Bs”d
Parshas Shmos (5776)
בענין הברית של אליעזר
by Mordechai Dolinsky
4:25 In our sedra we have this awesome episode of Moshe’s returning to Mitzrayim and was actually חייב מיתה for his negligence in performing a מילה on Eliezer and being redeemed in the last minute. The negligence was his preoccupation in settling the stayover prior to making the bris. פלא on פלא. Even for real, obvious negligence, how can we understand such a severe punishment, all the more so for this subtle lack of correct priority, for which Moshe surely had a חשבון.
Perhaps the key, the direction for understanding this great difficulty is to understand the basic meaning of the word bris milah in its simplicity. The word means an absolute commitment to a matter that has implications of importance. The bris here is expressing the kesher, the commitment and faithfulness between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Moshe couldn’t make the bris in Midian since it would take three days to heal and this would delay Moshe’s going to Mitzrayim to free the Yidden. Now there was a stopover—Moshe felt it was important to set up for everyone first and then make the bris. Min HaShomayim they expected something different. Moshe you are on a mission for Klal Yisroel, the whole maaleh of Klal Yisroel is the essence of their connection to Hashem. The Bris crystallizes this. You should feel that the bris is the connection, and the pressure to make the bris—make the bris—make the bris. If you fail to feel this it reflects the lack of the degree of the essence of the connection between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Moshe is chayav misah. This would mean that he is not worthy enough for the mission. I just found a Zohar that expresses this exactly. “Moshe you are running to Mitzrayim to save the Yidden, what about the bris? “
According to this it is difficult to understand how Tziporah’s act rectified the problem, for there doesn’t seem to be any connection between Tziporah’s valiant act in performing the bris and the sharp criticism on Moshe. Perhaps we can venture to present a unique insight be”h. When it was demonstrated that min HaShomayim that there was a great teviah on Moshe, and it was obvious that it because of his subtle negligence of putting the milah as the first priority, at that point Moshe himself could have made an immediate effort to rectify the situation and quickly perform the milah and also attain for himself the accomplishment of this great Mitzvah. However seeing that Tziporah was ready to start, instead of stopping her for his own benefit of the Mitzvah, Moshe forfeited this great zchus for the benefit that the milah should be fulfilled at the first possible second. This was a true rectification of the essence of the Heavenly criticism.
I thank Hashem for the insight—v’sein balibeinu l’havin ulihaskel.