This Shabbat:

Friday Candle Lighting: 7:43 pm
Shabbat Ends: 8:31 pm

Torah Message:

 Out of Proportion

“Take vengeance for the Children of Israel…” (31:2)

Ohr Somayach had a unique experience last week.

Virtually the entire student body and staff, together with loyal supporters throughout the world, joined together in a 32-hour all-or-nothing campaign to raise 2 million dollars for the Yeshiva. As it turned out, we raised a bit more than that (see unidy.org/os).

Apart from the amazing bonding experience and the change in the Yeshiva’s balance sheet that sees the red climbing back towards the black, and not forgetting the sheer good fun of the whole thing — we picked up much more than all that.

“Take vengeance for the Children of Israel…”

Why does the verse here refer specifically to the vengeance of the “Children of Yisrael”?

When the Midianites caused the Jewish People to fall into the sin of lechery at Sheetim, they were doubly culpable: First for causing the sin, and secondly for the punishment that the Jewish People incurred.

Even though G-d created the world “measure for measure”, when G-d bestows His kindness, He does so disproportionately and in far greater measure than His strict judgment.

If the Midianites were punished for both the sin and the punishment of the Jews, how much more will someone be recompensed for both the mitzvah and its reward that he causes and facilitates another to do.

However much the Yeshiva and its friends made in the campaign in this world, how infinitely more is the reward for bringing so many Jews to do the mitzvah of tzedakain the World-to-Come!

• Sources: based on Rabbi Leib Chasman in Ohr Yahil