The Daily Chizzuk by Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – Why did Eldad and Medad need to return in reincarnation as deaf-mutes?
Wednesday, 19 Adar I, 5784
The generation of the desert took one of the animals of the Merkava [the Divine “chariot”], the ox, because they saw that the ox split the sea. The ox from the Merkava had descended at the Red Sea to assist them. But it is written, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image nor any likeness of that which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth” (Shemot 20:4).
The women were unsophisticated. The men said to them that the golden calf is the ox in the Merkava that they saw at the sea. “Don’t worry. We’re not just simply bowing down to an ox.” The women said: “This is idolatry. This is a carved image.” No woman bowed down, and no woman become ill because of the sin of the spies. They were not tempted. They said: “We want to enter the Land.”
Because there was a prophecy: “Moshe will die and Yehoshua will bring in [the Jewish people to the Land of Israel]” (Sanhedrin 17a). Therefore, Eldad and Medad, who had prophesized, were reincarnated as deaf-mutes. All the Gudgoda family were mutes. This is brought in Tosefta Terumot.
And the Gudgoda family were responsible for the Taharot in the Temple, and they knew how to learn. They knew the Babylonian Talmud, Jerusalem Talmud; they knew everything. They knew everything despite being deaf-mutes.
Yochanan Gudgoda was among the gatekeepers and Yehoshua ben Chananya was among the singers. And they [the Gudgoda family] were the deaf-mutes at the time of Rebbi. All the sons were mutes and all the Terumot of Jerusalem were performed through them, because a mute who gives Terumah, his Terumah is counted as Terumah.
The Gemara in Chagigah explains all this. Despite being deaf-mutes, they would come first to the shiur before everyone. They didn’t come in the middle of the shiur, after the shiur, or at the end of the shiur to fulfill their obligation. Here, Rebbi saw us. They main thing is that he saw us. They would come first before Rebbi would start the shiur. Whenever Rebbi would arrive, he would already see them first.
They heard all the shiurim in spite of being deaf-mutes. They knew Shas, knew Yerushalmi, Mechilta, Sifri, Sifra. The two deaf-mutes were Elad and Medad, who were obligated to come again in reincarnation, because it is written in the Torah of Moshe “Leimor – to say.” If there is not “Leimor,” it is forbidden for the prophet to relate the prophecy that he received.
It was said to every prophet “Leimor.” Whatever they don’t say to him “Leimor,” it is forbidden for him to tell. There were 48 prophets, but they did not say their prophecies. Only Yeshayahu, Yirmiyahu, Yechezkel, and after this, the twelve prophets [Hoshea, Yoel…] spoke [their prophecies].
And whenever Rebbi would arrive for the shiur, they were already ready. They didn’t miss any shiur, nothing, even though they were deaf-mutes. They would sit first and nod their heads, move their heads, their lips, their shoulders. [They would] sway according to the rhythm of the shiur to show that they understand the question, understand the answer.
Rebbi prayed for mercy. Then it turned out that they knew everything. They understood all the shiurim. He wanted to hear them speak already – they were reincarnations of Eldad and Medad.
