Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

Download print

Parashat Beshalah- The Wisdom of Prioritization

The Torah tells us in the beginning of Parashat Beshalah that at the time when Beneh Yisrael left Egypt, Moshe Rabbenu took the remains of Yosef and brought them with him, so they could be buried in Eretz Yisrael. Before Yosef’s death, he made his brothers promise to bring his remains out of Egypt for burial in Eretz Yisrael, and Moshe ensured that this promise was fulfilled at the time of the Exodus.

The Midrash teaches that King Shelomo had this event in mind when he wrote in the Book of Mishleh (10:8), "Hacham Leb Yikah Misvot" – "A person with a wise heart takes Misvot." While the rest of Beneh Yisrael were busy collecting the belongings of the Egyptians, Moshe was busy performing the Misva of bringing Yosef’s remains. Moshe’s efforts impressed Shelomo, who saw this as a reflection of Moshe’s unique "wisdom."

Why is doing Misvot considered "wisdom"? We readily understand that it is admirable for one to involve oneself in Misvot rather than in the pursuit of wealth. But why does this reflect Moshe’s "wisdom"?

Rav Shimon Schwab (1908-1993) explained that Moshe’s "wisdom" was expressed not in choosing to perform a Misva, but rather in his ability to prioritize when he was confronted with several Misvot. God had commanded Beneh Yisrael to take the riches of Egypt with them as they left, and, as such, collecting the Egyptians’ possessions was also a Misva. Moshe thus had to decide whether to involve himself in the Misva of taking the spoils of Egypt, or in the Misva of bringing Yosef’s remains. This was not a simple choice between doing a Misva and pursuing personal gain. Rather, it was a complex decision between performing one Misva and performing another Misva. And this decision requires wisdom.

There are various reasons given for why Moshe chose to devote himself to the Misva of Yosef’s remains instead of collecting the spoils of Egypt. One explanation is that Moshe chose to perform the Misva that was less likely to be tended to by others. Beneh Yisrael were, of course, quite eager and ready to collect the Egyptians’ wealth; there were plenty of people able and willing to perform that Misva. Yosef’s remains, however, were likely to be neglected, and Moshe therefore prioritized this Misva. Another possibility is that since Yosef, who was the vizier of Egypt, afforded his father the honor of personally transporting his remains to Eretz Yisrael for burial, he deserved the same honor of having a distinguished leader bring his remains out of Egypt. Therefore, Moshe, as the leader of Beneh Yisrael, felt it was appropriate and necessary for him to personally transport Yosef’s remains.

Either way, Moshe exhibited "wisdom" through his careful and skillful prioritization of Misvot. Choosing good over evil, or even good over something neutral, is not always easy, but the decision is clear and straightforward. The more complicated questions that we must deal with as we go through life involve prioritizing when we face many important projects and Misva opportunities. My Rabbis, for example, would remain in Yeshiva rather than attend a Berit Mila, even of a relative, unless they were serving as Sandak or performing some other role in the celebration. Studying Torah and attending a Berit Mila celebration are both important Misvot – and it takes a good deal of wisdom to choose which Misva to perform when the two conflict. We cannot be flippant or impulsive when it comes to Misvot, selecting Misvot at whim. We need to think carefully and evaluate how to prioritize our limited time, energy and resources, so that we spend our lives not simply doing Misvot – but doing the right Misvot at the right time.


Related Parasha
Parashat BeShalah- A New Understanding of the Splitting of the Sea - 2023 Year
Parashat Beshalah: No Effort Goes Unrewarded - 2022 Year
Parashat Beshalah: The 21st-Century Battle Against Amalek - 2021 Year
Parashat Beshalah: The Special Opportunity of Shabbat Shira - 2020 Year
Parashat Beshalah- The Special Purity of Shabbat - 2019 Year
Parashat BeShalah- Staying Away From Trouble - 2018 Year
Parashat Beshalah: The Forgotten Precondition to Prayer - 2017 Year
Parashat Beshalah: Filling in the Blanks - 2016 Year
Parashat Beshalah: We’re Never Too Busy To Say “Thank You” - 2015 Year
Parashat BeShalah: G-d Will Pay You Will Back - 2014 Year
Parashat Beshalah: It’s Hard Enough as it is - 2012 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Beshalah - 2011 Year
Shabbat Morning Class - Parasha Beshalach - Tu Beshvat - 2010 Year
Sefer/Parasha:
Parashat Vayese: Fulfilling Our Mission
Parashat Toledot: The Obstacle to Parnasa
Parashat Hayeh-Sara: Seven Burials in Me’arat Ha’machpela
Parashat Vayera: Not Letting It Get to Our Heads
Parashat Lech-Lecha: We’re Never Off-Duty
Parashat Noah: The Dove and Repentance
Parashat Bereshit: A True Helpmate
Praying For Teshuba
Praying For Teshuba
Elul & Setting Limits
Elul- Reasons for Joy and Optimism as We Head to Court
Parashat Shoftim: Internal Repentance
Elul and the Pinhole
Parashat Ekeb: Faith and Charity
Parashat Vaethanan: The Source of Consolation
1002 Parashot found