Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha contains one of the most often recited pasukim in the Torah, as it is found at the end of the first paragraph of the Aleinu: “V’yadata hayom v’hashavota el l’vavecha —And you shall know this day and consider it in your heart [that is, your mind], that the
L-rd He is G-d in heaven above, and upon the earth below; ain od —there is none other than He.” (Sefer Devarim 4:39, this and all Torah translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  The expression “and you shall know — v’yadata” is difficult to interpret, since it can either be a narrative statement describing what will be, or a tzivui — an imperative statement — prescribing what we must do.
 
In his Commentary on the Torah on our verse, Rabbeinu Bahya ben Asher (1255-1340) adopts the position that our pasuk is, indeed, a straightforward tzivui:

“and consider it in your heart:” This is a positive commandment from the Torah to know Hashem may He be blessed. For we are commanded to know Him and to [actively] analyze His unity and not rely solely upon accepted tradition in this matter. And this knowledge [is acquired through a recognition] of His works and His awe-filled actions, as well as [a cognizance] of all His creations, be they heavenly or terrestrial in nature. (This and the following translations my own)
 
In sum, Rabbeinu Bahya asserts that there is a positive Torah commandment to know Hashem that is experience-based, since knowledge of Him may be obtained through an appreciation and recognition of His creatures and the majesty of His Creation. Moreover, we must do our own due diligence to try to comprehend His unity, rather than accept this aspect of His Divine Being merely based upon Massorah (Tradition). As such, in Rabbeinu Bahya’s view, “v’yadata” requires our active engagement in order that we may achieve a vibrant and dynamic relationship with the Almighty.
 
At this juncture, Rabbeinu Bahya focuses upon the phrase “v’hashavota el l’vavecha — and consider it in your heart [mind],” and notes, like the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) before him, that experiential knowledge of Hashem is not the same as acquiring actual knowledge of His essence and being, for that will ever elude our understanding. As Shlomo HaMelech teaches us in Sefer Mishle: The honor of G-d is to conceal a matter…” (25:2)  Since the Almighty conceals far more than he reveals to humankind, Rabbeinu Bahya maintains we must implement “v’hashavota el l’vavecha” in our daily lives “like a man who thinks deeply regarding a particular matter and must return and think about it [time and time again].” For then, and then only, may we as finite beings perceive the faintest glimmers of the Ein Sof — the Infinite.
 
Rabbeinu Bahya further elaborates on this concept of hashavat halev — focusing your mind upon the existence and reality of Hashem — by combining it with the concluding words of our verse, “that the L-rd He is G-d in heaven above, and upon the earth below; there is no One else:”

A person’s mind must ever focus on the notion that Hashem is Elokim in the sense that He is the One Who guides the Universe: in the Heavens — the planets, and Above — the Angels, and upon the earth — the terrestrial plane, and below — the very depths of the deep… Ain od — there is none other than He in all of these worlds.
 
May these insights into Hashem as Elokim — the One Who Guides the Universe — enhance our understanding of the celebrated expression “ain od milvado — there is none other besides Him” (Sefer Devarim 4:35), and thereby help us forge a more meaningful and vital relationship with the Almighty. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, Dovid Shmuel ben Chasiyah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
If someone were to ask you to list the Hebrew names of the Five Books of the Torah, you would readily respond with Bereishit, Shemot, Bamidbar, Vayikra and Devarim. These, however, are by no means the only names by which these holy seforim are known. Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 25a, calls Sefer Bereishit “Sefer HaYashar,” based upon our righteous Avot (Patriarchs) and Emahot (Matriarchs) whom we find therein. The Ramban (1194-1270) named Sefer Shemot “Sefer HaGeulah” since, in his estimation, the redemption of the Jewish people is its overarching theme. Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) universally use the term “Torat Kohanim” as an alternate name for Vayikra, as the laws regarding Kohanim comprise most of its content. Our Sages agree, as well, that Sefer Bamidbar should be known as “Chumash Pekudim — the Chumash of Counting,” since it contains two instances wherein Hashem commanded Moshe to take a census of our forebears. Lastly, Talmud Bavli, Megillah 31a, refers to Sefer Devarim as “Mishneh Torah,” a phrase that appears in Sefer Devarim in the context of a king’s obligation to write his own Sefer Torah: “And it will be when he sits upon his royal throne that he will write for himself this Mishneh Torah upon a scroll…” (17:18)  Nonetheless, it remains unclear as to why Chazal chose this expression as the name for this portion of the Chamishah Chumshei Torah.
 
One way to shed light on this problem is to focus on the linguistic similarity between mishneh and mishnah. We see this reflected in the suggestion of my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), that Sefer Devarim is the pivot point between Torah Shebichtav (Written Law) and Torah Sheb’al Peh (Oral Law) and is consequently called Mishneh Torah:

Originally, Sefer Devarim was given as Mishnah, as Torah Sheb’al Peh, the Oral Law. Only later, 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 Sheb’al Peh, became incorporated into Torah Shebichtav, the Written Law. The phrase Mishneh Torah therefore means Mishnah (Oral Law) which is also Torah (Written Law).  (This and the following quotes, Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Devarim: with Commentary Based Upon the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Dr. Arnold Lustiger, editor, pages 2-3)
 
According to Rav Soloveitchik, Sefer Devarim is the very beginning of Torah Sheb’al Peh; yet, it is a singular kind of Torah Sheb’al Peh since, for though “it became part of Torah Shebichtav, it did not lose its Torah Sheb’al Peh character.” How is this dual nature and “double sanctity” expressed? In the Rav’s view, the Torah Sheb’al Peh essence of Sefer Devarim is manifested in two crucial ways:

In the first four books of the Torah, G-d addresses the community, while in Sefer Devarim it is Moses who is addressing them. In the first four books, Moses is the medium through which G-d addresses the people: Moses served in the role of the prophet, repeating verbatim what G-d told him. In Devarim, however, Moses is not [acting in the role of] a prophet but a teacher: Moshe Rabbeinu. He imparted bei’ur haTorah, the explanation of the Torah, and thus it is Moses himself who addresses the people.
 
Rav Soloveitchik suggests that Sefer Devarim is Mishneh Torah precisely because Moshe takes on an entirely new role in this sefer, namely, as teacher of the entire Jewish people. As the Rav said on many other occasions, a navi (prophet) can act in two very different capacities, as the shaliach (messenger) of Hashem or as a talmid chacham (Torah scholar). In the first four seforim of Chamishah Chumshei Torah, Moshe is the navi of Hashem par excellence. In the Mishneh Torah, however, he is the greatest talmid chacham in Jewish history, and he remains Moshe Rabbeinu, the rebbe of Klal Yisrael, forevermore.
 
The unique nature of Sefer Devarim is now quite clear. It is the only one of the Five Books of the Torah that is simultaneously Torah Shebichtav and Torah Sheb’al Peh. As such, it serves as the crucial bridge between the Tanach and the dynamic world of Rabbinic thought and Halacha. Truly, “Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu, u’mah nayim goraleinu — We are fortunate, how good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful our heritage.”
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The second of our two parshiot, Parashat Masei, is the final parasha of Sefer Bamidbar. It concludes in this manner: “These are hamitzvot v’hamishpatim that Hashem commanded the children of Israel b’yad Moshe — through Moses, b’Arvot Moav — in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.” (36:13, this and all Tanach translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with my emendations)  In contrast, Parashat Bechuchotai, the closing parasha in Sefer Vayikra, ends with the following pasuk: “These are hamitzvot that Hashem commanded et Moshe — to Moses, to [tell] the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.” (27:34)
 
A careful reading of these two pasukim reveals several significant points of divergence. The final pasuk of Parashat Masei includes the term mishpatim, that it is absent from Parashat Bechuchotai. Parashat Masei utilizes the expression “b’yad Moshe,” instead of “et Moshe,” as found in Parashat Bechuchotai. Then, too, Parashat Masei was stated “in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho,” while Parashat Bechuchotai was uttered “on Mount Sinai.” In sum, while these verses are somewhat parallel, they differ substantively in terminology and place of proclamation.

In his work Ha’emek Davar, the Netziv zatzal (Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893) notes that the absence of the term mishpatim in the final verse of Parashat Bechuchotai presents us with a conceptual challenge, since “Sefer Vayikra contains many instances of dinei mamonot — laws dealing with monetary matters” that constitute a significant portion of mishpatim. This leads him to reinterpret the meaning of mishpatim as it appears in the final verse of Parashat Masei, and explore the reason why mishpatim were included in the pronouncement on Arvot Moav, and not on Mount Sinai:

The meaning of mishpatim herein [is different than its standard interpretation], since in our case it refers to hachakirot — the analyses and distinctions that stem from the yud gimmel middot — the 13 hermeneutic principles… And on Mount Sinai, this exegetical modality was the sole province of Moshe and his immediate family, as we find in Talmud Bavli, Nedarim 38b… [Moreover,] it was only on the Plains of Moav that Moshe began to explain the Torah in its totality [to the entire people] inclusive of its most intricate analytical details… (Sefer Bamidbar 36:13, translation, brackets  and underlining my own)
 
The Netziv’s novel explanation of hamishpatim in our verse is an authentic intellectual tour de force, for in so doing, he enables us to understand precisely why this term was utilized on the Plains of Moav (Parashat Masei), and not in the context of the revelation at Mount Sinai (Parashat Bechuchotai).
 
We have now examined two of the three highly significant differences between our two pasukim. The third, wherein Parashat Masei utilizes the expression “b’yad Moshe,” and Parashat Bechuchotai writes “et Moshe,” is beautifully explained by Rabbeinu Bahya ben Asher (1255-1340) in his Commentary on the Torah. Therein he contrasts the nature of the britot — covenants — at Mount Sinai and on the Plains of Moav:

The [underlying rationale of this] matter [focuses upon the nature] of the first covenant they accepted upon themselves at Horeb [Mount Sinai]. This remained in effect until the King [Hashem] at His table [in Heaven] nullified it when they [the Jewish people] rebelled against Him by honoring the image of an ox [the Golden Calf] ...and he [Moshe] threw down the luchot. (Parashat Masei 36:13, this and the following translation and brackets my own)

According to Rabbeinu Bahya, while the covenant enacted at Mount Sinai was invalidated as a result of our collective behavior, the brit Arvot Moav is everlasting:

...for even if the mountains were to be shaken and every rock were to be removed from its place, this covenant will never be rent asunder, for the rope of love [that binds us to the Almighty] will never be broken — by forging His covenant with us, we were brought to a level of universal recognition and greatness...And thus we find the following inspiring verse toward the conclusion of the Torah: “These are the words of the covenant, which Hashem commanded Moses lichrote — to forge — with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.” (Sefer Devarim 28:69)
 
In Rabbeinu Bahya’s estimation, Moshe’s roles at Har Sinai and Arvot Moav were decidedly different. At Har Sinai, Moshe led the Jewish people to accept the Torah; subsequently, however, many of our ancestors engaged in the Chet HaEgel (the sin of the Golden Calf). Moshe understood that these actions made this brit null and void and in response, on his own volition, he destroyed this first set of luchot. The correctness of his reaction was revealed in the Almighty’s famous praise: “ye’yashar kochacha she’shibarta! — May your strength ever grow because of your having broken the luchot!” (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 87a)
 
In stark contrast, at Arvot Moav, Moshe served as Hashem’s direct emissary and enacted the eternal brit between the Almighty and our nation that has enabled us to miraculously thrive until our own historical moment. Little wonder, then, that the short-lived Har Sinai covenant was designated by Hashem as “et Moshe,” whereas the brit at Arvot Moav, with its permanent bonds of love, is forever emblazoned in our hearts and minds as “b’yad Moshe.”
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to 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
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The end of last week’s parasha, Parashat Balak, narrates the story in which many of the men of our people pursued the women of Moab and their god Baal Peor:

Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of the Moabites. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods. Israel became attached to Baal Peor, and the anger of the L-rd flared against Israel. (Sefer Bamidbar 25:1-3, all Bible translations, The Judaic Press Complete Tanach)
 
If this was not bad enough, Zimri ben Salu, the prince of the tribe of Shimon, then publicly began to consort with a Midianite woman:

Then an Israelite man came and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel... (25:6)
 
When Pinchas witnessed this gross public immorality, he acted on the Torah’s mandate and executed Zimri and his Midianite woman. In our parasha, Pinchas’ actions were rewarded with Hashem’s highest approbation, namely, he received the brit shalom (Covenant of Peace) — the brit kehunat olam (Eternal Covenant of the Priesthood):

Pinchas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal. Therefore, say, “I hereby give him My covenant of peace. It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an Eternal Covenant of the Priesthood, because he was zealous for his G-d and atoned for the children of Israel.” (11-13)

In his gloss on Sefer Bamidbar 25:6, Rashi notes, “At the incident of the Golden Calf, Moses [successfully] confronted six hundred thousand as it says, ‘He ground it [the Golden Calf] until it was powder…’” Clearly, then, Moshe, no less than Pinchas, sought to avenge G-d’s glory. Yet, Pinchas alone received the brit kehunat olam. This is an exegetical challenge that has captivated our commentators’ attention throughout the ages. In my opinion, Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein (1860-1941) suggests one of the most cogent solutions to this problem. Here is a paraphrase of his position:

It is true that Moshe removed Hashem’s anger from the Jewish people on a number of occasions, including the episodes of the Golden Calf and the Spies. Yet, this was for only a relatively short period of time. As a result, the reconciliation between G-d and the Jewish people that Moshe had achieved was not on the level of complete peace. In stark contrast, Pinchas was able to bring about a complete reconciliation that totally removed any anger from Hashem toward our people. Therefore, Pinchas, and Pinchas alone, was rewarded with Hashem’s Covenant of Peace. (Torah Temimah on Sefer Bamidbar, chapter 25, comment 24)
 
In sum, according to Rav Epstein, since Pinchas achieved a total reconciliation between Hashem and the Jewish people, he was deserving of the Covenant of Peace.
 
The peace that Pinchas was able to bring about motivated Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) to identify Eliyahu the Prophet (9th century BCE) as Pinchas’ spiritual reincarnation:

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: “Pinchas is Eliyahu.” The Holy One Blessed be He said to Pinchas: “You have placed peace between Me and the Jewish people in this world; so, too, shall you do so in the future.” As the text states: “Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers…[Sefer Malachi 3:23-24]” (Midrash Yalkut Shimoni, Pinchas I, translation my own)
 
Chazal further underscore the role of Eliyahu as the herald of shalom ba’olam (peace in the world) in a parallel text to our midrash, found in the concluding mishnah of Mishnah Eduyot:

And the Sages said: [Eliyahu] will come to bring about peace in our world. As the text states: “Lo, I will send you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers…” [Sefer Malachi 3:23-24]”
 
Chazal teach us time and time again that Eliyahu’s ultimate purpose is to herald the coming of the Mashiach. What will this soon- to-be-realized period be like? Yeshayahu, the great 8th century BCE prophet and sage, offered one of the most famous descriptions of this longed-for time:

And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the L-rd’s house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and all the nations shall stream to it. And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, “Come, let us go up to the L-rd’s mount, to the house of the G-d of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths,” for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the L-rd from Jerusalem. And he shall judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Sefer Yeshayahu 2:2-4)
 
May the Mashiach come soon and in our days to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash and bring everlasting peace to all mankind. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His great mercy remove the magafah from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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 have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to 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.