These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuven … the sons of Shimon … And these are the names of the sons of Levi in order of their birth: Gershon, Kehas, and Merari … (Shemos 6:14-16).
The Shelah (1568-1630) asks why the pasuk adds “these are the names of” with regard to Levi’s children, as opposed to the wording of the pasuk with regard to the children of Reuven and Shimon.
He explains that Shevet Levi was not oppressed in Mitzrayim, but Levi wanted to share in the pain of his brethren. He therefore gave his sons names that brought to mind the galus. Gershon, alluding to their status as geirim, strangers in a land that is not theirs; Kehas, denoting the disturbance of one’s peace of mind, like teeth set on edge (Yirmiyahu 31:28); and Merari, coming from the word bitter, as the lives of the Jews were made bitter.
From here we learn, says the Shelah, that a person should share in the distress of his community, even though the tzarrah does not affect him personally.
The great Gaon R’ Chaim Shmulevitz writes in his Sichos Mussar that everyone is obligated to share in the pain of his community. Our Sages learn this from none other than Moshe Rabbeinu, as it says in the Talmud (Taanis 11a), “When the community is immersed in suffering, a person should not say: I will go to my house, I will eat and drink, and peace be upon you, my soul.”
Rather, a person should always participate in the pain of others, as it says (Shemos 3:14), “I will be what I will be.” The commentaries explain this means that Hashem told Moshe: I will be with you in this exile as I will be with you, the Jewish people, in other exiles.
In fact, we see often that Moshe Rabbeinu felt the pain of the Jewish people. The pasuk says (Shemos 17:12), “Moshe’s hands were heavy; they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it.” Moshe could have sat on a mattress, but he wanted to share in the pain of his brethren.
Even at the time of his passing, Moshe Rabbeinu was concerned about the welfare of the Jewish nation. He asked Hashem (Bamidbar 27:16-27), “Appoint a man over the congregation who will go forth before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that they will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” Rashi adds that the leader should be one who tolerates each person according to his personal character.
A person who can feel the pain of others is more suited to be a leader. For that reason, Hashem first tested Moshe to verify that he had the sensitivity to be able to share in the distress of his brethren.
We learn from the Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 2:2) that Moshe was tending the sheep of Yisro, and one of the lambs ran away. Moshe pursued the lamb, which did not stop running until it reached a pond of water and stopped to drink. When Moshe caught up, he said, “I didn’t know that you were running because you were thirsty. You are tired.” And Moshe picked up the lamb and carried it back to join the flock. Hashem said, “You have the compassion to act this way with the flocks; I promise that you will tend My flock, who are created in the image of Hashem.”
The past mashgiach of Lakewood Yeshiva, HaRav Nosson Wachtfogel, comments that there were two great giants in the world – Moshe Rabbeinu and Dovid HaMelech. Dovid, too, was tested similarly. The Medrash relates that Dovid tended to his father’s sheep and cared for every living creature. He would first take out the young lambs to graze from the tender grass, because they didn’t have teeth yet. He would then take out the older sheep whose teeth were already weak to feed from the middle part of the stalks which was still soft enough for them. Finally, he would bring the grown sheep who had strong teeth to chew the tough stalks that grew near the ground. Hashem said: You are so compassionate and caring with the flocks, I can certainly rely on you to tend to My flock, the Jewish people.
What was their greatness? People are usually interested only in the extraordinary and spectacular. Concern for a runaway lamb, or ensuring that the needs of each animal in the flock are met, is unusual and has the marks of an individual who is conscientious, loyal and responsible.
R’ Baruch Ber Lebowitz often spoke at length about the pain of the Divine Presence when the Jewish nation is in exile. He would cite the pasuk in Tehillim (42:4), “My tears were my bread day and night when they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your G-d?’”
Dovid HaMelech did not understand how he could eat and drink when his people were rebelling and profaning the name of Hashem. On the other hand, one is not allowed to fast. Therefore, “my tears were my bread” – first Dovid cried, and then he was able to eat.
After surviving the Holocaust in various concentration camps, the great Bluzover Rebbe, R’ Yisroel Spira, came to America. A grand kabbalas panim was held in the Bialystock shul in Manhattan, and throngs of people came to welcome him and listen to him speak. The Rebbe related his experiences during the years of wrath, and told of the macabre deaths of those who died al Kiddush Hashem, and the mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) of the Yidden for Torah and mitzvos. There was not a dry eye in the entire audience. The Bluzhover Rebbe then concluded by encouraging the crowd to intensify their observance of Torah and mitzvos.
Afterward, Moreinu R’ Yaakov Rosenheim, the head of the World Agudah, placed an envelope with money into the hand of the Bluzhover Rebbe.
Surprised, the Bluzhover Rebbe asked, “What is this?”
“It is our custom to pay the speaker,” said R’ Rosenheim.
Although the Bluzhover Rebbe did not have a penny to his name, he refused to accept the money and gave the envelope back to R’ Yaakov. “The custom that you have here to pay people who speak is very appropriate. However, I cannot take money for my lecture that described the tzarros of our brethren.” He cited the Medrash Shochar, who writes concerning the Plague of Blood in Egypt, that when the waters turned to blood, even the water in the cup that the Egyptian was holding turned to blood; only the Jewish people had clear water. They became rich that way because the Egyptians had to buy their water from Bnei Yisrael. R’ Yosi argues that such is not the way Bnei Yisrael got rich. They became rich when they borrowed the gold, silver and clothes from the Egyptians after the Plague of Darkness (Shemos 3:22).
Why does R’ Yosi disagree? Because according to R’ Yosi, the Jewish people would not choose to enrich themselves from someone else’s suffering, not even from the suffering of their oppressors.
“Therefore,” concluded the Bluzhover Rebbe, “how can I take money when I’m talking about the tzarros of my brothers and my sisters? Would you ever think that I want my livelihood to come from other people’s tzarros?”