Dust and Dirt

וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר...מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב וּמִסְפָּר אֶת רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל

מִי יוּכַל לִמְנוֹת מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר

As Bilaam continues to defy the Dvar Hashem that was relayed to him directly, “לֹא תָאֹר אֶת הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הוּא”, he finds himself unable to access his usual powers. He looks upon the Machaneh Yisroel, and instead of being inspired to words of destruction, he speaks about the unusual qualities of Klal Yisroel. He sees their strength, their unity, and their Tzinus , and realizes that he will be unable to bring ill upon them. Among the praises that Bilaam mentions, we find the words of this Passuk : “מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב”.

On their own, it is difficult to understand the intent of these words, but this Medrash explains that Bilaam refers to a specific aspect of our Avodas Hashem: “מִי יוּכַל לִמְנוֹת מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר”. There are several Mitzvos that are done with dust or dirt, many of which the Medrash enumerates: “לֹא תַחֲרש ׁ בְּשׁוֹר וּבַחֲמֹר...לֹא תִזְרַע כַּרְמְךָ כִּלְאָיִם...וְאָסַף אִישׁ טָהוֹר אֵת אֵפֶר הַפָּרָה...וּמִן הֶעָפָר אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בְּקַרְקַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן...שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים יִהְיֶה לָכֶם עֲרֵלִים”. These Mitzvos span Kodshim , Taharos and Zeraim , affecting parts of our everyday life as well as some of the most sacrosanct parts of the Torah and they have one commonality: they are “מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר”.

While it is, of course, notable that so many of our Mitzvos are done using something as common as dust, we must understand why the Medrash understood this to be Bilaam’s intent here.

The Targum here reveals a different Pshat in these words: “מַן יִכּוֹל לְמִמְנֵי דַּעְדְּקַיָּא דְּבֵית יַעֲקֹב דַּאֲמִיר עֲלֵיהוֹן יִסְגּוֹן כְּעַפְרָא דְּאַרְעָא”. In this approach, Bilaam refers to our status as the children of Yaakov, who was told “וְהָיָה זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ”. Indeed the Medrash in Parshas Bamdibar tells us “בִרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵךְ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ, בָּאֲתָה בִּימֵי בִּלְעָם”, that the Bracha given to Yaakov Avinu was recognized by Bilaam as indicated by the words “ מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב”.

There Medrash here, however, chooses this alternate approach, speaking about the “שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר”. What does this teach us? Why would Bilaam have chosen to speak specifically about these Mitzvos at this juncture? How do the Mitzvos done with dust relate to his inability to follow through on his urge to curse Bnei Yisroel?

The truth is that although the Medrash here mentions a slew of Mitzvos that are done with Aphar , there is another Medrash which indicates that Bilaam was actually referring to a singular Mitzva.

The Pirkei D’Rebi Eliezer tells us: “כְשֶׁבָּא בִּלְעָם הַקּוֹסֵם רָאָה אֶת כָּל הַמִּדְבָּר מָלֵא מֵעָרְלָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל”. When Bilaam looked out over Machneh Yisroel, he saw the Orlos of Bnei Yisroel and said: “מִי יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד בִּזְכוּת בְּרִית דַּם מִילָה שֶׁהוּא מְכֻסֶּה בַּעֲפַר”. The Medrash goes on to explains that this exclamation, an apparent admission of defeat by virtue of the “בְּרִית דַּם מִילָה שֶׁהוּא מְכֻסֶּה בַּעֲפַר”, is represented by the words “מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב”. According to the Medrash, in fact, this episode resulted in a Halacha that persists to this day: “מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, מְכַסִּין אֶת הָעָרְלָה וְאֶת הַדָּם בַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ”. After a Milah, the Orlah and Dam are covered by Aphar .

This Medrash is itself difficult to understand. First, what does it mean that Billam saw “כָּל הַמִּדְבָּר מָלֵא מֵעָרְלָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל”? Certainly, there could not have been that many Orlos at one time—what does the Medrash mean to tell us? Alos, and most pressingly, why did the presence of the “דַּם מִילָה שֶׁהוּא מְכֻסֶּה בַּעֲפַר” dissuade Bilaam in this way? Why does the fact that Bnei Yisroel covered their Orlos in Aphar cause him to say “מִי יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד בִּזְכוּת בְּרִית דַּם מִילָה”? While we might assume that Bilaam referred more generally to the Mitzvah of Milah, the Medrash relates this to the words “מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב”, indicating that the Aphar used to cover the Olrlos played a central role in Bilaam’s perception—why?

It is clear, both from the Medrash here and the Pirkei D’Rebi Eliezer, that the “מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר” in some way rendered Bnei Yisroel impervious to the machinations of Bilaam . We know, however, that these types of Mitzvos are not the only ones that set us apart. In fact, the Mitzvos listed in the Medras here are also identified in another Medrash with a similar message.

The Medrash in Shir HaShirim Rabba tells us: “אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי, כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשֻׁנִּין מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם”, everything that we do is different than the Umos HaOlam . The Medrash then lists the ways in which we are different than all those around us: “בַּחֲרִישָׁתָן, בִּזְרִיעָתָן, בִּנְטִיעָתָן, בִּקְצִירָתָן, בְּעִמּוּרָן , בְּדִישָׁן, בְּגָרְנֵיהֶן , בְּיִקְבֵיהֶן, בְּגַגּוֹתֵיהֶן, בִּבְכוֹרוֹתֵיהֶן, בִּבְשָׂרָן, בְּתִגְלַחְתָּן, בְּמִנְיָנָן ”. Every part of our lives—the way we plant and harvest, the way we process grain and press wine, the way we build our homes, prepare our food, and even cut our hair—is distinctive. The Medrash goes on to enumerate the Mitzvos that govern each of these areas of our lives, from “לֹא תַחֲרש ׁ בְּשׁוֹר וּבַחֲמֹר” to “לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֵת פְּאַת זְקָנֶךָ”.

Seeing as “כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשֻׁנִּין מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם”, it should not be surprising that we have “מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר”. What then was the point that Bilaam made with the words “מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב”? Why is it the Mitzvos done with Aphar that caused him such consternation?

The only way to answer these questions, so that we may better understand this Medrash, is to better understand Aphar , what it represents, and why the מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר are therefore notable.

The Passuk in Koheles says: “ הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל־הֶעָפָר ”, words which indicate the primary nature of Aphar . The Medrash Rabba in Parshas Beraishis puts these words in perspective with a clear statement: “כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ אֵין בְּרִיָּיתוֹ אֶלָּא מִן הָאָרֶץ.” Everything in the Briah, whether part of Shamayim or Aretz, originally came from Aphar .

Based on the Medrash alone, one might think that the primary nature of Aphar is related to Brias HaOlam , the moment of אֵין בְּרִיָּיתוֹ אֶלָּא מִן הָאָרֶץ. The Tiferes Shlomo of

Radomsk , in Parhshas VaYetzei , notes that Aphar continues to sustain the world because Lechem , the primary source of sustenance, itself comes from the ground. It emerges that the lowest point on the earth, the dust upon which everyone treads, serves the highest purpose. While this may seem counterintuitive, the Radomsker explains that it is, in fact, instructive: the very reason the Aphar can serve this elevated purpose is because it is low, because it has no value.

The Passuk in Megillas Esther tells us that Haman’s advisors warned him about opposing Mordechai HaTzaddik using the words “כִּי נָפוֹל תִּפּוֹל לְפָנָיו” and the Gemara in Megillah explains their intent: “אוּמָּה זוֹ, מְשׁוּלָה לְעָפָר וּמְשׁוּלָה לְכוֹכָבִים כְּשֶׁהֵן יוֹרְדִין יוֹרְדִין עַד עָפָר, וּכְשֶׁהֵן עוֹלִין עוֹלִין עַד לַכּוֹכָבִים”. This Gemara , explains the Tiferes Shlomo, expresses the ideal of Aphar : because we are “ יוֹרְדִין עַד עָפָר”, because we can practice the Middah of Shiflus , we can also be “ עוֹלִין עַד לַכּוֹכָבִים”. The ability and propensity to act with true Shiflus , to accept that we are akin to Aphar , is what propels us to the greatest heights.

This, continues the Radomsker , is what we daven for every single day when we say the words “וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה”. We ask that we be Zoche to the Middah of Shiflus , existing in the realm of Aphar , so that we may, in turn, achieve great heights. We yearn to be “ יוֹרְדִין עַד עָפָר” so that we may then be “ עוֹלִין עַד לַכּוֹכָבִים”. If we achieve this goal, he adds, then we can be Mashpia on others as well: just as Aphar is the source of sustenance, those who live as Aphar are the source of Ruchnias to others as well.

With this in mind, we can appreciate the role of the “מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר”.

Of course, it is true that we have many Mitzvos of different variety, ensuring that “כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשֻׁנִּין מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם”, but at the root of it all stands Aphar : “ הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר ”. Our ability to exhibit Shiflus , to live as Apahr might, allows us to exist on a higher plane, to serve Hashem properly and lead lives that are truly “ מְשֻׁנִּין מֵאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם”.

When a baby is born, and enters into the Bris of Avrohom Avinu , we teach him this most important lesson: “ הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר ”. The Milah is not an end unto itself, but a means, the beginning of his path in Avodas Hahsem and so we take the Orlah and put it into Aphar . The message is clear: in order to continue on this path, to be Zocher to growth in Torah and Ma’asim Tovim , one must be ready to choose an existence of Apahr.

When Bilaam looked out over Machaneh Yisroel, he did not see the Orlos themselves—he saw the result of the “בְּרִית דַּם מִילָה שֶׁהוּא מְכֻסֶּה בַּעֲפַר”. He saw a nation of people who understood that “ הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר ” and led lives of Shiflus . As the Haman’s advisors understood many years later, this posed a challenge: those who are “ יוֹרְדִין עַד עָפָר” are also “ עוֹלִין עַד לַכּוֹכָבִים”, leading to the eventuality of “נָפוֹל תִּפּוֹל לְפָנָיו”.

The Medrash speaks about the “מִצְווֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין בֶּעָפָר” because Bilaam understood that this would be his downfall. He had no hopes of using his powers against a nation that was “ יוֹרְדִין עַד עָפָר”, an awareness expressed by the words “מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב”. Our identity as the nation of Aphar , promised to Yaakov Avinu with the words “וְהָיָה זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ”, is the key to our existence. When we achieve a level of “וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה” we use our lowly station to rise to the highest levels. In that state we are indeed impervious to the words of Bilaam , or the threats of any enemy, ensuring that we are “ עוֹלִין עַד לַכּוֹכָבִים”.