​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Shichaha, the commandment to leave behind a forgotten sheaf of grain for the needs of the poor, is a key agriculturally based mitzvah that appears in our parasha:
When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to take it; it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all that you do. (Sefer Devarim 24:19, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch (13th century) sheds light upon the underlying rationale of this mitzvah, enabling us to gain a deeper appreciation of its singular import:

Regarding the fundamental basis of the commandment: When the poor and destitute... in their [grinding] poverty look at the produce [of the field] in a [desperate and] dependent manner, while gazing upon the field’s owner sheaving their sheaves...they [consequently] think in their [heart of] hearts:  “Who will give [in order] that it will be like this for me, [so that, I, too, can] gather sheaves into my house, for if I could bring [in even] one [sheaf], I would rejoice in it.” As such, [this commandment stems] from Hashem’s kindnesses towards His creatures, may He be blessed, in order to fulfill their desire when it so happens that the owner of the field forgets it [the sheaves].
(Mitzvah 592, translations, https://www.sefaria.org/, with my emendations)
 
The Sefer HaChinuch focuses upon the Almighty’s great kindness in providing for the needs of His creations, in this case, through the agency of the owner of the field. This is congruent with the celebrated pasuk in Ashrei: “You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing [with] its desire.” (Sefer Tehillim 145:16)  In addition, our anonymous author emphasizes the benefits that accrue to the owner of the field:

There is also a benefit for the owner of the field, in that he acquires through this a goodly soul; for truly through the trait of generosity, and a blessed soul that does not place its heart upon the forgotten sheaf and leaves it to the destitute, on those with such a soul, does the blessing of G-d descend forever.
 
The Sefer HaChinuch teaches us a profound two-fold lesson: The mitzvah of shichaha simultaneously provides for the vital needs of the most vulnerable in society and shapes the moral and spiritual persona of the one who performs this act. This is the case, since this commandment, unlike most mitzvot, takes place as a result of pure accident; that is, the owner of the field must decide to abandon the forgotten sheaf and leave it for the needy. This notion is given powerful voice in the following story found in Tosefta Peah:

The following incident occurred to a righteous individual (chasid echad) who forgot a sheaf of grain in the midst of his field. He said to his son: “Go and offer a steer as a completely burnt offering and another steer as a free-will celebratory offering in my name.” His son then said to him: “Father, what have you seen in this mitzvah that causes you to rejoice more so on its behalf than any other mitzvah that is stated in the Torah?” He responded to him: “The HaMakom (the Omnipresent One) gave us the majority of the Torah’s mitzvot to be performed l’da’atainu (in a planful manner); this commandment, [however,] was given to us to be performed solely in an unplanned scenario. This is the case, since if we purposefully [and consciously leave sheaves in the field] in order to attempt to fulfill this mitzvah before the Omnipresent, it will not account to us as a fulfillment of the commandment...
 
At this juncture, the chasid echad explains to his son the ultimate reason for his overwhelming joy in fulfilling this mitzvah:
​
The Torah states concerning this commandment: “so that Hashem your G-d, will bless you in all that you do,” that is, the text establishes a [special] bracha for one who fulfills this commandment. Can we not, therefore, establish a kal v’chomer statement regarding these matters? Namely, since it is true that an individual who does not intend to acquire merit [as in shichaha] nonetheless achieves reward to the point that the Torah considers it as if this was his intention all along, all the more so would this be so regarding one who is well-aware that his actions will bring him reward [and will ultimately receive that which is promised]. (Professor Saul Lieberman edition, III:8, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, the chasid echad ecstatically performs the mitzvah of shichaha and expresses his joy through sacrificial offerings, since the commandment of shichaha provides proof that Hashem is He Who promises and surely fulfills.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we be zocheh to emulate such bitachon--trust in Hashem in our daily lives. May the Mashiach come soon and in our time, and may we fulfill the mitzvah of shichaha once again in our land.
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Our parasha contains a compendium of prohibited behaviors associated with human sacrifice and the magic arts:
​
When you have come to the land Hashem your G-d is giving you, you shall not learn to do like the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire [Rashi: avodat hamolech], a soothsayer, a diviner of times, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, a pithom sorcerer, a yido’a sorcerer, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Hashem, and because of these abominations, Hashem your G-d is driving them out from before you. (Sefer Devarim 18:9-12, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, brackets my own)
 
In stark contrast to this extensive listing, the Torah presents a terse statement as to how we should encounter the Almighty: “tamim tihiyeh im Hashem Elokecha—You should be wholehearted (tamim) with Hashem, your G-d.” (18:13)  
 
The Ramban (1194-1270) maintains that tamim tihiyeh im Hashem Elokecha requires us “to join our very being solely unto Him and believe that He, and He alone, does everything [in this world] and knows the truth concerning the future [for all time].” Therefore, we are to “seek information from Him alone regarding what will be from His prophets or from His righteous ones, that is from the Urim v’Tumim, and [we may not] seek this from the astrologers and others of their kind, for no matter what we must not believe them.” (Hassagote HaRamban, Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Mitzvot the Rambam Did Not Include, number eight, translations my own) In addition, he cites a pivotal pasuk in Sefer Yirmiyahu that magnifies the understanding of our verse: “So says Hashem: ‘Of the way of the nations, you shall not learn, and from the signs of the heavens [Rashi, eclipse of the sun or planets] be not dismayed, for the nations are dismayed from them.’” (10:2, translation, The Judaica press Complete Tanach) 
 
In the Ramban’s view, Yirmiyahu’s nevuah teaches us that a causal relationship obtains between our degree of closeness to Hashem, as demonstrated by our rejection of “the way of the nations,” and the future that awaits us. Little wonder he opines that Avraham Avinu achieved the highest heights of temimut when the Almighty commanded him: “hithalech lifanei v’heyeh tamim—walk before me and be wholehearted.” (Sefer Bereishit 17:1)  As a result of his unlimited dedication to the Holy One blessed be He, Avraham was promised descendants who would inherit Eretz Yisrael.
 
May we soon live in Eretz Yisrael amid permanent peace and tranquility, and may the stirring words of Yirmiyahu finally be realized with the arrival of Mashiach Tzidkeinu: “There shall again be heard… in the cities of Yehudah and in the streets of Yerushalayim… the sound of mirth and the sound of joy, the voice of a bridegroom and the voice of a bride…” (33:10-11)  V’chane yihi ratzon
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

​
​Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
If I were to ask which one of the 248 Mitzvot Aseh requires the greatest amount of rigor and exactitude in its observance, I am sure there would be many different answers. Some would respond Brit Milah and Korban Pesach, as these are the only two positive mitzvot that have karet (excision) as their punishment if not fulfilled at a time when it is possible to do so. Others may suggest Talmud Torah, since Chazal famously declared, “v’talmud Torah k’neged kulam—and the act of Talmud Torah supersedes them all.” (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 127a)  Then, too, some might propose Kriat Shema or Tefilah, since the first declares the absolute unity of the Master of the Universe and the prohibition of idol worship, and the second allows us to speak to Him as if He was standing “physically before us,” as we find in the celebrated statement: “da lifnei Mi atah omed—know before Whom you stand.” (Based on Rabbi Eliezer’s statement, Talmud Bavli, Berachot 28b)
 
The Rambam (1135-1204), however, suggests a different mitzvah that is found in our parasha (15:7-8, 11): “Chayavine anu l’hizaher b’mitzvat Tzedakah yotare m’kol mitzvot aseh—We are obligated to be punctilious in the mitzvah of Tzedakah more so than in any other Positive Commandment.” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 10:1)  He bases his p’sak on Talmud Bavli, Bava Batra 9a and the following line of reasoning:

[This is the case, since] the act of Tzedakah is a sign of a righteous person, and one who is a descendant of Avraham Avinu. As the Torah states: “For I [Hashem] have known him [Avraham] in order that he will command his children after him la’asot Tzedakah--to perform acts of Tzedakah. (Sefer Bereishit 18:19)  And neither will the throne of the Jewish people be established nor the true faith stand [that is, remain forever] except through Tzedakah. As the text states: “In Tzedakah you shall be established.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 54:14)  [Moreover,] the Jewish people will not be [finally] redeemed except through Tzedakah. As the text states: “Tziyon will be redeemed through judgment, and those who return to her through Tzedakah.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 1:27, translations and brackets my own)
 
In sum, the Rambam focuses on several different aspects “la’asot Tzedakah”: Giving Tzedakah is the sign of a righteous individual and descendant of Avraham Avinu, the throne of the Jewish people will be established and our faith in Hashem will last forever through Tzedakah, and finally, the Jewish people will be redeemed as a result of our performance of Tzedakah.
 
Based on the Rambam’s opening words in this halacha, “chayavine anu l’hizaher b’mitzvat Tzedakah yotare m’kol mitzvot aseh,” I might have thought that if and only if one performs this mitzvah l’shame shamayim (with the intention of serving Hashem and for no other purpose), then he or she will fulfill this commandment. While this is certainly a very high level of giving Tzedakah, in practice, failure to perform this mitzvah l’shame shamayim does not prevent its fulfillment. This position is presented in the Sefer Ba’al Shem Tov in the name of HaRav Shmuel Kaminker zatzal who presented this idea before the holy Ba’al Shem Tov zatzal (1698-1760):

The giving of Tzedakah is accepted completely, and in a pleasing manner, even when the funds are not given l’shame shamayim. [Tzedakah is an outcome-driven concept, as such, we must realize] before anything else, [even when the money is not given in the ideal fashion,] the poor person will be able to eat as the result of the distributed funds. Then, too, [on the psychological level,] the poor person’s very soul is enlivened through receiving Tzedakah… Clearly, then, it is permissible to give Tzedakah even if it is not given l’shame shamayim. [Perhaps this is so, since] the one receiving money will always receive the sum [as if it were given] l’shame shamayim. This is the case, as the poor person is not accepting the money for the purpose of becoming enriched, chas v’shalom, but rather, he is only going [to ask for and receive] that which is necessary to keep both he and his family alive according to their actual needs. (Parashat Terumah, s.v. dabare el b’nai Yisrael v’yikachu li terumah, translation and brackets my own)
 
The Ba’al Shem Tov accepted this idea as torat emet. As such, let us remember that even if we cannot reach the level of performing the mitzvah l’shame shamayim, our fulfillment is not diminished, since in the heart of the recipient, it will be accepted l’shame shamayim.
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

Rabbi David Etengoff
​
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The mitzvah of cleaving to Hashem (hadvakute b’Hashem) appears in our parasha, as well as two other times in Sefer Devarim:

For if you keep all these commandments which I command you to do them, to love Hashem your G-d, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him (u’l’davka bo). (11:22)

You shall hold Hashem, your G-d in awe, worship Him, and cleave to Him and swear by His Name. (10:20)

But you who cleave to Hashem, your G-d, are alive all of you this day. (4:4, all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
A celebrated statement of Chazal suggests that hadvakute b’Hashem is well-nigh impossible, since Sefer Devarim 4:26 states: “For Hashem, your G-d, is a consuming fire…” (Talmud Bavli, Ketubot 111b)  In his Torah commentary, Torah Temimah, on Sefer Devarim 11:22, Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein (1860-1941) asks why our Sages presented this position, since:

It is plausible to explain the [concept of hadvakute b’Hashem] in a direct language-based manner, namely, it is referring to devekut hanefesh m’ahavah v’chibah yitarah—the soul cleaving to Hashem from abundant love and affection. As Dovid HaMelech writes, “davka nafshi acharecha—my soul has clung after You…” (Sefer Tehillim 63:9) 
 
Why did Chazal refrain from a soul-based approach? Rav Epstein’s answer gives voice to the incredibly high level of spirituality that devekut hanefesh m’ahavah v’chibah yitarah represents and the difficulty of attaining this goal: “We can answer that this middah [that Dovid HaMelech was able to reach] is the highest possible level of love of Hashem, and thereby set aside solely for unique individuals and people who have reached the loftiest peak of spirituality. As such, it is impossible to demand this from general members (hamon ha’am) of the Jewish people…” If this level of hadvakute b’Hashem is beyond the grasp of the hamon ha’am, what kind of devekut is available to one and all?
 
In his Torah commentary, Biur al HaTorah, Rabbi Ovadiah ben Ya’akov Sforno (1475-1549) answers this question through his interpretation of the phrase “u’l’davka bo” (Sefer Devarim 11:22): “All of your actions should be undertaken with the intention to perform His will, as it is said: ‘In all your ways know Him, and He will direct your paths.’” (Sefer Mishle 3:6)  In my view, the Sforno’s analysis coupled with this pasuk evens the spiritual playing field and makes hadvakute b’Hashem accessible to the entire Jewish people. Little wonder then, that the great Tanna, Bar Kappara, taught: “Which is a brief passage upon which all fundamental principles of Torah are dependent? ‘In all your ways know Him, and He will direct your paths.’” (Talmud Bavli, Berachot 63a, translation, The Koren Talmud Bavli) 
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

​Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Kriat Shema is one of the best-known mitzvot in Parashat Va’etchanan. The Rambam zatzal (1135-12-04) rules that “Shema Yisrael,” the first pasuk of this mitzvah, has singular halachic status: “One who recites the first verse of Kriat Shema, that is, ‘Shema Yisrael,’ without intention--v’lo kivane libo—does not fulfill his obligation. [However, one who recites] the rest without intention fulfills his obligation.” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Kriat Shema 2:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)  Rav Yosef Karo zatzal (1488-1575) follows this opinion nearly verbatim in his Shulchan Aruch (Orech Chaim 60:5). 

​The words, “v’lo kivane libo,” are difficult to understand, as neither the Rambam nor Rav Karo elucidate their meaning. Fortunately, Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan zatzal (1838-1933) explains this elusive phrase:

The [type of] kavanah (intentionality) that is required in this matter [the recitation of the pasuk, “Shema Yisrael,”] is for one to intensely think about and focus upon (l’hitbonane u’lasum al libo) what he is saying. Failure to do so in the reading of the first verse prevents one from fulfilling the mitzvah [of Kriat Shema], since it contains the essence of kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim (accepting the yoke of Heaven) and His Unity may He be blessed. (Mishnah Berurah, Orech Chaim 60:5, subsection 11)
 
In sum, for Rav Kagan, the kavanah that is required in the first pasuk of Kriat Shema is l’hitbonane u’lasum al libo the words one is reciting in order to attain the requisite level of kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim. Moreover, failure to do so renders the mitzvah null and void.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, defines kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim as “hichnayah lifnei Hashem—submission to Hashem’s authority.” (This and the following quotations, Al HaTefilah, Rabbi Reuven Grodner shlita, editor, page 73, translation and brackets my own)  Basing himself on one of Rashi’s glosses (1040-1105) in Talmud Bavli, Berachot 12a (s.v. sh’ne’emar l’hagide ba’boker chasdecha), the Rav maintains there are actually two distinct types of kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim: kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim shel boker (of the morning), as depicted in the tefilah, emet v’yatziv and kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim shel erev (of the evening) as found in the prayer, emet v’emunah.

According to the Rav, kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim shel boker is an active process of hichnayah lifnei Hashem that is performed through the “recognition of the good and [giving] thanks to the Holy One blessed be He” that he describes in this fashion:

A person realizes that he is not independent, the opposite is the case, as he is dependent upon others, and most of all, he is dependent on the Holy One blessed be He. He begins by recognizing the good bestowed upon him by his parents and his teachers and in the end, recognition of all the good from the Holy One blessed be He. [As Dovid Hamelech said:] “l’hagide ba’boker chasdecha—to declare your kindness in the morning.” (Sefer Tehillim 92:3)
 
In contrast, for the Rav, kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim shel erev is a combination of our trust (bitachon) and faith (emunah) in the Holy One blessed be He, that leads to recognizing our dependence upon Him. This degree of faith encapsulates more than the present moment, as it is “emunah b’atid mitoch tikvah--faith in the future that is based upon hope.” [As Dovid Hamelech said:] “v’emunatcha ba’lailot—and Your faith at night.” (Sefer Tehillim 92:3)

With Hashem’s help, and the Rav’s thoughts as our guide, may our recitation of Kriat Shema ever be one of authentic kabbalat ol malchut Shamayim, and may we thereby give voice to Dovid HaMelech’s stirring words: “l’hagide ba’boker chasdecha v’emunatcha ba’lailot.” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
“Hashiveinu Hashem alecha v’nashuvah, chadeish yameinu k’kedem—Cause us to return to you Hashem and we will return, renew our days as in days of old.” This verse at the end of Megillat Eichah is a well-known pasuk in Tanach, as it is the concluding verse of hachnasat sefer Torah. The Targum Ketuvim suggests it refers to teshuvah: “Bring us back to You and we will return to You in complete teshuvah, renew our days to be good, once again, as they were in the good times of the past.” In contrast, the Ibn Ezra (12th century) interprets hashiveinu in a physical sense, as a plea to Hashem to return us to Yerushalayim. As such, v’nashuvah is an appeal to Hashem to enable us to worship Him in the rebuilt Beit HaMikdash. These very different analyses led the contemporary Israeli scholar Dr. Yael Ziegler to opine:

Whatever its precise meaning, this verse features striking mutuality between God and Israel. Though the community petitions God to initiate reconciliation (“Return us to You”), it continues with a promise to mirror God’s action (“and we will return). Without God’s initiative, reconciliation seems impossible, but Israel assumes its share of responsibility for the reestablishment of the relationship. (Lamentations: Faith in a Turbulent World, page 465)
 
Dr. Ziegler opines that the first part of our pasuk gives voice to the “striking mutuality between God and Israel,” our overture to Hashem to “initiate reconciliation” and our willingness to share in the “responsibility for the reestablishment of the relationship.” These crucial themes bespeak the depth of loneliness we endure when we feel divorced from the Almighty and our consequent longing to bridge the gaping chasm between us. In her general observations on the second part of our verse, Dr. Ziegler notes that it summarizes the way we have always viewed history:

The request [for reconciliation] simultaneously looks forward and backward, encapsulating a timeless Jewish perception of history. Steeped in an unbearable present, the beleaguered community yearns for a glorious past (kedem), anticipating the reinstatement of that glory in a revitalized future.
 
What historical moment is being referenced by the term, “kedem?” Midrash Eichah Rabbati on our pasuk suggests its meaning parallels that which we find in Sefer Malachi 3:14: “kimei olam uchshanim kadmoniot—as in past days and former years,” namely, “like the years of Shlomo HaMelech.” In his commentary on Megillat Eichah, Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein zatzal (1860-1941) describes the years of Shlomo HaMelech in this manner: “The glory of Hashem filled the Beit HaMikdash, Yehudah and Yisrael were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and every man sat under his grapevine and fig tree.” (Translation my own)  With Hashem’s help, may the realization of this vision, come soon, and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. To be added, please contact me at: mailto:[email protected].

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
​
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff

ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Sefer Vayikra concludes with the pasuk: “These are the mitzvot that Hashem commanded Moshe to [tell] b’nai Yisrael on Har Sinai.” (27:34, all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In contrast, the final verse of Sefer Bamidbar states: “These are the mitzvot and mishpatim (the ordinances) that Hashem commanded b’nai Yisrael b’yad Moshe (through Moshe) b’Arvot Moav (on the Plains of Moab), by the Jordan at Jericho.” (36:13) A careful comparison between our two pasukim, reveals that the latter verse adds the words, “mishpatim” and “b’yad Moshe,” and replaces Har Sinai with Arvot Moav. The singular import of these changes cannot be overstated, and is reminiscent of Rashi’s (1040-1105) celebrated comment on the first pasuk of the Torah, “ain hamikra hazeh omare elah darshani” (“this text says to us, interpret me!”).
 
In his Torah commentary, Ha’emek Davar, HaRav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (the Netziv, 1816-1893) examines these textual variations and sheds new light upon their meaning. He notes that Sefer Vayikra contains many instances of dinei mamonot (monetary laws) that are included under the rubric of mishpatim; this category of halacha, however, is not mentioned in the sefer’s concluding pasuk. The Netziv therefore concludes that Sefer Bamidbar’s use of the term “mishpatim,” in its final pasuk, is not referring to the class of laws entitled mishpatim, but rather to “the analyses that are derived from the 13 principles of exegetical interpretation (yud gimmel middot). These, opines the Netziv, were decidedly something new for the vast majority of the Jewish people, since “on Har Sinai this manner of analysis was revealed solely to Moshe and his immediate followers, as we find in Talmud Bavli, Nedarim page 38.”

The Netziv now suggests that this new category of mishpatim is a major turning point in the history of our people:

For it was only in Arvot Moav that Moshe began to interpret the entire Torah according to logical arguments (pilpul) and analyses [derived from the yud gimmel middot], as is explained in the beginning of Sefer Devarim [1:5]. Therefore, here, on Arvot Moav, wherein they [these kinds of mishpatim] were first stated, it is written, “and the mishpatim [logical analyses],” since Hashem had already commanded [the Jewish people] regarding both the mitzvot and mishpatim.
 
At this juncture, the Netziv suggests that although this is not the Torah’s first instance of the phrase, “b’yad Moshe,” its use in the concluding verse of Sefer Bamidbar enables us to perceive Moshe as the authentic rebbe of klal Yisrael. This is the case, since at this moment in time, b’yad Moshe refers “to matters that Moshe received [from the Almighty] which were not spoken to him on a face-to-face basis, but rather through the divine flow of Heavenly aid.” In other words, until now, Moshe had acted solely as the Almighty’s shaliach to bring His exact words to the world. At Arvot Moav, however, Moshe found his own unique voice, and with the support of Heaven, created his own words of Torah, that is Torah She’beal Peh (Oral Law), derived from pilpul and the yud gimmel middot, to his beloved nation. In sum, in the view of the Netziv, Moshe’s Torah on Arvot Moav represents the transition from Torah She’Bichtav (Written Law) to Torah She’beal peh. This, in turn, emerges as the additional brit to which the Torah refers in Parashat Ki Tavo: “These are the words of the brit, which Hashem commanded Moshe to make with b’nai Yisrael in the land of Moav, in addition to the brit that he made with them in Horeb. (Horeb = Mount Sinai, Sefer Devarim 28:69)

My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, expands upon the Netziv’s approach regarding the brit Moav in this manner:

… Sefer Devarim contains for the most part repetition of mitzvos that were previously enumerated, but with additional explanation… Originally Sefer Devarim was given as Mishnah, as Torah She’beal peh, the Oral Law. Only later, on the last day of Moses’ life, do we read that Moses finished writing the words of this Torah in a scroll, until their very completion (31:24). Sefer Devarim, which to that point had the status of Torah She’beal Peh, became incorporated into Torah Shebichsav, the Written Law… Sefer Devarim thus has the double sanctity of both Torah Shebichsav and Torah She’beal peh. (Chumash Mesoras HaRav, with commentary based upon the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Sefer Devarim, edited by Dr. Arnold Lustiger, pages 2-3, underlining my own)
 
In this this crucial passage cited from the Yarchei Kallah (Rabbinic Convocation) of 1977, the Rav underscores the notion that Sefer Devarim, which begins with the phrase, “these are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red Sea [that is, Arvot Moav] …” was originally Torah She’beal peh that became Torah Shebichsav only upon the final day of Moses’ life. This crucial idea differentiates Sefer Devarim from the preceding four books of the Torah in the sense that it, and it alone, is endowed with the “double sanctity of both Torah Shebichsav and Torah She’beal peh.”
 
Based upon the illuminating insights of the Netziv, and the Rav’s powerful analysis, the final verse of Sefer Bamidbar, and the entire Sefer Devarim, portray Moshe’s transition from Har Sinai, wherein he served as Hashem’s loyal prophet and repeated the Creator’s words, to the Moshe of Arvot Moav where he acted as Moshe Rabbeinu, the ultimate creative talmid chacham who brought the Torah She’beal peh to klal Yisrael.
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff
​
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Moshe Rabbeinu’s accomplishments are legendary, his leadership was extraordinary, and his intellect was nearly unparalleled. Moreover, the level of nevuah he achieved was different in kind and degree than any other prophet who ever lived. As the Torah states: “There never arose another prophet amongst the Jewish people like Moshe, to whom Hashem revealed Himself face to face.” (Sefer Devarim 34:10, my translation, as per Onkelos).
 
Rabbi Baruch ha-Levi Epstein zatzal (1860-1942), known as the “Torah Temimah” after the title of his Torah commentary, explains that there was one objective that Moshe did not realize which Pinchas was able to achieve:

“Therefore, let it be said: ‘Behold, I [Hashem] give to him [Pinchas] my Covenant of Peace” (Bamidbar 25:12). “It is fitting that this atonement [as seen in the words ‘Covenant of Peace’] will continue to bring about expiation forevermore” (Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin, 82b). At first glance, it is very difficult to understand why Pinchas merited this explicit reward even more than Moshe Rabbeinu, since we find numerous times wherein [through Moshe’s efforts] Hashem “forgot” His anger against the Jewish people, such as in the instances of the Golden Calf and the Spies. (Torah Temimah, Sefer Bamidbar, Section 24, translations, underlining, brackets and emphasis my own)
 
After raising this fundamental issue, Rav Epstein continues his analysis as to why Pinchas, and not Moshe, was deserving of the Covenant of Peace:

But the matter should, however, be explained in the following manner: We see from this that there was a fundamental difference that obtained between Moshe’s and Pinchas’ ability to remove Hashem’s anger [from upon the Jewish people]. Moshe was able to remove Hashem’s anger for a limited time, and there remained, so to speak, in Hashem’s heart (mind) a grievance against the Jewish people, just as we find in the instances of the Golden Calf…and the Spies. Peace such as this cannot be called true and absolute peace. The removal of Hashem’s anger in regards to Pinchas, however, was a complete and total removal of anger [that continues to last]. Therefore, Pinchas merited the just reward [of the Covenant of Peace].
 
In sum, Pinchas was able to bring about a total and permanent peace between Hashem and His people that was free of any future recriminations and punishments. This is something that escaped even Moshe Rabbeinu’s grasp. Yet, why did this difference obtain?
 
I believe the Torah provides us with an answer: “When he [Pinchas] displayed the anger that I [Hashem] should have displayed.” (Bamidbar 25:11, translation per Rashi’s second gloss on Bamidbar 25:11). Herein, Pinchas acted as Hashem’s messenger in expressing His legitimate anger. He channeled Hashem’s fury in response to the vulgar immorality and idol worship undertaken by many of the men with the women of Moab. In this sense, Pinchas was a zealot who was totally devoted to Hashem. His entire being merged with Hashem’s righteous anger in his desire to execute the Almighty’s will.
 
Paradoxically, Pinchas received the Brit Shalom (Covenant of Peace) after having brought about total peace between Hashem and klal Yisrael, precisely because of the righteous anger he expressed on behalf of the Almighty. In this way, he served as a protective force and bridged the chasm between Hashem and the Jewish people and guarded His holy Torah and mitzvot. As spiritually heroic as Pinchas’ zealotry was, however, it must be stressed that this was permissible solely at this unique time and may never be repeated.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we strive to emulate Pinchas’ love and devotion to the Holy One blessed be He, and may we ever dedicate ourselves to His Torah and mitzvot. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. To be added, please contact me at: mailto:[email protected]

*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
​
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff
​​
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Our parasha contains one of the most famous pasukim in the Torah: “How goodly are your tents, O Ya’akov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael!” (Sefer Bamidbar 24:5, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) asserts that “how goodly are your tents” refers to the thoroughgoing modesty of the fledgling Jewish nation: “For he (Bilam) saw that the entrances [of the tents] were not facing each other.” (See Talmud Bavli, Baba Batra 60a, brackets my own)

The Midrash Aggadah offers an additional intriguing interpretation of our pasuk:

“How goodly are your tents, O Ya’akov” In the merit of Ya’akov having sat in them, as the text states: “And Ya’akov was an innocent man, dwelling in tents.” (Sefer Bereishit 25:27) And because of this, the Jewish people merited to dwell in tents in the desert.” (S. Buber ed., Sefer Bamidbar, Parashat Balak 24:5, all Midrash translations, my own)
 
Why does the Midrash emphasize the zechut of Ya’akov having sat in tents? Both Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 63:10 and Rashi maintain that these were not standard tents, but rather “the tent of Shem and the tent of Ever.” (Rashi, Sefer Bereishit 25:27)  As we know from related midrashic sources, Shem and Ever had the first learning center wherein the knowledge of Hashem’s omnipotence, justice and righteousness formed the backbone of the curriculum. The Midrash may now be understood in this manner: Based upon “the merit of Ya’acov having sat in them [the tents of Shem and Ever] … the Jewish people merited to dwell in tents in the desert.”
 
In my view, an additional section of the Midrash Aggadah further illuminates the connection between the two parts of this statement:

Ya’akov was chosen by the Holy One blessed be He, as the text states: “But you, Yisrael My servant, Ya’akov whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me.” (Sefer Yeshayahu 41:8) In addition it is written, “For G-d chose Ya’acov for Himself, Yisrael for His treasure.” (Sefer Tehillim 135:4)  Hashem, [it must be noted,] did not bring him (Ya’akov) close to Himself, rather, Ya’akov brought himself close to the Almighty, as the text states: “And Ya’akov was an innocent man, dwelling in tents.” (Sefer Vayikra, Parashat Tzav VIII)
 
In sum, Hashem chose Ya’akov and Ya’akov chose Hashem. Like his grandfather Avraham, Ya’akov was a seeker who did not rest until he had thoroughly developed his relationship with the Master of the Universe. Little wonder then that Chazal named him, “the Bachir Ha’Avot”—the Chosen One of the Patriarchs.
 
Like Ya’akov Avinu, the entire Jewish people are chosen by Hashem: “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation…” (Sefer Shemot 19:6)  With Hashem’s help, may we strive to emulate Ya’akov, so that we too may dwell in the tents of Torah and grow close to the Almighty. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

​
 



Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל, בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Our parasha begins with the mitzvah of the Parah Adumah:

This is the statute of the Torah that Hashem commanded, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.” … It shall be an everlasting statute for the children of Israel and for the proselyte who resides in their midst. (Sefer Bamidbar 19:2 and 10, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The goal of this commandment is to purify an individual who has become tamei (ritually impure) as a result of contact with a corpse. It is intrinsically mystifying in nature, since in the course of its fulfillment, the individual who has come into contact with a corpse becomes tahor (ritually pure), whereas the one who assists in the purification process is paradoxically rendered tamei.
 
Rabbi Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zatzal (1820-1892), known as the “Beit HaLevi,” after the name of his published works, presents a conceptual groundwork for understanding the meaning of the Parah Adumah. He notes that the phrase, “this is the statute of the Torah that Hashem commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow...’” is very unusual, since the Parah Adumah is singled out as being the “statute of the Torah.” As such, the Beit Halevi asks: “At face value, the Parah Adumah is simply one of the [613] mitzvot of the Torah. Why, therefore, is it given the appellation, the “statute of the Torah?” His answer presents a fundamental axiom of ta’amei hamitzvot (ascertaining the underlying rationale of the commandments):

… for it is precisely from the Parah Adumah that it is revealed to man that he, in reality, does not know anything regarding [the true meaning] of any mitzvah of the Torah, since [as this verse suggests,] the entire Torah is a statute (chukah) [that eludes our understanding]. (All citations, Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Shemot, Chapter 31, translations and emphases my own.)
 
In Brisker terminology, the Torah is one cheftzah, one holistic entity. As such, its mitzvot are inextricably intertwined. Therefore, the Parah Adumah teaches us that all commandments are beyond the pale of human understanding:

And the explanation of this concept is the following: Behold all of the mitzvot are inseparably interconnected to, and interwoven with, one another. Moreover, each one depends upon the other—just as we find in reference to lowly man who has 248 limbs and 365 sinews—all of whom are attached one to another, and all of whom depend upon one another. This is the case, as well, regarding the mitzvot wherein the 248 Positive Commandments and the 365 Negative Commandments are attached to one another and form one unit. [As a result,] it is impossible to comprehend even one of the mitzvot without understanding all of them. Therefore, when we encounter the Parah Adumah, and we do not understand its underlying principle—it is clear that we really know nothing at all [regarding the rest of the mitzvot].
 
Based on the Beit HaLevi’s analysis, the Parah Adumah emerges as a powerful protection against humankind’s natural hubris and the potential for intellectual arrogance that can impede acceptance of the divine, immutable nature of the mitzvot:
​
…the Parah Adumah is, therefore, a fence and a protective measure for man who utilizes his intellect (hamitbonane b’sichlo) to examine the reasons inherent in the mitzvot. It prevents him from erring in their regard... and from bursting forth [against the mitzvot] and declaring: “I am the one who knows their rationale!” For were he to do so, he would soon err and add or subtract [from the mitzvot].
 
Therefore, in the Beit HaLevi’s view, there is only one way to remain loyal to the mitzvot:
One must perform all of the mitzvot, with all of their specific details, according to what we have received from our Rabbis according to the all-encompassing rules of the Torah, and the established halacha, without any deviation whatsoever from the words of the Shulchan Aruch. This is the case, since one recognizes that he does not comprehend the [true] depth of these matters…
 
With this understanding, we can view the Parah Adumah as the mitzvah that serves as a model for all the other mitzvot. Perhaps more than any other commandment, it reminds us that the mitzvot are from Hashem and, therefore, by definition, beyond human understanding. With the Almighty’s help, may we be zocheh to faithfully fulfill His holy Torah. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you would like to be added, please contact me via email: mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.