Rav Yisroel Dov Ber Gilerenter zt"l
הרב ישראל דוב בער בן אברהם יוסף גילערנטער זצ"ל
Elul 19 , 0
Known As: Yashnitzer Rav, Ravid Hazahav, Devir Hamutzneh
Father's Name: Avrohom Yosef Gilerenter
Divrei Torah of Rav Yisroel Dov Ber Gilerenter zt"l
and the rabble (asafsuf) among them desired a desire and bnei yisroel also wept once more (11:4)
The Ropshitzer asks, “How could it be that the generation known as Dor HaMidbar, who were called a Dor De’ah – a generation filled with knowledge – could cry over something as trivial as meat?! Further, they ate the mon from Heaven every day – surely such a spiritual, ethereal food as mon was preferable to meat?
The Ropshitzer builds the kasha further, strengthening the question by differentiating between the Asafsuf (also known as the Erev Rav) and Bnei Yisroel. Why would Bnei Yisroel cry together with the Erev Rav? Surely they recited the same daily blessing that we do: “She’osoh Li Kol Tzorki,” Hashem has fulfilled all of my needs. Since Bnei Yisroel were a nation of strong emunoh, surely they believed that they were not reciting this berochoh levatoloh! And if it was not in vain, and Hashem was fulfilling their every need, He would have given them meat had they needed it! So why did they join the Erev Rav in their weeping?
The Yashnitzer Rav answers in the name of the Ropshitzer that when Bnei Yisroel saw how the Erev Rav desired meat, they introspected and realized that they too must have sinned in a similar manner, since we know that perception of a sin in another person is like a mirror reflecting a wrong that we ourselves must rectify (see, for example, Meor Eynaim, Chukkas, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov).