Behalotcha 5771

When one looks at the parsha of the of Moshe's plea to Hashem (11:11-14) where Moshe asks Hashem "why have done evil to Your servant..." it seems very similar to a different story in Tanach (Shmuel 1 8:4-10) where the Jews ask Shmuel to find them a king. Let us look at each of these stories individually then compare them.

The Jews have spent just about a year at Har Sinai, now just as they leave they come to Moshe complaining that they want meat. Their complaint was the first complaint that they had that was not for something that they needed, rather something extra. Instead of having an honest request they were simply complaining. Moshe told Hashem that he did not how to react to their complaints here. Hashem told him that he needed to make a sanhedrin so that other people could deal with the little problems while Moshe spent time on the more important issues.

By Shmuel the complaining was completely different. The people saw that if they didn't act now and get a new leader it would be very bad if Shmuel's sons took over as Shoftim. But the problem was the way they asked him. They said (11:5) "You're old and your sons, are not going in your ways, now give us a king to judge us, like the other nations." From the last part of the pasuk it seems like the real reason why they complained was their want was to be like the other nations. Hashem's response (8:7) "... for it is not you whom they rejected, but it is Me whom they have rejected from reigning over them."

Both the complaints from the people in the time of Moshe and the time of Shmuel were not the normal complaints that Jews had, these complaints were asking for more than they require. But the differences between Hashem's answers are amazing. By Moshe, Hashem changes Moshe's status from that of the leader of the Jews to the rebbe of the Jews (Rav Soloveitchik). While for Shmuel Hashem told him that he would appoint for them a king, meaning that his position as leader would be diminished. Why does Hashem have the exact opposite solution for what seems to be the same problem.

If one looks closer at the story of Moshe they will see that the complaint is entirely to Hashem, not to Moshe. Therefore, Hashem's solution was to make Moshe's position greater, because their issue wasn't with Moshe it was with Hashem.

But when it comes to the story of Shmuel the people had a problem with Hashem and Shmuel equally. Therefore, even though Hashem felt Shmuel's pain that the people were distancing themselves from him, Hashem knew that the only solution would be to replace him for a king.

We see in these two stories Hashem's ability to see the whole picture and understand what needs to be done in each situation, sometimes making hard decisions, but we must know that everything He does is really for our best interest.

Have a good Shabbat!