From:          "Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash"
To:            yhe-intparsha@vbm-torah.org
Subject:       INTPARSHA -50: Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelekh

                     Yeshivat Har Etzion
           Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash
                             
              Introduction to Parashat HaShavua
                             
                Parashat Nitzavim - Vayelekh
                             
           The Commandment to Write a Torah Scroll
                             
                   By Rabbi Michael Hattin

Introduction

     As  Rosh  HaShana  fast approaches,  and   the  Book  of
Devarim  winds down, we read the double portion of Nitzavim-
Vayelekh.  Having concluded his review of the mitzvot, Moshe
now exhorts the people to follow them, and then proceeds  to
renew  the Sinaitic covenant.  Warnings of doom are followed
by  the  promise of redemption, and in language  that  ranks
among  the most poetic and moving of the Hebrew Bible, Moshe
then  goes  on  to  offer the people the  precious  gift   of
Teshuva.

     In   a   marked   departure    from   our   conventional
understanding  of  this  term, the repentance  described  in
Moshe's  address transcends the failures of  the  individual
and  instead embraces the mandate of the nation  of  Israel.
With  prophetic  insight, Moshe foretells  the  tribulations
that  will befall the people of Israel during the dark night
of  their  exile,  but also sees the dawn of reconciliation,
when  Bnei Yisrael shall reflect on their checkered  history
and   commence  the  process  of  Return.   This    'return,'
initially  nothing more than an undefined ethereal awakening
stirred by a subconscious awareness of God's patient beckon,
will find its subsequent tangible expression in the physical
restoration  of  the people of Israel to  their  land.   The
dynamic   process  will  steadily  unfold   and    intensify,
culminating  in  the  complete  and  irrevocable    spiritual
rapprochement  between God and His people Israel,  who  will
finally achieve security and peace.

     Moshe  concludes the section by emphasizing the central
role  of man in the unfolding of the events, for freedom  of
choice,  the  ability to discriminate and to select  between
'life  and  good,  and  death and evil,'  is  the   exclusive
preserve of the human being.

     "This  day,  I  call heaven and earth as witnesses.   I
     have placed life and death before you, the blessing and
     the   curse.   Choose  life,  so   that  you  and   your
     descendents shall live.  Love God your Lord, hearken to
     His  words and hold fast to Him, so that you will  have
     life and length of days upon the land that God swore to
     give  to  your ancestors Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov"
     (Devarim 30:19-20).

The Approaching End

     Finally, the day of Moshe's demise draws near.   For   a
final  time,  he  speaks to the people,  offering  words  of
encouragement  as the sun of his selfless leadership  begins
to  sink.   Yehoshua is formally installed as his successor,
and  charged by his mentor with mission and purpose.   Moshe
completes the writing of the Torah and surrenders the scroll
to  the  care  of  the Kohanim, to be safeguarded  with  the
Tablets  housed  in  the  Ark of  the  Covenant.    Intensely
conscious of the moment's national dimension, Moshe  further
commands  the  people  to once in seven  years  fulfill  the
mitzva  of 'Hakhel' or 'Assembly,' at the time of the Sukkot
festival.  At that time, the people of Israel are to  gather
as one at the national shrine and, in a scene reminiscent of
the  receiving of the Torah at Sinai, are to hear the  words
of the Torah's instruction.

     "Their children, who do not know, will thus listen  and
     learn to fear and revere God your Lord, as long as  you
     live  upon  the  land that you are crossing   the  River
     Jordan to possess" (Devarim 31:13).

     At  last, God informs Moshe that his end has come.    By
His command, Yehoshua is summoned to the Tent of Meeting and
there,  in Moshe's presence, he is invested with the onerous
responsibility of leadership.  God describes  to  Moshe  the
people's  imminent  infidelity, and  spells  out  the  harsh
consequences of their attachment to idolatry.
    
     "On  that  day, I will surely hide My face   from  them,
     because  of the evil that they have done by turning  to
     alien gods" (Devarim 31:18).

     The text continues:
    
     "Now,  write for yourselves this Song and teach   it  to
     Bnei  Yisrael that they might recite it, so  that   this
     Song  will  serve as My witness for Bnei Yisrael.    For
     when  I bring them into the land that I swore to  their
     ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they
     shall eat and be satisfied and wax fat, they shall then
     turn  to  alien gods and serve them.  They will despise
     Me  and  violate My covenant.  When many great troubles
     come upon them in consequence, this Song shall serve as
     a  witness before them, for it shall never be forgotten
     by  their descendents...Moshe wrote this Song  on   that
     day  and taught it to Bnei Yisrael..." (Devarim   31:19-
     22).

The 'Song' - a Reference to 'Shirat Ha'azinu'

     According to the straightforward rendition of the above
verses,  the  'Song' is none other than a reference  to  the
'Song   of   Ha'azinu,'  or  'Hearken.'   This   elegy   that
constitutes next week's parasha (Devarim 32) is  a  succinct
but  charged  depiction of the history and destiny  of  Bnei
Yisrael,  and is in fact written in poetic form.  It  begins
with a description of God's perfect justice, and goes on  to
outline   His  providential  care  of  the  Jewish    people,
notwithstanding their unfaithfulness.  Mirroring  themes  of
our  parasha,  the  Song of Ha'azinu  lyrically  traces  the
tragic  consequences  of abrogation of God's  covenant,  but
concludes  with  the  promise  of  redemption  and   national
renewal.

     Among  the  classical commentaries,  the   Ramban  (13th
century, Spain) adopted this explanation, remarking that:

     "'write for yourselves' (in the plural) refers to Moshe
     and  Yehoshua, for both of them were commanded to write
     it.   This  is because God wanted Yehoshua   to  already
     function  as  His prophet while Moshe  was   yet  alive.
     Moshe  wrote the Song while Yehoshua stood by his  side
     and  read it...The expression 'this Song' refers to the
     Song  that  I (God) will now tell you, namely Ha'azinu.
     The verse refers to it as 'Song' for Bnei Yisrael shall
     always recite it as a musical composition.  Also, it is
     composed with the structure of a Song, for the  textual
     divisions  parallel the musical breaks" (commentary   to
     31:19).

The 'Song' - A Reference to the Entire Torah

     In  contrast  to  this reading, the  Talmud   offers  an
interpretation  that appears to be at odds  with  the  plain
sense  of the text, for it maintains that 'this Song' refers
not  to  the  'Song of Ha'azinu,' but rather to  the  entire
Torah:

     "Rabbah said: even though a person may have inherited a
     scroll  of  the  Torah  from  his   ancestors,   it   is
     nevertheless a commandment for one to write his own, as
     the  verse  states:  'Now, write  for   yourselves  this
     Song.'"  (Sanhedrin  21b).   This   opinion  is  further
     amplified  by  another Talmudic passage  that   relates:
     "Rav  Yehoshua bar Abba said in the name of Rav Giddel,
     who reported in the name of Rav: a person who purchases
     a  Sefer  Torah in the marketplace has snared a   mitzva
     for  himself, but one who writes his own scroll, it  is
     as  if he has received the Torah from Mount Sinai.  Rav
     Sheshet added: one who corrects even a single letter in
     a  defective scroll, is likened to one who has  written
     the entire scroll" (Menachot 30a).

     The  foregoing Talmudic excerpts are not mere homilies,
for according to Jewish tradition, they in fact serve as the
source  for the final positive commandment recorded  in  the
Torah,  the  commandment to write a  Torah  scroll.   Rambam
(12th  century,  Egypt), in his Book  of  the  Commandments,
where  he painstakingly records the six hundred and thirteen
commandments of the Torah, says:

     "The  Torah commanded that each person should   write  a
     Sefer  Torah for himself.  If he writes it by  his   own
     hand,  it  is  if he has received it from Mount   Sinai.
     But  if  he is unable to write his own, he may purchase
     one  or  hire  a  scribe to compose it for   him.   This
     mitzva  is  derived  from the verse    'Now,  write  for
     yourselves  this Song.'  Since one is not permitted   to
     write  a  scroll of the Torah that is composed of   only
     some sections, the term 'Song' must therefore refer  to
     'the  entire  Torah that contains this Song'   (Book  of
     Commandments, Positive Commandment #18).

     In  his Laws of the Sefer Torah from the Mishneh Torah,
Rambam   records  the  remainder  of  the  Talmudic   ruling:
"...although  one  may  have  inherited  a  Torah   from  his
ancestors,  it is nonetheless a mitzva to write one's  own."
He concludes: "If one writes it by his own hand, it is as if
one  received  it from Mount Sinai.  If he is  not  able  to
write  it,  others may write it for him.  One  who  corrects
even  a  single letter of a scroll, it is as  if  they  have
written the entire scroll" (Laws of Sefer Torah, 7:1).

Rambam's Reading

     Clearly,  Rambam was confronted with the difficulty  of
reconciling the reading of the verse that spoke of writing a
'Song,'  with  the received Oral Tradition maintaining  that
'Song'   meant  'the  entire  Torah.'   Rambam   offered   an
interpretive solution predicated upon a Halakhic  principle:
since  we  know from other traditional sources  that  it  is
forbidden  to  write a scroll composed of  an  anthology  of
Torah  passages,  it is inconceivable that the  Torah  would
command  us  to write a scroll containing ONLY the  Song  of
Ha'azinu.  The meaning of the text must therefore be  'write
an entire scroll of the Torah that will of necessity include
this Song.'

     On  the  one  hand, Rambam succeeds in   preserving  the
plain  meaning  of 'Song' as a reference to 'Ha'azinu,'  for
that parasha is certainly poetic, rhythmic, and lyrical.  On
the  other hand, his interpretation is somewhat forced,  for
it  is based upon assumptions that are not at all stated  in
the passage.

The Interpretation of the Netziv

     In  more recent times, the Netziv (Naphtali Zvi  Yehuda
Berlin,  19th century, Lithuania) addressed the same textual
issue, but offers a different explanation that is compelling
as  well  as profound.  The problematic word is, as we  have
seen,  'Song.'  In the third section of the introduction  to
his  commentary  to  the  Torah, the  Netziv  considers   the
meaning  of  'Song,'  and  contrasts  it  with  its   natural
analogue,  prose.   Typically,  he  suggests  we    tend   to
distinguish the two according to strict linguistic criteria,
by  describing  prose as factual narrative,  and  poetry  as
metrical verse.  This is, of course, true, but there  is  an
interpretive distinction as well.

     Thus,  prose  writing relates events in straightforward
terms  that  in and of themselves contain no allegorical  or
hidden explications.  Prose writing attempts to convey facts
or observations without embellishment.  Poetry, on the other
hand,  is  more  allusive, for its rendition  of  events  is
concisely  couched  in  emotive language  that  has  as   its
purpose  the communication of numerous messages  of  import.
Additionally,   poetry   tends  to  have   more    pronounced
structural constraints that paradoxically result in a larger
number  of  possible interpretations.  By  employing  rhyme,
rhythm,  alliteration, acrostic and other literary  devices,
clarity  of expression is often sacrificed for the  sake  of
artifice, and shades of ambiguity are thereby introduced.

     The  final result of these differences is that a poetic
rendition  conveys subtleties of thought and various  layers
of   meaning  that  a  prose  rendition  is  not    able   to
communicate.  However, only one who is well-versed in poetry
can   be   truly   appreciative  of  these    effects.    The
uninitiated,  in contrast, failing to grasp  the  power  and
profundity of the poetic expression, will take the words  at
their  face  value and thereby misconstrue and  misinterpret
them.

     In a similar vein, says the Netziv, the entire Torah is
a  form  of poetry.  Even the narrative passages that appear
to be 'prose' in terms of their structural form are actually
'poetry'  in  disguise.   They therefore  contain  in   their
concise and condensed words penetrating insights of singular
import.   To return to our text, the command of 'Now,  write
for  yourselves  this Song' really is  a  reference  to  the
entire  Torah, just as the Talmud maintains.  As the  Netziv
explains,  all  of  the  Torah from  beginning  to   end,  is
actually  composed  as a 'Song,' and  it  is  therefore  our
precious  mission  to  uncover and to unravel  those  deeper
dimensions of the text.

Text and Context

     We  have thus far analyzed two attempts to explain  the
connection  between  an Oral Tradition and  a  passage  that
appears  to be at odds with it.  Let us consider the  matter
from  a  wider  perspective in an attempt  to  pinpoint  the
inspiration  for  the  Talmudic assertion  that  cryptically
embedded  in  a  verse of our parasha is the  Torah's  final
command.

     Let   us   recall  that  the   parasha  began  with   an
exhortation, and a renewal of the covenant.  The passage  of
Teshuva  and  the hope of redemption followed.   Moshe  then
appointed  Yehoshua, the writing of the Torah was  completed
and the commandment of 'Assembly' was introduced.  God spoke
to  Moshe and Yehoshua, foretold the people's abandonment of
Him  and  their consequent downfall, and bid them  to  write
'this Song.'  It will immediately be noticed that every  one
of  the  above incidents revolves around the pivot point  of
national continuity.

     Thus, as the old generation finally expires and the new
one  rises  to take its place, there is a need to renew  the
Covenant  between God and the people of Israel,  to  impress
upon  them  the eternal relevance of their mission.   Though
they  may  stray mightily from their objective, the national
Teshuva  that  the next passage outlines is a reflection  of
God's  faith that indeed the people of Israel will  one  day
return  to  Him.   The  tenets of the Torah  will   never  be
forsaken forever, and the desolate and barren land that once
had  flowed  with milk and honey will someday come  back  to
life.  In other words, though the special task that God  had
entrusted  to  His  people may appear to  be  in  danger   of
dissipation,  it will never perish completely.   Rather,  it
will  remain alive in the hearts of their descendents  as  a
glowing ember, passively waiting to be fanned by the  Divine
Spirit into a conflagration of commitment.

     The  appointment of Yehoshua was about the transfer  of
leadership,  with the new generation now ready to  take  its
rightful  place  as  the  bearers  of  the  tradition.    The
commandment   of   Assembly  followed,  and    stressed   the
initiation  of the children into the covenant of the  Torah,
much  as  their ancestors had stood at Sinai to  hear  God's
word.   It  is  at this juncture that God brings  Moshe  and
Yehoshua together, and enjoins upon them the writing of  the
'Song.'

Moshe and Yehoshua as Paradigms

     What  is  the significance of the relationship   between
Moshe and Yehoshua?  More than simply signifying leader  and
successor or even selfless mentor and devoted student, Moshe
and  Yehoshua  symbolize  the idea of  TRANSMISSION.   Moshe
speaks  to  God  and Yehoshua learns from Moshe,  but  taken
together they create a dynamic that is greater even than the
sum  of  its  parts.   That  dynamic  is  the   mechanism  of
transmission,  the  critical  notion  that  no  matter    how
veritable and transformative a tenet may be, unless  it  can
be   faithfully   preserved  and   propagated    across   the
generations,  it will die.  The transfer of leadership  that
seems  to preoccupy our parasha can now be restated  as  the
embodiment  of  this ideal, and the rest  of  the  parasha's
episodes are nothing but variations of this theme.

     Considering  God's directive to Moshe and  Yehoshua   to
record the words of the 'Song,' we now appreciate that  this
is a commandment about continuation, for the perpetuation of
God's  word is the vehicle for ensuring the survival of  the
people  of Israel.  Moshe and Yehoshua are the microcosm  of
that  people, for they represent in the most evocative terms
the ideal of encountering God and preserving the account  of
that encounter, so that its effects can live forever in  the
hearts  of sensitive people.  The 'Song' that they are  told
to record can therefore only mean the entire Torah, for that
is the most logical extension of the complementary themes of
continuity   and  transmission  of  which  our  parasha    so
eloquently speaks.

Shabbat Shalom

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