Parshas Ki Sisa

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 Meer ben Harav Shmuel....

In perek lamud beis posuk alef the posuk says "Vaya'amod Moshe bisha'ar hamachane vayomer mi la'Hashem eilay, vayaiasfu eilav kal bnei Levi. " "Moshe stood at the gateway of the camp and said Whoever is for Hashem join me!  And all the Leviim gathered around him."

The Daas Zikeinim says from the Baalei Tosfos, Mi la'Hashem eilay meant, whoever wants to stand up for the fear of Hashem and also did not sin with the eigel join me. He continues, that the entire shevet Levi lacking noone got up to join Moshe Rabeinu. The other shvatim that joined Moshe however, were not complete. The reason for this says the Daas Zikeinim is because the Leviim were very close to Moshe and did not want to appoint another leader in his place.

It appears that the Daas Zikeinim is saying that the reason Levi didn't participate in the eigel was because of their closeness to Moshe, while the other shvatim were able to participate seemingly because they were not close to him.

The Rosh Yeshiva ztl asks, its pashut that all of Klal Yisroel loved Moshe. After all he did for them it would be impossible not to. He risked his life many times to bring them out of Mitzrayim, he taught them Torah and was always there for them. Everyone knew he deserved to be the leader and most probably didn't want to appoint another leader in his stead. Their reason for appointing a new leader was because they truly believed he was dead and the right thing to do is go on with life and appoint a new leader to help them along. This being the case, it doesn't make sense that shevet Levi did not go along with the rest of the shvatim. Didn't they know that if Moshe was dead the right thing to do is to move on and appoint a leader?

The Rosh Yeshiva explains, that the little bit of extra closeness and love towards Moshe that shevet Levi had above all the other shvatim was able to act as a force to help them overcome the nisayon that the rest of Klal Yisroel could not. That love allowed them to realize that Moshe was alive and well and therefore there was no need to appoint a new leader.   Shevet Levi's love for their Rebbe caused them to securely attach themselves to the Torah of their Rebbe and was able to guide them in the right direction and even give them the strength to be moser nefesh for what they believed was correct.

The closer we are to the people who lead us in the proper derech the better off we are. Sometimes just a little more love can be the difference between winning the fight against the yetzer hara or chas v'shalom being overcome by him.
             Good Shabbos