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From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 1997 12:32 AM To: Parasha-Page List Subject: Torah Weekly - Va'eschanan Reply-to: ohr@virtual.co.il From: "Ohr Somayach" <ohr@virtual.co.il> To: " Highlights of the Torah weekly portion" <weekly@virtual.co.il> Subject: Torah Weekly - Va'eschanan X-To: weekly@virtual.co.il
* TORAH WEEKLY *
Highlights of the Weekly Torah Portion
with "Fatherly Advice" Tidbits from The Ethics of our Fathers
Parshas Va'eschanan
For the week ending 13 Av 5757
15 &16 August 1997
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Overview
Although Moshe is content that Yehoshua will lead the nation, Moshe now
prays to be allowed to enter the Land of Israel in order to fulfill its
special mitzvos. However, Hashem refuses his request. Moshe reminds the
Bnei Yisrael of the gathering at Sinai when they received the Torah - that
they saw no visual representation of the Divine, but only the sound of
words. Moshe impresses on the Bnei Yisrael that the revelation of Sinai
took place to an entire nation, not to a select elite, and that only the
Jewish People will ever be able to claim that Hashem spoke to their entire
nation. Moshe specifically enjoins the Bnei Yisrael to "pass over" the
event of the gathering at Sinai to their children throughout all
generations.
Moshe accurately predicts that after the Bnei Yisrael have dwelled in Eretz
Yisrael they will sin, be exiled from the Land, and be scattered among all
the peoples. They will stay few in number but eventually they will return
to Hashem. Moshe designates three "cities of refuge" to which a person who
kills inadvertently may flee. Moshe repeats the Ten Commandments and then
teaches the Shema, the central credo of Judaism-that there is only one G-d.
Then Moshe warns the people not to succumb to materialism and forget their
purpose as a spiritual nation. The Parsha ends with Moshe exhorting the
Bnei Yisrael not to intermarry when they enter into Eretz Yisrael, as they
cannot be a treasured and holy nation if they intermarry and they will
become indistinguishable from the other nations.
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I Did Not Know That!
"And you will be careful to do (the mitzvos) ... a land flowing with
milk and honey." (6:3) If we carefully observe the mitzvos, then it is
a land flowing with milk and honey. If not, it is transformed into a
barren wasteland.
Moznaim LaTorah
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Insights
Forever
"Ascend to the top of the cliff, and raise your eyes westward,
northward,..... and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross this
Jordan." 3:27
Picture the feelings of longing that Moshe must have had as he stood on top
of the cliff, gazing out over the land that he given so much to enter.
There it was stretched out in front of him like a map. The Land of Israel.
So close and yet so far. Hashem knew how much Moshe wanted to go into
Eretz Yisrael, so why did He 'tantalize' Moshe by telling him to go up and
gaze at this land that he knew he was never going to enter?
Furthermore, our Sages tell us that by prophetic insight Hashem showed
Moshe every single square inch of Eretz Yisrael - which only must have
increased his longing!
What was Hashem's purpose?
Each of the Avos, the Patriarchs, represent a specific quality: Avraham
embodies Chesed (Kindness); Yitchak personifies Gevurah (Strength/Self-
control); Yaakov Emes (truth). The quality that Moshe represents is
Netzach - Eternity.
Everything that Moshe did was forever. Hashem gave the Torah though Moshe -
because the Torah is eternal.
If Moshe had gone into the land of Israel with the Jewish People, then
their entry would have been an `eternal entry' - everything that Moshe did
had that touch of eternity. After such an entry, the Jewish People could
never again leave the Land. Hashem knew that the Jewish People would have
to go into exile for they would not be able to maintain the high spiritual
standards that the Land requires. If they could not leave, and they could
not stay, they would be caught, as it were, in a spiritual vise -- the very
real danger of annihilation (r"l).
Thus, Moshe could not enter the Land of Israel.
However, Hashem made Moshe's non-entry into the Land serve a positive
purpose: Hashem wanted to sear the memory of the Land of Israel into the
collective psyche of the Jewish People. By showing Moshe every blade of
grass, by taking him and showing him every corner of the land he was never
to enter, Hashem planted in Moshe's heart a longing for the Land of Israel
which would be eternal.
Look at our daily prayers. Look at the blessings after eating a meal. Our
petitions to Hashem are saturated with the name of the Land to which we
long to return to -- as a Holy People.
Throughout the long, long night of exile, the Jewish People have never lost
that same longing for Eretz Yisrael that Moshe felt when he stood on the
top of the cliff and gazed into the Land he would never enter.
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The 516th Prayer
"Va'eschanan" 3:23
"Va'eschanan" means "I implored".
The gematria - the numerical equivalent - of Va'eschanan is 515.
There are 516 hours between the start of Rosh Hashana and the end of
Hoshana Raba - which is the last chance to change a decree which was made
on Yom Kippur.
In the last year of his life, between Rosh Hashana and Shmini Atzeres,
Moshe prayed every hour - 515 times - that Hashem should forgive him and
let him cross over the Jordan.
Finally Hashem told him not to continue praying.
>From this we can learn the enormous power of prayer: Hashem told Moshe to
stop praying to Him - implying that if Moshe had continued to pray, if he
would have prayed the 516th prayer, Hashem would have acceded to his
petition.
A Gentle Nudge
"And you will love Hashem, Your G-d, with all your heart..." 6:5
The philosophers ask: How can you command love? Love is something
instinctive which a person either feels or doesn't feel! Can a person be
made to love on command?!
The answer is to be found in the question itself. From the fact that
Hashem commanded us to love Him, it follows that it must be part of the
nature of every Jew to be able to love The Creator. All that is required
is to awaken this natural strength and give it a gentle nudge!
PrayerLine 1
"And I beseeched Hashem at that time, saying" (3:23)
The phrase "At that time" hints to a prayer for generations unborn:
Whenever the Jewish People will find themselves in times of anguish, unable
to pray properly because of the oppression of exile, Moshe's prayer will
arise in their place.
Even in the most numbing unhappiness, when the cord of prayer that connects
the lips to the heart is disconnected, and all we are able to do is merely
utter the words, Moshe's prayer will arise for us. "At that time", when
all we will be able to do is "say" and there will be no feeling in our
words, this prayer of Moshe's will arise in front of Hashem.
PrayerLine 2
"With all your heart" (6:5)
A similar idea is hinted to in the phrase "With all your heart" in the
Shema. Rashi explains the following phrase "With all your soul" to mean
"even if He will take your soul." So, similarly -- even if He will take
your heart. Even when doubts gnaw away at your heart, even when it is
confused and you don't see the Hand of Hashem, even then, serve Him --
"With all your heart."
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Haftorah: Isaiah 40:1-26
The Shabbos immediately following Tisha B'Av is called Shabbos Nachamu --
The Shabbos of Consolation. It takes its name from the first word of this
week's Haftorah -- "Comfort, comfort my people says your G-d." The Prophet
reminds the people that the time of the Exile of Jerusalem has come to an
end. The Midrash tells us that Hashem asks Avraham to comfort Jerusalem,
but he does not succeed. He is followed by Yitzchak and Yaakov and Moshe
who are also unsuccessful. Finally Hashem Himself comes to comfort the
Holy City.
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Sources:
o Forever - Malbim, Rabbi Yerucham Uziel Milevsky z"l
o The 516th Prayer - Rabbi Mordechai Perlman
o A Gentle Nudge - Sfas Emes
o PrayerLine 1 - Amshenover Rebbe z"l
o PrayerLine 2 - Chidushei HaRim
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