Parshas Pinchas

Liyluy nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem... In perek chaf ches posuk tes vav it says " U'si'ir izim echad lichatas La'Hashemal olas hatamid yei'ase vinisco" "And one he goat for a sin offering for Hashem beside the continual  burnt offering, it shall be offered. Rashi says a Midrashic interpretation of this posuk, that Hashem commanded this karbon be brought as an atonement for Hashem making the moon small. The Gemorah in Chulin daf samach amud beis, says, Rav Shimon ben Pazi asks a contradiction. The Torah says " Vayaas Elokim es shnei hami'oros hagidolim" "Hashem made the two great luminaries" this sounds like they were the same size. However immediately afterword it says "Es hami'or hagadol v'es hami'or hakatan". Rav Shimon ben Pazi explains, at first the sun and the moon were created the same size. The moon went to Hkbh and asked him " How can two kings share one crown?" Hashem responded " you're right so go diminish yourself" The moon was hurt and asked Hashem "Because I said something correct I have to diminish myself?" So Hashem to appease him told him he will rule by day and night, to whice he responded, "what good is a candle in daylight?" Hashem tried again to appease the moon with having Klal Yisroel count the days and years through him, but he said the sun also has that. Hashem responded that Tzadikim will be called by his name, such as Yaakov hakatan, Shmuel Hakatan and David hakatan. Finally when the moon was not appeased by that, Hashem said "Bring an atonement on my behalf fo having diminished the moon" Rabein Bachyay explains that the moon was diminished as a punishment for questioning Hashem's decisions, but once Hashem saw that he was embarrassed and was hurt Hashem tried to make him feel better. The Rosh Yeshivah ztl asks, why did Hashem go through so much to try to make the moon feel better, the moon sinned and therefore deserved what he got, after all Hashem is 'Keil emunah v'ein avel". The Rosh Yeshivah explains that of course the moon received the correct punishment, and got what he deserved, however Hashem did all he could to appease him so that he would not feel that Hashem didn't love him. Even thought Hashem created him and continues giving him the koach every day to shine, still without Hashem's appeasement he would have felt that hashem hated him. Therefore Hashem tried quite a few tactics in order to make sure that the moon knew the love Hashem had for him even though he punished him. We see how important it is even in times of giving tochacha and punishment to make sure the recipient remembers the love that we have for them. Good Shabbos