by my aunt's house for the Pesach seder. When it was time to find the afikoman, the prize for which ever little child finds it was a large sum of money (I think it was $80). We were all searching the house, from top to bottom... I remember opening a closet door, looking all around, when I found it!! I was so happy, I screamed, "I found it, I found it!" All of a sudden, my cousin throws me aside and grabs it, and runs back with it in their hands. Guess who got the $80 -- the one who took the credit for it. I was really sad afterwards, but didn't want to cause a fight, so I kept my mouth closed.

I thought that was one of the cruelest things a person can do. Baruch Hashem, it happened to me with $80! Some people lose their jobs or positions because they've gotten their ideas stolen and the credit went to the wrong person.

[Perhaps we can also say another reason for Elazar not wanting to take credit for Moshe's teaching is because in Pirkei Avos it says that giving credit to the source of an idea will bring the ultimate redemption.]

May we all bring the redemption and enjoy it in our days!

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso