Parashat VaEtchanan- Don’t be a Pickle
In Parashat Vaethanan Moshe recalls his impassioned prayer asking God permission to cross into the Land of Israel. God, however, denies Moshe’s request, and responds, "Rab Lach" ("It’s enough for you" - 3:26), instructing Moshe to discontinue praying. The Midrash comments that God’s response to Moshe is reminiscent of Moshe’s use of a similar expression many years earlier. As we read in Parashat Korah, a group of rebels, led by Korah, challenged the authority of Moshe and Aharon and demanded the right to serve as Kohanim in the Mishkan. Moshe responded to Korah and his fellow Leviyim by saying, "Rab Lachem" (Bamidbar 16:17), meaning, "It is enough for you that are Leviyim." He pointed to the fact that Korah and his cohorts had already received the privilege of serving as Leviyim, and thus should feel content with this special stature rather than pursuing the priesthood, as well. The Sages teach that Moshe’s response was inappropriate, and God’s harsh response of "Rab Lach" to his prayers served as a kind of "measure for measure" punishment for his remarks to Korah.
What was inappropriate about Moshe’s response? Korah acted with great audacity and gall, leading a protest against Moshe and Aharon’s leadership. What else was Moshe to do? Should he have stepped down and allowed a sinner like Korah to assume the leadership role?
Without doubt, Moshe acted correctly in resisting Korah’s challenge. However, the Midrash teaches that Moshe used a poor choice of words in his response, which, for a man of his unparalleled stature, amounted to a "sin" on some level. Moshe should have simply informed Korah and his followers that God designated only Aharon and his children as Kohanim, and no others can lay a claim to this privilege. The response of "Rab Lachem" sounds as though Moshe demanded that Korah and his followers should feel content with their current standing, without attempting to grow or advance any further. Even though the priesthood was certainly off-limits to Korah, he should not have been discouraged from continuing to reach greater spiritual heights. Nobody should ever say to another Jew, "Rab Lach," it’s enough for you, you do not need to achieve any more. As much as a person has accomplished in religious observance, he must always be working toward the next level.
One of my Rabbis, Rav Hillel Haber in the name of Rav Yehuda Z"L, would occasionally tell us, "Don’t be a pickle!" When a cucumber is marinated in vinegar, it is permanently preserved and undergoes no further change. Unfortunately, this "pickling" effect occurs to many people at some point in adulthood. They establish a set routine and pattern of behavior, and feel comfortable and at ease with where they are, without any interest in progressing further. People become "pickled," frozen at a certain level, unwilling to climb to the next step.
It behooves all of us to ensure that this does not happen. When it comes to religious observance, a person who does not grow will almost invariably regress. The material world has a kind of magnetic effect that draws a person to indulgence unless he actively pushes himself in the opposite direction, toward spiritual growth. Just as a helicopter must continuously propel itself to avoid falling, so, too, people must "propel" themselves further to resist the natural tendency to fall.
This does not mean that one should not feel pride over his spiritual accomplishments. A person should certainly feel gratified over what he has achieved – but this pride should serve as a source of inspiration for continued growth, and not lead him to complacency and stagnation.
