HaRav Moshe Sternbuch shlit"a - Parashas Pinchas

 

LEGISLATION OF IMMORALITY

“Harass the Midianites, and smite them” (25:17)

The Gemara (Shabbos 64a) says that the nation needed atonement for the war with Midian, because even though they did not sin, they did not avoid sinful thoughts, and those are even more severe than the physical sin.

In recent times, dramatic changes have been taking place in the United States and elsewhere with regard to the registration of immoral marriages.  This could chas v’shalom have a severe negative impact on all Jews wherever they are, because whenever the spirit of tumah increases, that has an impact on the entire world.  For example, in the days of the mabul, due to the tumah that was prevalent in the world at the time, even animals changed their nature.  Therefore, when tumah becomes more intense amongst the non-Jewish public, our own nisyonos become greater.

On the other hand, these developments are also a source of hope for us, since the Midas HaDin seeks to act as prosecutor by pointing to the tumah in our midst stemming from things such as the Internet, but now that the tumah of the non-Jewish world has stooped to new levels of depravity, even to the point of enshrining it in legislation, our own sins have been attenuated to an extent by way of comparison, and with this limud zechus Hashem can state, “Who can be compared to My Nation”?

Similarly, Rabbi Meir of Premishlan would say that he is happy when non-Jewish holidays come around, because then the difference between us and them becomes clear.  They get drunk and dissolute on their holidays, removing all yokes, whereas we, on our holidays, conduct ourselves with kedushah and taharah, spending the day praying and cleaving to Hashem.

Anyone who takes the opportunity now to fight the yetzer horo will enjoy special Divine assistance to overcome it, because when tumah is on the increase, kedushah acquires a corresponding potential to increase too, as it says “G-d has made one corresponding to the other” (Koheles 7:14) 

Hence, our obligation at this time is to increase the side of kedushah and to encourage our children to do the same.  If we overcome this last nisoyon before Moshiach, we will witness wonders speedily in our time.