Fwd: Parshas Ki Seitzei

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi Ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, my cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R Dovid Meir ben Rav Shmuel..

Refua Shelemah for Rav Moshe Tuvia ben Rochel

In Perek chaf gimmel pesukim dalud and hei the pesukim say "La Yavo Amoni u'Moavi b'khal Hashem gam dor asiri lo yavo lahem b'khal Hashem ad olam. Al dvar asher lo kidmu eschem balechem u'vamayim baderech b'tzeischem mi'Mitzrayim, v'asher sachar alecha es Bilam ben B'or mipisor Aram Naharaim l'kalilecha" "An Amoni or Moavi shall not enter into the congregation of Hashem, even their tenth generation shall not enter the congregation of Hashem, forever. Because of the fact that they did not greet you with bread and water on the road when you were leaving Mitzrayim, and because he hired against you Bilaam the son of Beor of Pethor, Aram Naharaim, to curse you."

The pesukim present two reasons why an Amoni and Moavi can never become part of Klal Yisroel. They did not bring food and water for Klal Yisroel when they were coming from Mitzrayim, and because they hired Bilaam to curse Klal Yisroel.

The Dubna Magid asks the following question. We expect derech eretz from murderers? How can the taayna on one hand be "you tried destroying Klal Yisroel" and then also "and you didn't bring them provisions". They wanted to murder them, you have a problem that they didn't bring them bread and water? The Dubna Magid explains that in truth it was all one taayna. When Klal Yisroel was passing they didn't bring them provisions, but maybe they just couldn't afford it, so how can you have a taayna. Once it becomes obvious that money wasn't the issue because they dropped cash on Bilaam to curse Klal Yisroel, now there's a taayna "where is your derech eretz, you can't join our people". (Uncle Shmuel said this a few years ago and mentioned that this was a personal favorite of Zaidy's)

Rav Yaakov Aryeh Neiman ztl however, gives his own answer to the Dubna Magid's question. Rav Neiman explains that the Torah was coming to teach us an amazing thing. When you see people that are ready and willing to annihilate an entire nation, realize that they did not fall to that low level overnight. The beginning of such a person stems from a seemingly small and subtle lack of Derech Eretz "asher lo kidmu eschem balechem uvamayim". Amon and Moav started with not offering provisions and continuously fell till the point of "sachar es Bilam...L'kalilecha".

Nothing just happens at once, there is always a beginning, always a root. Many times the change is so slight its unrecognizable at first but grows to levels that can cause even the people affected to wonder how they stooped so low. A slight lack in Derech Eretz can grow into wanting to destroy an entire nation. This just opens our eyes to how careful and aware we must be      about where we are holding and how fast where we are can change if we are not careful.
 Good Shabbos