Dvar Torah for Parshat Behaalotekha

Based on Sichot HaRan (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom) #14

"We are ritually unclean,...but why should we be worse and not be able to bring the offering...like all the other Jews?" (Numbers 9:7)
"God exempts one who has no option." (Baba Kama 28b)

If you have ever wanted to do a mitzvah and were unable to do so, raise your hand. You really wanted to do it, but what's a Jew to do? If you can't, you can't. Right? Not right.

"Even though God does exempt one who has no option, this is only true if one wants merely to fulfill his obligation. However, one should not be soothed by this thought, but should continually long to bring his good desire to fruition...Even if the task is in fact impossible, the desire to actually perform the mitzvah is itself a worthy accomplishment." (Sichot HaRan #14)

The Jews who approached Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher) seemingly had no option. They were ritually unclean and prohibited from participating in the mitzvah of eating the Paschal lamb. Nonetheless, they wanted to participate in the mitzvah. So, instead of despairing and being satisfied, they respectfully expressed to Moshe Rabbeinu both their anguish at the prospect of not being able to be one with the rest of Israel and their longing to perform this mitzvah properly.

In fact, their desire to actually do the mitzvah was so strong that they came to Moshe Rabbeinu prepared with arguments why they should be allowed to do it. (See Rashi, Ohr HaChaim HaKodesh and Kli Yakar.) Even though none of their logical arguments gained them what they wanted, their exquisite and excruciating desire created something new: Pesach Sheini (Second Passover). A new opportunity to perform the mitzvah, not only for themselves, but for Jews in all the generations that followed! Our Sages point out that Moshe Rabbeinu should have taught this mitzvah as he did all the others, without any "prompting." In this instance, however, they had a share in revealing this portion of the Torah because God brings good into the world through the deserving (Sifri 9:22).

So, when it comes to a mitzvah, if you can't, you want!

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!