The eirev rav complained and were consumed by a fire of Hashem (Rashi, Bamidbar 11:1). The eirav rav (Rashi) in their midst lusted for lust (his’avu ta’ava), and Bnai Yisrael cried with them (Rashi) and said, “Who will feed us meat?” (Bamidbar 11:4). The eirev rav was a great mixture of converts from many nations (Rashi, Shemos 12:38), or Egyptians who mixed into Bnai Yisrael (Ibn Ezra). They numbered well over a million (Targum Yonasan).
Later, they caused the chet ha’egel. Hashem told Moshe “Your nation that you brought out of Egypt destroyed” (Shemos 32:7). The eirev rav whom you accepted on your own and converted. You did not consult Me. You said, “It is good that converts should cling to the Shechina”. They destroyed (Rashi, from Shemos Raba 42:6) and made the eigel through witchcraft (Rashi 32:4). They said, “These are your gods Yisrael” (32:4), not “our gods”. It was the eirev rav who made it and then led Yisrael astray with it (Rashi). And again, they led Bnai Yisrael astray to say “Who will give us meat?” (11:4).
What does the enigmatic expression “his’avu ta’ava”, lusted for lust, mean?
II
The Be’er Mayim Chayim (by R’ Chaim of Chernovitz (1740- 1817), an early Chassidic Master) (11:5) explains. The Egyptian descended from Cham (Bereishis 10:6), who disobeyed the prohibition against sexual relations in Noach’s ark, and was cursed (Sanhedrin 108b). Later, he had homosexual relations with his drunk father (Rashi Bereishis 9:22), and his descendants were cursed (9:25, see Sanhedrin 70a). For this reason, Hashem did not want the eirev rav to join Bnai Yisrael whose chastity merited them redemption (Vayikra Raba 32:5).
Hashem hates sexual immorality (Rashi Bamidbar 31:16), and He feared, as it were, that the eirev rav would cause Yisrael to sin, as they did in Shittim (Bamidbar 25:1 see Sanhedrin 106a). Their complaint about meat was followed by weeping over the incestuous relations which were forbidden to them (Rashi Bamidbar 11:10).
To prevent this, Hashem gave us the mon, heavenly food, as regular food leads to sin (Devarim 31:20). Moreover, He subdued and broke all of their lusts for anything physical. The eirev rav lusted for the lust that Hashem had removed. This is his’avu ta’ava, lusted for lust.
III
The episode of the complainers is preceded by the laws of the sotah, who is suspected of adultery (Bamidbar 5:11-31), and the nazir (6:1-21). The juxtaposition is explained by Rashi (6:2) - one who sees a sotah disgraced should become a nazir to abstain from wine which leads to adultery. Alcohol led to the sin of Noach and Cham, the biblical sotah, and, sadly, to sinful behavior today.
The Rambam (Hilchos Issurei Biah 22:18) citing the aforementioned complaint and weeping over their prohibitions, states that for most of our nation it is difficult to abstain from forbidden relations. He notes (22:19) that in every community and in every time period there are those who sin in this area.
The Ibn Ezra (6:2) renders “Ki yafli”, the phrase describing the vow to become a nazir, as follows: he does a wondrous thing (d’var pele), because most people follow their lusts. A nazir has the crown of Hashem on his head (6:7). Ibn Ezra explains: all men are slaves of their worldly lusts. A true king, who has a crown of Kingdom on his head, is anyone who is free from the lusts.
IV
When the nazir completes his term, he must bring himself to the entrance of Ohel Mo’ed (6:13). Rashi notes the unusual expression “bring himself,” instead of “come”. The Meshech Chochma (6:13) teaches that one becomes a nazir to curb lusts (ta’avos) arrogance (ga’ava) and excesses (mosaros). The Torah does not explicitly state the time necessary to achieve this goal. Each person should evaluate if the time suffices to curb the power of his yetzer. Thirty days, hinted at by a gematria (Nazir 5a), is a minimum based on oral tradition (“mekubal”, Rambam Mishna Nazir 1:3).
How can one know that he had reached this level, that his yetzer will not overcome him and his desire will not lead his mind astray? When he views his own matters as he would approach the deeds of another person. When he is no longer suspect of self-love, he is confident that he will partake of the world’s pleasures in proper measure and not to come to excesses (mosaros). “Bringing himself” as if he brings another person indicates achievement of the goal of a nazir.
V
The problem of being led astray continues into the next parsha, in words we say daily: “You shall not stray (v’lo sasuru) after your heart and after your eyes” (Bamidbar 15:39). The heart and the eyes are spies for the body. The eye sees, the heart desires, and the body commits the sin (Rashi).
The Torah places the heart before the eyes, but Rashi reverses the order, stating that first the eye sees, and then the heart desires. Perhaps the heart does two things - one prior to seeing and a second, after. First, the heart strays. As a result, the eyes stray, as natural curiosity takes over. This is then consistent with the order in the pasuk, as “The eyes follow the heart” (Medrash Tehillim 14:1).
The Sifri interprets: After your eyes, this is znus, sexual impropriety. The Sforno adds: to achieve the lusts (ta’avos) that you put your eyes upon. In this area, moderation achieves satisfaction and avoids lust, while excesses only add hunger for more (Sukka 52b), which can yield disastrous results.
However, the concept of his’avu ta’ava, in the original context of food, applies to all types of desires, many beginning with our eyes. In this context the Artscroll translation, “cultivated a craving” is instructive. Sadly, Torah society is not immune from a culture which advertises excess. The blessing of wealth only exacerbates the problem.
Our eyes are exposed, in real life and in print and social media, to a whole slew of mosaros. They include food, clothing, homes, cars, jewelry, and more. Modest living, a hallmark of proper Torah life, is too often replaced by ostentation. This can not only lead to antisemitism (Kli Yakar, Devarim 2:3), but also to jealousy, and even dishonesty, in our own community. Luxury and excess have become de rigueur, affecting spirituality negatively, as discussed at length in Tradition, Spring 2024.
Calls for restraint and modesty have often fallen on deaf ears. Yet, as we read of the story of complaints and lusts of old, we are duty bound to warn about the consequences of a lifestyle of mosaros.
On a positive note, our society can boast of wonderful manifestations of ahavas chessed. But, as the navi (Micha 6:8, end of haftora Parshas Balak) states, Hashem seeks hatzne’a leches, walking modestly before Him, as well.
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