Even Moses and Aaron Must Share the Community's Distress

"Lift up your hands to Him for the life of your children, who faint with hunger at the head of every street" (Lamentations 2:19). From here the Sages said: a person should guard his children and his household so that not one of them goes out to a matter of transgression, God forbid, nor to an ugly thing, as it is said, "Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones" (Deuteronomy 31:12), and it says, "Gather the people, sanctify the assembly, gather the elders, assemble the children and nursing infants; let the bridegroom go out from his chamber" (Joel 2:16). And "elders" are nothing other than disciples of the wise, as it is said, "Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel" (Numbers 11:16). And "children and nursing infants" are nothing other than the schoolchildren, as it is said, "From the mouth of children and infants You founded strength" (Psalms 8:3). And "breasts" are nothing other than Torah, as it is said, "that you may nurse and be satisfied from the breast of her consolations" (Isaiah 66:11). What is "let the bridegroom go out from his chamber and the bride from her canopy"? This is the prince and the head of the court. From here the Sages said: even a sage like Moses our teacher and a pious one like Aaron should not say, Since I sit at rest in my house, peace be upon my soul; rather he should go out and join with the community in distress. Of them it says, "Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber and the bride from her canopy; between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, Spare, O LORD, Your people" (Joel 2:16-17). Just as the Holy One, blessed be His great name forever and ever, came down from the highest heavens, from the place of His glory and His greatness, and dwelt with Israel on account of the Torah they did, from here the Sages said: even if a person has a hundred houses and a hundred vineyards and a hundred fields, let him leave it all and go to the synagogue and the house of study and to every place where Torah is renewed, for on account of this matter he will merit all that he desires. And so David said, "If I give sleep to my eyes" (Psalms 132:4), and through this David merited great things. From here the Sages said: whoever has a disciple of the wise in his house and knows his need and provides for him along with his household, blessing enters into the work of his hands forever. So we find with Joseph, who was in the house of Potiphar, of whom it is said, "And the LORD blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake" (Genesis 39:5). From here the Sages said: there are four things that follow immediately one upon another: immediately after laying on of hands, slaughter; immediately after redemption, prayer; immediately after washing of hands, blessing; immediately after a disciple of the wise, blessing in the work of his hands. And they shall pray and say, "Spare, O LORD, Your people, and do not give Your inheritance to reproach, that the nations should rule over them; why should it be said among the peoples, Where is their God?" The LORD is gracious and merciful and full of great mercies. Your lips drip uprightness, your lips drip in understanding and in knowledge and in wisdom and in intellect, for You hear the prayer of Your people Israel with mercy, for what great nation has a god near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call upon Him, and what great nation has righteous statutes and judgments like all this Torah? Of them David said, "O LORD, deliver my soul" (Psalms 116:4). The Holy One, blessed be He, too answered him with a response, as it is said, "And the LORD was zealous for His land and had pity on His people; and the LORD answered and said to His people, Behold, I am sending you the grain and the new wine and the oil, and you shall be satisfied with it, and I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations" (Joel 2:18-19). And all this why? So that Israel would not go out from their houses and go out to other towns to bring grain and bread and food into their houses; therefore it is said, "Spare, O LORD, Your people... and the LORD answered and said to His people, Behold, I am sending you the grain." And all the idolaters who remain in the land in the days of the son of David will go to their houses and bring grain and bread and food to the houses of Israel and will make Israel exceedingly wealthy, as it is said, "And all the nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a land of delight" (Malachi 3:12), and it says, "And I will repay you for the years that the locust ate... and you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the LORD... and My people shall never be ashamed" (Joel 2:25-26). These are the four kinds of nations that enslaved Israel. And all this why? So that they should have reward. They told a parable; to what may the matter be compared? To a king who became angry with his son and seized him by the hand and brought him into the house of his teacher, and complained to the teacher about his son, and the teacher rose and struck him great blows before his father, and the teacher said to him: My son, even though I struck you great blows, they are only small ones for you according to your deeds, and these blows are for your good, so that you may improve your deeds and your father may then do good to you for your good deeds. So Israel are chastised with great afflictions for their evil deeds, and they are only light afflictions according to their deeds; and not only that, but they receive reward for their afflictions. Therefore it is said, "And I will repay you for the years... and My people shall never be ashamed."