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Why didn't Moshe get credit for taking Yosef's bones out of Egypt, even though he did most of the work? The shiur explores the Midrash distinguishing between two dimensions of mitzvos: personal growth (tiferes la'oseha) versus communal repair (tikkun achlas hamedinas). Moshe acted as agent of Klal Yisrael to rectify the sale of Yosef—a communal kapara—so when Bnei Yisrael finished the burial in Shechem, the mitzvah (מצוה) was credited to them, not him.
The shiur opens with a Midrash Rabbah on Parshas Nitzavim (ki hamitzvah hazos) that states: "Whoever begins a mitzvah (מצוה) but does not complete it, and another comes and completes it—the mitzvah is called upon the name of the one who completed it." The example given is Moshe taking Yosef's bones out of Egypt (vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo), yet the pasuk credits Bnei Yisrael (asher he'elu Bnei Yisrael miMitzrayim) because they buried him in Shechem. Moshe did the hard work during the Exodus—retrieving the bones from the Nile while everyone else was gathering spoils—yet he receives no mention in the pasuk. This raises several difficulties: First, why is this Midrash tied to "ki hamitzvah hazos"? Second, what does "nikras al shmo" (called upon one's name) actually mean? Third, how can Moshe's enormous contribution be erased when he did 80–90% of the work and only failed to finish because he died? Rabbi Zweig proposes that "nikras al shmo" does not refer to reward (schar) or personal spiritual growth—Moshe certainly receives full credit for those. Rather, it refers to a second dimension of mitzvos: the cosmic or communal accomplishment (tikkun achlas hamedinas). Every mitzvah has two aspects. The first is tiferes la'oseha—the perfection and growth of the individual performing it. This Moshe achieved fully, and even if he had only intended to complete the mitzvah but was prevented (chishav la'asos mitzvah v'ne'enas), he would receive credit as if he did it. The second aspect is tiferes lo min ha'adam—the betterment of society, the world, and the Jewish community. This is the dimension the pasuk addresses. A mitzvah creates a reality in the world: tzedakah not only makes a person kind, but makes the community one that cares for its poor. Korbanos make the nation a viable religious entity. The Mesilas Yesharim in Perek Alef explains that the Mishna (Avos) requires a mitzvah to be both tiferes la'oseha and tiferes lo min ha'adam—good for the doer and good for humanity.
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Parshas Nitzavim, Midrash Rabbah
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