In this week’s parashah Bamidbar , we read about the formation that the Jewish People traveled in through the desert. They were in four camps, called Degalim , with three Shevatim per camp. In this description, the head of the tribe of Gad is called Eliasaf ben Reuel. The Chida asked, everywhere else where this Nasi’s name shows up, it is written Eliasaf ben Deuel, with a dalet , and this time it is spelled with a resh , Reuel. What is the significance of the name change here? The Chida brings from the sefer Imreh Noam , we know each camp had a head and the head was the firstborn from each of the dalet Imahot that were married to Yaakov. Reuven, who was a bechor from Leah, got the position of the head of one camp. Ephraim, who represented Yosef, became the head of another camp, because Yosef was firstborn to Rachel. Dan was head of another camp because he was the firstborn of Bilha. Seemingly, Gad should have been the head of the final camp because his tribe was firstborn to Zilpa. However, instead of Gad getting that position, it was given to Yehuda. Gad could have easily complained, he could have said, “It is not my honor that I am complaining about, it is my mother’s.” Yet, Shevet Gad chose to remain silent and accept that the positions were given to the ones that Hashem wanted. In this merit, they were zocheh to have Moshe Rabbenu be buried in their portion of land, and thus, they became hosts to the Reuel, the re’ah of Hashem( Kel ), the one who is called the friend of Hashem, Moshe Rabbenu. And that is why here the name is spelled with a resh . When someone has a right to stick up for himself but he knows it is only going to cause machloket , so he holds himself back l’shem Shamayim , he becomes so great, and perhaps we can say as well that he himself becomes a friend of Hashem. There is a hashgacha peratit hotline that is run by a Rabbi Pinchas Shefer where people call in and share their stories. A man called in recently and said the following; every morning he listens to a recording on that hot-line of seven principles from the Chovot HaLevavot in a song form. The fifth one is, It is not in the hands of any created being to harm or benefit another person without permission from the Creator, yitbarach Shemo . This song that he listens to empowers him every single day. A couple of weeks ago, on Shabbat, someone humiliated him in public in a way that he cannot describe. He was embarrassed in the most terrible way and his blood literally drained from his face until it turned white. He felt like his blood was actually spilled. And, he repeated, this happened publicly, in his own shul, right in front of his closest friends. But he did not react, not at the time of humiliation nor any time afterward, even though people were prodding him to do so. He repeated the song to himself countless times and really internalized that this person did not do anything on his own, he was not to blame, he was only a stick, a messenger of Hashem. If Hashem didn’t want this to happen, it wouldn’t have. Nobody could believe the strength that this man possessed and it all came from his steadfast emunah. He was so proud that he was able to actually implement all of the lessons that he has learned. This man has become so elevated. Besides for not reacting, he is also not complaining. He accepted this was the will of Hashem for him, and is able to move on happily. That is greatness. This is someone becoming a “friend of Hashem.” May we all internalize the lessons of emunah so that they become part of us so that we will always be able to live happily, knowing that everything is always happening exactly the way it is supposed to.