Parshat Pinchas - Crown of Torah
by Rabbi Lobel

Moses, knowing he would not lead the Jewish nation into Israel, asked G-d to appoint a successor. (Number 27:15-17)

The Medras Rabba (Bamidbar Rabba 21:14) says that Moses asked G-d to appoint, in his (Moses') honor, one of his children; Moses did not want the leadership to leave his family. G-d responded, “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored (Proverbs 27:18).” Your children did not study Torah, rather Joshua will be your successor because Joshua served you and honored you with all his strength. Every morning and evening Joshua was in the house of study arranging the tables and chairs and making sure that the house of study was in proper order.

“He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit”, compares Torah study to a fig tree (Medrash Bamidbar Rabba 12:9). The Medrash asks, why is Torah compared to a fig tree? Because other trees, such as grape vines and date trees, are harvested all at one time. However, a fig tree is harvested over time because its fruit do not ripen all at once. Just as a fig tree is harvested over time, so too Torah is not studied in one or two years, but is studied over time. The Medrash continues to explain that Joshua would never leave the study hall but was constantly there learning and serving Moses. “His servant, Joshua, a lad, would not leave from within the tent.” (Exodus 33:11)

Why would Moses, an exceedingly humble person, ask God to appoint one of his children to succeed him? As for Joshua, he was not chosen because he was the smartest, the shrewdest, or even the most righteous, but rather because he was the most dedicated to serving Moses. Why would dedication to one’s rebbe be the primary qualification for leadership?

Perhaps, the answer is that Torah is a “legacy of the Congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy, 33:4) that must be cherished and safeguarded as it is passed from one generation to the next. Surely, Moses’ children were qualified to lead Israel and, as most children, had a special attachment to their father that would help them follow in his footsteps. However, God said that Joshua, who wholly dedicated himself to serving and following his rebbe, is the most qualified to uphold and preserve the legacy of Torah.