As You Said
The word of a tzadik-a righteous and holy person, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak explains, is endowed by G-d with the power to make things happen.
Forgiven because of Moses
Moses, at the request of the Jewish people, sent twelve spies to scout the land of Canaan. When the spies returned, ten of them slandered Israel, and even doubted the ability of the Jewish people to conquer it. The nation accepted their pessimistic assessment and rejected the word of G-d.
At that point, G-d threatened to destroy the Jewish people. Moses intervened and pleaded with G-d to spare the people. One of Moses’ arguments was that if G-d was to destroy them in the desert, the nations of the world would say that G-d was incapable of defending His own people against the more powerful Canaanites.
G-d relented and told Moses, “I have forgiven them as you said.”
The question is asked, why G-d had to add the words “as you said?” Wouldn’t it have sufficed if G-d had stated simply, “I have forgiven them.” It would have been self- understood that the reason G-d forgave them was because of Moses’ entreaties to G-d.
Who Cares what the Nations Will Say?
Rashi appears to have anticipated this question when he writes that the words “as you said” is a specific reference to Moses’ argument that people would deny G-d’s ability to prevail over the Canaanites if the Jewish nation would have perished in the desert. It was the argument that saved the day.
However, this answer too requires further explanation. The great Chassidic Master, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev asks why would G-d be concerned what the other nations would think? G-d controls the thoughts of man. He could thus have easily prevented them from entertaining such a notion. Why then was this particular argument advanced by Moses so persuasive?
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak provides the following answer to this question:
The Words of a Tzadik Create reality
In truth, if Moses had not argued that the destruction of the Jewish people would lead the nations to think that G-d was incapable of fighting the Canaanites, it would not have occurred to them to think so. G-d could have caused them to attribute the destruction of the Jewish nation to some other cause.
However, by Moses making the argument that it would cause the nations to doubt G-d’s power, he actually created the mechanism for the nations to entertain the notion that G-d could not defeat the Canaanites.
The word of a tzadik-a righteous and holy person, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak explains, actually is endowed by G-d with the power to make things happen.
Thus G-d tells Moses, “I have forgiven them as you said,” with the emphasis on the words “as you said.” Because you said it, because you initiated the argument, that is why it became a reality. And this reality saved the Jewish nation.
This commentary of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak echoes the saying of our Talmudic Sages that “a righteous person decrees and G-d fulfills it.” Obviously, it does not mean that the righteous have more power than G-d. Rather it means that G-d has vested His power in those who act, speak and think in a G-dly manner.
The prophet Isaiah said about the Jewish people, “And your nation are all righteous.” The prophet is referring to our potential righteousness that derives from our soul as the verse continues: “They are the branch of my planting, My handiwork in whom I take pride.”
But potential righteousness is not enough. Every mitzvah we perform helps to actualize that potential righteousness. And by virtue of this overt righteousness G-d endows our words with the power to make things happen.
Our Words Have Tremendous Power
This fact has a direct bearing on our own generation. While we know our faults and we might therefore not think of ourselves as holy and righteous people, the Torah teaches us otherwise. Every one of us is filled with Mitzvos, as the Talmud states that even the “sinners of Israel are filled with Mitzvos as a pomegranate is filled with seeds;” how much more so our generation that can certainly not be characterized as “sinners.”
Indeed, the Mitzvos we perform are unique. Precisely because we live in challenging times every Mitzvah we do has enhanced power. We should not underestimate our power to say to G-d—as we do in our daily liturgy in multiple ways—to bring an end to the suffering and pain that is associated with exile and bring us Moshiach and the promised Redemption.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Shlach by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
