Parshas Sh'mos

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben R' Zev Yehuda, Zev Yehuda ben R' Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben Harav Shmuel.

   In Perek beis posuk alef the posuk says "Vayeilech ish mibeis levi vayikach es bas levi" "A man from Levi (Amram) went and married the daughter of Levi (Yocheved)."

   The Medrash Tanchuma in Parshas Bahaloscha says that Shevet Levi "nasnu nafsham", they gave their lives, to be mikadiesh the name of Hashem, and to make sure that Torah was not lost.  At the time when Klal Yisrael was in Mitzrayim, they turned away from Torah and Mila, and served idols.  Shevet Levi, however, were all Tzadikim and they kept the Torah.

   The Rosh Yeshiva ztl asks, from where do we see that the Leviim gave their lives for Torah?  All we see from here is that they were great tzadikim even in a time where most of Klal Yisroel were rishaim.  That is a great thing, but we don't see anything in the Medrash that shows that the Leviim were willing to give up their lives to be mikadesh shem shomayim.

   The Rosh Yeshiva explains that the Medrash must be saying that their ability to keep the Torah and to be Tzadikim when the rest of Klal Yisroel is not doing the right thing proves that they would be willing to give up their lives to be mikayem shem shomayim.  Our natural tendency is to follow what the people around us do.  To be able to go against the tide and do what is correct is extremely difficult.  People who have the power to go against the tide prove by their actions that they would give up their lives to be mikayem shem shomayim.  Shevet Levi was holding on that level and therefore they are credited with the tremendous mitzva of giving their lives al kiddush Hashem.

   We are all going against the tide, fighting to do what's right in a society where anything and everything goes.  It's not just "ok we are doing what we feel is right even though it's difficult", We are all credited with the unbelievable level of "nosen nefesh al kiddush Hashem".
 Good Shabbos