My Musing
In the end, what is man’s actual power? In commenting on the opening verse of the parsha, this week’s midrash explores different venues of mankind’s strength: Riches, wisdom, insight, wealth etc. But in the very end these talents and resources cannot stand up to the real challenges in life. Only Prayer can.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת ואתחנן סימן בIn the end, what is man’s actual power? In commenting on the opening verse of the parsha, this week’s midrash explores different venues of mankind’s strength: Riches, wisdom, insight, wealth etc. But in the very end these talents and resources cannot stand up to the real challenges in life. Only Prayer can.
(דברים ג:כג) "וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְדֹוָד בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר"
“And I besought the LORD at that time, saying”
דבר אחר "וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְדֹוָד" זה שאמר הכתוב (קהלת ט:יא) "שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן כִּי עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם"
This is what the scripture states: “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
אמר לו אבנר (שמואל ב,ב:כב)" [וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד אַבְנֵר לֵאמֹר אֶל עֲשָׂהאֵל] סוּר לְךָ מֵאַחֲרָי לָמָּה אַכֶּכָּה אַרְצָה וְאֵיךְ אֶשָּׂא פָנַי אֶל יוֹאָב אָחִיךָ" והיה בטוח שהוא בורח שהיה קל ברגליו. מה כתיב? (שמואל ב,ב:כג)"וַיְמָאֵן לָסוּר וַיַּכֵּהוּ אַבְנֵר בְּאַחֲרֵי הַחֲנִית אֶל הַחֹמֶשׁ וַתֵּצֵא הַחֲנִית מֵאַחֲרָיו וַיִּפָּל שָׁם וַיָּמָת <תחתו> תַּחְתָּיו וַיְהִי כָּל הַבָּא אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָפַל שָׁם עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיָּמֹת וַיַּעֲמֹדוּ"
“that the race is not to the swift” This refers to Asa’el as it says, “And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field” That he would run after Avner.
Avner said to him, “[And Abner said again to Asahel:] 'Turn thee aside from following me; wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?'” “He refused to turn aside; wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the groin, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place; and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.”
Avner said to him, “[And Abner said again to Asahel:] 'Turn thee aside from following me; wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?'” “He refused to turn aside; wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the groin, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place; and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.”
"וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה" זה אבנר כשהלך אצל דוד. מה כתיב? (שמואל ב,ג:כז) "וַיָּשָׁב אַבְנֵר חֶבְרוֹן וַיַּטֵּהוּ יוֹאָב אֶל תּוֹךְ הַשַּׁעַר לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ בַּשֶּׁלִי וַיַּכֵּהוּ שָׁם הַחֹמֶשׁ וַיָּמָת בְּדַם עֲשָׂהאֵל אָחִיו"
והיכן היתה גבורתו? הוי "וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה".
“nor the battle to the strong” this refers to Avner when he walked alongside David. What is written? “And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the groin, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.” And where was his might? That is the phrase “nor the battle to the strong”
"וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם" זה שלמה, שנאמר, (מלכים א,ה:יא) "וַיֶּחְכַּם מִכָּל הָאָדָם מֵאֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי וְהֵימָן וְכַלְכֹּל וְדַרְדַּע בְּנֵי מָחוֹל וַיְהִי שְׁמוֹ בְכָל הַגּוֹיִם סָבִיב" והורידו הקדוש ברוך הוא מכסאו והיה המלאך מזמן ומביא לו ככר לחם וקערה של גריסין בכל יום, הוי " לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם".
“neither yet bread to the wise” this refers to Solomon, as it says, “For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about.” And he was taken down from his throne and an agle brought him a loaf of bread and a bowl of grits everyday, that is the phrase ““neither yet bread to the wise
”
"וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר" זה איוב שנאמר, (איוב יט:כא) "חָנֻּנִי חָנֻּנִי אַתֶּם רֵעָי כִּי יַד אֱלוֹהַּ נָגְעָה בִּי"
“nor yet riches to men of understanding” this refers to Job as it says, “Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.”
הוי "וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן".
“nor yet favour to men of skill” this refers to Joshua. Two things he said in front of his master and they are:” And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses from his youth up, answered and said: 'My lord Moses, shut them in.” Moshe said to him, “[And Moses said unto him:] 'Art thou jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His spirit upon them!'”; and once with the sin of the golden calf as it says, “And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses: 'There is a noise of war in the camp.'” And Moshe said to him, ‘Joshua, on you they depend and are trusting that you will distribute the land, and you do not know how to differentiate between the different voices. “And he said: 'It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.'” That is the phrase “nor yet favour to men of skill”
Another idea
דבר אחר "לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ" זה משה שהיה מקפץ כארי במתן תורה. מה כתיב שם, (שמות יט:ג) "וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְדֹוָד מִן הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל"
(שמות יט:כה) "וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם"
“that the race is not to the swift” refers to moshe that he would jump like a lion at the Revelation. What does it say there? “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:” and “So Moses went down unto the people, and told them”
“nor the battle to the strong”, this refers to Moshe who would stand up to the angles up above and when Og the king of Bashan saw this he was afraid.
"לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם" זה משה שנאמר, (משלי כא:כב) "עִיר גִּבֹּרִים עָלָה חָכָם וַיֹּרֶד עֹז מִבְטֶחָה" ואומר (שמות לד:כח) "וַיְהִי שָׁם עִם יְדֹוָד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה לֶחֶם לֹא אָכַל וּמַיִם לֹא שָׁתָה וַיִּכְתֹּב עַל הַלֻּחֹת אֵת דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים"
“neither yet bread to the wise” this refers to Moshe as it says, “A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and bringeth down the stronghold wherein it trusteth.” And it says, “And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words.”
"לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר"זה משה שנאמר בו, (שמות לד:ט) "וַיֹּאמֶר אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲ-דֹנָי יֵלֶךְ נָא אֲ-דֹנָי בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ כִּי עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף הוּא וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ"
רב הונא שאל לשמואל מאי דכתיב "עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם"? אמר לו, 'עתיד הוא שיתפלל אדם ויענה. אמר משה, אחז את התפלה שנאמר "וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְדֹוָד".
“nor yet riches to men of understanding”, this refers to Moshe, that it says regarding him, “And he said: 'If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray Thee, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.'” Rav Huna asked Shmuel, what is the meaning of the phrase “but time and chance happeneth to them all”? He replied ‘ in the future a man will pray and be answered. Said Moshe, grab onto prayer as it says, “And I besought the LORD”
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