​Rabbi David Etengoff

​
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
Sefer Bereishit’s narrative of Adam and Chava’s creation never fails to capture our attention. Perhaps each of us discovers a small part of ourselves as we encounter their beginnings, and, by definition, our own. In many ways, our successes and failures mirror them, as such, their story is our story.
 
There are two distinct versions of Adam’s creation. In the first chapter of Sefer Bereishit (26-30) we read the following:

And Hashem said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth.” And Hashem created man in His image; in the image of Hashem, He created him; male and female He created them. And Hashem blessed them, and Hashem said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth.” And Hashem said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing herb, which is upon the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the fowl of the heavens, and to everything that moves upon the earth, in which there is a living spirit, every green herb to eat,” and it was so. (26-30) This, and all Torah translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Herein, Hashem created man in His image (b’tzalmeinu), after His likeness (kidmuteinu) and, according to a famous midrash, as a plural, yet single entity (“zachar u’nekavah bara otom— male and female He created them.”) Adam and Chava were given Hashem’s blessing to populate the world and serve as Hashem’s stewards of the planet with the right to rule over nature. At this point in the narrative, however, we do not know of what they were composed or how they differed from the rest of the mosaic of Creation. While clearly nature’s master, they appear to be a part of, rather than apart from, that which they were designated to rule.
 
In sharp contrast, chapter two’s version of man’s creation is short and pithy: “And Hashem Elokim formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul.” (2:7) This verse teaches us a great deal about man that was hidden in chapter one’s presentation. Adam’s creation was different, in kind and degree, from the rest of Creation, in that we learn he was formed “from the dust of the ground,” in some majestic and mysterious manner that defies our comprehension and understanding. In addition, he was at first created solely male. He was required to wait in wrenching existential loneliness for the creation of Chava and his concomitant recognition of her: “And man said, ‘This time, it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh…’” (2:23) Moreover, man was granted a distinctive gift that further separated him from the world of the beasts of the field, as he was endowed with “the soul of life” (nishmat chaim).
 
What exactly, however, is this nishmat chaim that man received? As one might suspect, the classic meforshei haTorah offered many different interpretations of this phrase. In my view, one of the most compelling explanations is found in the Kli Yakar, the celebrated 16th century Torah commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Efraim of Luntchitz (1550-1619):

…the nishmat chaim is the eternal intellectual-based soul (hanefesh hamaskelet hanitzachi) Come and learn who the breather (hanofeach) was [that is, none other than Hashem, Himself]. You will then [surely] find that this [phrase nishmat chaim] references”] the chalek Elokah (the Godly portion) from above. It should be said that even though Hashem breathed into man this intellectual soul, nonetheless, man at the moment of his coming into being was nothing other than a living being like other living creatures “… and [from] a wild donkey a man will be born.” [Sefer Iyov 11:12] It, therefore, follows that the essence of man’s perfection is contingent upon his determination and efforts; as well as exercising his free-will properly when he opens his eyes to his intellectual faculty as the time progresses. [To reiterate:] In the beginning of his existence, even though the spirit of the living soul has been breathed into him, his soul [that is, intellectual ability] only exists in potential and has not been actualized. [Therefore,] if man does not expend every manner and variety of zealousness to be “at the head of the army“ and be a soldier to fight the war of Hashem he will remain in his animalistic state and be compared to a beast. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
The phrase “nishmat chaim” for Rav Luntchitz refers to Adam’s intellectual abilities. When used correctly on behalf of righteousness and human dignity, his rational and logical faculties can launch him far beyond the beasts of the field with whom he shares basic biological and physiological needs. In sum, the unique gift of the nishmat chaim provides humankind with the potential to leap beyond mere animalistic desires and become a shutaf im Hakadosh Baruch Hu b’ma’aseh bereishit—a partner with Hashem in the ongoing creation of the world.
 
Recent events and the 20th century bear horrific witness to man’s failure to utilize his intellectual powers for the benefit of humankind. The Holocaust, and many other acts of genocide, demonstrate the consummate evil of which man is so deadly capable when he fails to use his brilliance for good. As Rav Luntchitz succinctly states, if unchecked and uncontrolled, man “will remain in his animalistic state and be compared to a beast.”
 
We stand at the beginning of a new and, hopefully, outstanding Jewish New Year. May it be a year wherein the entire world will see the folly of rejecting good and embracing evil. May it be a year wherein humankind will pursue peace with the same unflagging zealousness that we have pursued power, riches, and honor. Moreover, may it be a year wherein we will use our nishmat chaim for the benefit of the entire world. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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
 
We have been on a spiritual journey since Rosh Chodesh Elul. This month enables us to focus upon what is false and what is real and pursue matters of ultimate spiritual import. In an almost palpable sense, it prepares us for the awe-filled days of Rosh Hashanah when we once again crown Hashem as King of the Universe and redouble our teshuvah efforts in anticipation of Yom HaKippurim. Before we encounter Hashem on at this time, however, we must encounter ourselves and become “accountants of the spirit.”

In general terms, an accountant is an individual who helps us make intelligently conceived financially-based resource allocation decisions. By extension, when we act as accountants of the spirit, our individual and collective task is to determine the best way to apportion our innermost religious resources. This, in turn, requires that we engage in cheshbon hanefesh (spiritual inventory), the ultimate act of Torah accountancy.

We are fortunate that one of the greatest masters of Jewish Ethical Literature (Mussar), the Italian thinker Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (1707-1746, known as the “Mesilat Yesharim” after the title of his most famous work), enables us to understand the constitutive elements of Judaism’s introspection process. He notes that an individual must: “... observe all of his actions and watch over all of his ways.” It is only when we subject the totality of our behaviors to meticulous scrutiny that we will free ourselves from “... a bad habit or a bad trait, let alone a sin or a crime.” This accounting must be both daily and exact “... in the manner of the great merchants who constantly evaluate all of their undertakings so that they [their business ventures] do not miscarry.” Additionally, contemplative analysis must be done in a highly disciplined manner and with ongoing consistency: “He should set aside definite times and hours for this weighing so that it is not a fortuitous matter, but one that is conducted with the greatest regularity; for it yields rich returns.” What are the “rich returns” that will accrue as a result of this depth-level self-examination? Here, too, Rav Luzzato enlightens us: “After engaging in such a reflection he will come to consider whether or not his deeds travel along the proper path. For in doing so it will certainly be easy for him to cleanse himself of all evil and to correct his ways.” (Mesilat Yesharim, translation, Rabbi Shraga Simmons, pages 31 and 37)

Yom HaKippurim is the preeminent time to return to the path of serving Hashem and devotion to His mitzvot. As Yermiyahu the prophet declared so long ago, “Return us to You Hashem so that we may return! Renew our days as of old.” (Megillat Eichah 5:21, translation, with my emendations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) With HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s help, may this be so. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and G’mar Chatimah Tovah.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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
 
In a few days we will be standing before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah. Each of us will ask for HIs forgiveness for sins we committed over the course of the preceding year. Since this is the case, we must ask a deceptively simple question: “What is sin?”
 
In broad terms, sin is any violation of Hashem’s will. More specifically, however, three different kinds of sin are mentioned in the Torah passage that follows the most grievous violation we committed as a nation, namely, the Eigel HaZahav—the Sin of the Golden Calf:

And the Hashem passed before him [Moshe] and proclaimed: “Hashem, Hashem, God, Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, preserving loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving avon—iniquity and pesha—rebellion and chata’ah —sin…” (34:6-7, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emphasis and emendations for the purpose of clarity)
 
In this pasuk, Hashem teaches us that He forgives three distinct types of sin: avon, pesha, and chata’ah. In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) explains avon as a purposeful sin, a sin performed with full knowledge that it is wrong; and the person’s better judgment is overcome. Such an individual has lost the battle and has succumbed to base and lowly instincts. Hedonistic pursuits have become his master. Avon takes place when an individual loses self-control and is ruled by raw desire. Nonetheless, such people have not forsaken their relationship with Hashem, rather, they have forsaken their relationship with themselves by desecrating their intrinsic holy status.
 
Pesha is a far more grievous type of sin than avon. Rashi explains that it refers to purposeful acts of rebellion against Hashem. When one performs a pesha, he simultaneously challenges and rejects the Almighty’s role as Master of the Universe. Those who commit a pesha repudiate the Almighty’s hegemony and power and, instead, so to speak, place themselves on His throne. Their rebellious actions undertaken with knowledge, forethought and temerity falsely proclaim they are the ultimate authority in the universe.
 
Chata’ah is different in kind and degree than the previous types of sin for, in such an instance, there is no desire to do wrong. There is no pleasure-seeking urge run amok, or impetus to dethrone Ribono shel Olam. Rather, one who is involved in a chata’ah does so based upon a lack of the requisite Torah knowledge that would have prevented the forbidden action; as such, it is an inadvertent sin. Chata’ah teaches us that a failure to learn Torah precludes the possibility of correctly living according to its precepts. In short, chata’ah occurs when people fail to live up to all that they could have been—if only they would have engaged in sincere Torah study that would have prepared them to properly follow Hashem’s mitzvot.
 
Teshuvah, returning to Hashem, is the ultimate antidote against sin’s destructive poison. Moreover, it is one of HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s greatest gifts as it enables us to once again walk upon the correct path and reestablish our relationship with Him. My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), gave eloquent voice to these ideas:
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What, therefore, is teshuvah in contrast to sin? Ascent versus descent. Through sin one is an object, while teshuvah allows one to again become a subject. Through sin man is acted upon, while through teshuvah man can act once again. Through sin he is a thing, while through teshuvah he becomes a person. Through sin gravity overwhelms, while through teshuvah gravity is overcome. (From a 1974 lecture, summarized by Dr. Arnold Lustiger in Before Hashem You Shall Be Purified: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on the Days of Awe, page 34)
 
In sum, authentic teshuvah allows us once again to ascend in kedushah, become a subject, actor, person, and finally, so to speak, overcome gravity and authentically reach out to Avinu b’Shamayim in true contrition.
 
When we stand in prayer this Rosh Hashanah in order to encounter the Master of the Universe, let us remember Yirmiyahu’s celebrated words and take them truly to heart: “Hashiveinu Hashem alecha v’nashuvah…Cause us to return unto You, Hashem, so we may return [in teshuvah shlaimah]!” (Megillat Eichah 5:21, brackets my own)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, Kativah v’Chatimah Tovah
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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
 
Parashat Nitzavim contains a celebrated pasuk:
 
This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live. (Sefer Devarim 30:19, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The concluding phrase, ''וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּֽחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽך," is particularly apropos for this time of year, as it urges us in no uncertain terms to choose life, that is, change our ways through heart-felt engagement in the teshuvah process. My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993) zatzal, known as “the Rav,” by his students and followers, underscores this idea in one of his public lectures: “The imperative of teshuvah is predicated upon the concept of freedom of will, man’s unfettered choice to engage in either righteous or evil conduct. The term in the Torah for this concept is bechirah, based on the verb וּבָחַרְתָּ in this and other verses.” (This and the following citations, Noraos Harav, Volume 16, pp. 16-28, Rabbi B. David Schreiber, Editor)
 
While bechirah is the Torah’s term for “free will,” the Rav notes that Torah Sheb’al Peh (the Oral Law) employs the term, “reshus,” as we find in Pirkei Avos: “All is foreseen, yet free will [reshus] is granted.” (3:15) Consequently, he maintains, “apparently, the two terms express two different concepts,” namely:

The term bechirah describes a situation in which a person must select from one of two alternatives that are equally attractive. Bechirah implies that each option is equally accessible, requiring an identical exertion of effort--כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד.
 
The term reshus, on the other hand, does not mean license, nor does it connote the ability to decide or determine. Rather, reshus connotes power, control or authority. It connotes man’s capacity and fortitude to defeat his evil inclination. Moreover, while the word bechirah implies that each option is equally accessible, requiring an identical exertion of effort, the term reshus signifies heroic struggle.
 
In sum, “bechirah implies that each option is equally accessible, requiring an identical exertion of effort.” In contrast, “reshus connotes power, control or authority. It connotes man’s capacity and fortitude to defeat his evil inclination… reshus signifies heroic struggle.”
 
To further understand the differences that obtain between bechirah and reshus, the Rav introduces the kabbalistic terms Ratzon Hatachton (“lower will”) and Ratzon Ha’elyon (“higher will). Both are “conscious motivations” that differ significantly from one another. The first represents man’s pragmatic logic and judgment, whereas the second:
​
…is not influenced by utilitarian concerns. Its decisions are often reached instantly, since it instinctively distinguishes between right and wrong. At times, the person is even unaware of the decisions reached by the Ratzon Ha’elyon. Moreover, the Ratzon Ha’elyon may undertake action which is prejudicial to man’s pragmatic interests if it believes that this contrary behavior will yield noble and spiritual benefits.
 
Given the above, the Rav maintains: “the primary decisions are concluded by the Ratzon Ha’elyon and the secondary decisions by the Ratzon Hatachton.” Moreover, “the different roles played by the Ratzon Ha’elyon and the Ratzon Hatachton explain the divergent formats of bechirah and reshus. The teshuvah of bechirah is initiated by the Ratzon Hatachton. The teshuvah of reshus is precipitated by the Ratzon Ha’elyon.”
 
With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may our teshuvah ever be guided by our Ratzon Ha’elyon, and may this Rosh HaShanah be a time when we truly come closer to Hashem. As Hoshea the prophet said so long ago: “שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַ֖ד יְ-ה-ֹוָ-֣ה אֱ-לֹהֶ֑יךָ—Return, O Israel, to Hashem, your God.” (Hoshea 14:2)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and kativah v’chatimah tovah.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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
 
Vidui ma’aser (the Declaration Concerning Tithes) is a mitzvah that appears in our parasha:

When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give [them] to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that they can eat to satiety in your cities. Then you shall say before Hashem, your God, “I have removed the holy [portion] from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, according to all Your commandment that You commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten [them].” (Sefer Devarim 26:12-13, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Rambam (1135-1204) formulates this mitzvah in this manner:

The 131st mitzvah that we are commanded is to make a proclamation of the kindness God has bestowed upon us; and that we have separated the obligatory ma’asrot and terumot (types of tithes). We must verbally affirm our separation from them just as we have physically removed them from our premises. This [declaration] is called vidui ma’aser. The source of this commandment is God’s statement, “And you must declare before Hashem, your God: ‘I have removed all the sacred portions from my house; I have given the appropriate ones to the Levite and to the orphan and widow....’” (Sefer HaMitzvot, 131, translation, Rabbi Reuven Bell, with my emendations and brackets)
 
In sum, according to the Rambam, vidui ma’aser is simultaneously an act of hakaret hatov for what Hashem has done for us, and a review of the separation and distribution of the tithes we have completed.
 
The anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch (13th century) gives new meaning to the phrase, “Then you shall say before Hashem, your God:”

At the root of the precept lies the point that the unique characteristic of man and the great element of his glory is the power of speech; in this he is superior to all [other] species of creatures. For as regards the other functions, other animals also behave as he does. For this reason, there are a great many people who are more fearful of desecrating their speech, which is the great element of distinction in them, than of sinning in action. (Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 607, translation, Charles Wengrov, underlining and emendations my own)
 
While this analysis of the singular import of human speech is intriguing, it is unclear how it contributes to a better understanding of vidui ma’aser. Fortunately, our author builds upon this notion, and elucidates why the spoken act of “Then you shall say before Hashem, your God” must take place:

Now, inasmuch as the manner of tithes and t’rumah is a great [important] thing… it was out of His kindness toward us, in order that we should not sin about them, to adjure us about them to separate them, and then not to have benefit from them through any action; and that we should attest about ourselves, with our mouth, at the Sanctuary that we were not deceitful about them and did not detain anything of them — all this in order that we should be most careful in the matter.
 
Fascinatingly, the explanations of both the Rambam and the Sefer HaChinuch focus upon Hashem’s kindness in conjunction with the obligation of verbal attestation of tithes. The Rambam interprets “the kindness God has bestowed upon us” in reference to the bounty of the fields. In contrast, the Sefer HaChinuch stresses Hashem’s kindness toward us, “in order that we should not sin about them, [the tithes].” Therefore, he underscores the singular import of human speech so we may understand the crucial role of oral testimony in guarding the integrity of the tithes.
 
The Sefer HaChinuch’s discussion of the extraordinary significance of human speech is reminiscent of Onkelos’ translation/explication of, “He [God] breathed into his [Adams’s] nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul,” (Sefer Bereishit 2:7) wherein he renders the expression, “and man became a living soul,” as “and man became a speaking being” (v’havat b’adam l’ruach m’mal’lah). In sum, for Onkelos, the distinctive marker that separates humankind from the rest of Creation is our ability to communicate through intelligently conceived speech.
 
In my view, the analyses of Onkelos and the Sefer HaChinuch are particularly apropos for the month of Elul and the upcoming period of the Yamim Noraim. This idea is strongly supported in the “Al Chet” tefilah of Yom Kippur as it contains no less than nine statements that focus upon the abuse of the power of speech:
​
For the sin that we have sinned before You with the utterance of the lips.
For the sin that we have sinned before You through speech.
For the sin that we have sinned before You through insincere confession.
For the sin that we have sinned before You through foolish speech.
For the sin that we have sinned before You through impure lips.
For the sin that we have sinned before You through evil talk.
For the sin that we have sinned before You with the idle chatter of our lips.
For the sin that we have sinned before You by gossip mongering.
For the sin that we have sinned before You through vain oath-taking.
(Translation, the Artscroll Machzor)
 
I believe the above declarations teach us that with the great power of speech comes the even greater responsibility to use this gift wisely. On measure, it can either be used for mitzvot such as vidui ma’aser, and as a vehicle of authentic communication with others, or for the array of verbal sins that we find in the Al Chet.
 
Elul is ultimately the time when we make life-defining choices. With Hashem’s help, may we use the power of speech to serve Him and build a better world for Klal Yisrael and all humankind. As Shlomo HaMelech taught us so long ago: “mavet v’chaim b’yad lashon — death and life are in ‘the hand’ of the tongue.” (Sefer Mishle 18:21).
 
Shabbat Shalom and kativah v’chatimah tovah.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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 two cases in which the term, “zachor,” is used: Amalek’s attack and Miriam’s punishment for speaking lashon hara. Regarding Miriam the Torah teaches us:

Be cautious regarding the lesion of tzara’ath, to observe meticulously and you shall do according to all that the Levite priests instruct you; as I have commanded them, [so shall you] observe to do. Zachor what Hashem, your God, did to Miriam on the way, when you went out of Egypt. (Sefer Devarim 24:8-9, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Rashi (1040-1105), in his midrashically based gloss on our pasuk, suggests this interpretation:

Remember what Hashem, your God, did to Miriam: If you wish to take precautions against being stricken with tzara’ath, then do not speak lashon hara. Remember what was done to Miriam, who spoke against her brother [Moshe] and was stricken with lesions.
 
Rashi’s gloss suggests that this is a narrative passage. Consequently, “Remember what was done to Miriam” is not a mitzvah; instead, it represents Miriam’s punishment for speaking lashon hara.
 
The Rambam (1135-1204) disagrees with Rashi and maintains that Miriam did not speak lashon hara against her beloved brother. At the same time, however, he agrees with Rashi by viewing our verses as descriptive, and not prescriptive, in nature:

The Torah warns about this stating: “Take care with regard to a tzara’ath blemish.... Remember what Hashem your Lord did to Miriam.” Now, this is what the Torah is implying: Contemplate what happened to the prophetess Miriam. She spoke about her brother. She was older than he was; she had raised him; and she had endangered herself to save him from the sea. She did not speak pejoratively of him; [instead,] she merely erred in equating him with the other prophets. Moshe did not object to any of this, as [the Torah] relates: “And the man Moshe was exceedingly humble.” Nevertheless, she was immediately punished with tzara’ath. (Mishneh Torah, Sefer Taharah Hilchot Tum’at Tzara’ath 16:10, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my underlining and emendations)
 
In his critical glosses on the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot, the Ramban (1194 -1270) maintains that the phrase, “Zachor what Hashem, your God, did to Miriam,” does, indeed, constitute a mitzvah that is included in the Taryag Mitzvot. Moreover, the Ramban follows Rashi, rather than the Rambam, and maintains that Miriam did, in fact, speak lashon hara against her beloved brother:

The seventh positive commandment which we are commanded to perform, is to remember what the Holy One did to Miriam when she spoke against her brother. This must be done through oral recitations and imprinting Hashem’s action upon our minds. [We must remember that Miriam acted as she did] even though she was a prophetess and had performed overwhelming kindness by saving him [from potentially drowning in the Nile River]. The purpose of this mitzvah is to distance us from lashon hara. (Critical Notes to Maimonides’ Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments Uncounted by Maimonides, number 7, translation, brackets and markings my own)
 
The Ramban believes that the Torah’s warning against speaking lashon hara is of such singular import that it outweighs the prohibition of publicly embarrassing otherwise righteous individuals who have committed a sin: Thus, he writes in his Commentary on the Torah:
​
[Just like there is a mitzvah to remember Amalek’s heinous actions,] so, too, regarding Miriam, we are commanded to make her actions known to our children, and to speak of them throughout the generations. We must do this, even though it would have been proper to hide her behavior, since it is generally proscribed to speak negatively and embarrassingly about righteous individuals. The Torah, however, commanded us to make her actions known and to reveal them, to place the warning against lashon hara in “our mouths.” [This mandate was issued,] since lashon hara is such a great sin that causes overwhelming amounts of evil in the world, nonetheless, people constantly fail [and fall prey to violating this prohibition]. (Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Devarim 25:17, translation, underlining and brackets my own)
 
We are now in Chodesh Elul, the time preeminently dedicated to introspective analysis. It is the period when we evaluate what we have accomplished and where we have fallen short. Perhaps most importantly, it is the time when we review the commitments we have made to Hashem, and those that we have unfortunately broken, so that we may rededicate ourselves to Him. As the Ramban so powerfully notes, “lashon hara is a great sin that causes overwhelming amounts of evil in the world;” therefore, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it demands our undivided attention as we approach the Yamim Noraim. Hopefully, with a deeper understanding of the underlying meaning of our pasuk, “Zachor what Hashem, your God, did to Miriam on the way, when you went out of Egypt,” we will be able to change the way we speak and stop speaking lashon hara.
 
Dovid Hamelech gave voice to these ideas in two of his best-known pasukim in Sefer Tehillim: “Who is the man who desires life, who loves days to see goodness? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceitfully.” (34:13-14) May our renewed recognition of Miriam’s punishment help us “guard our tongue from evil, and may we be zocheh to be inscribed in the Sefer HaChaim. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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 the pasuk: “Be tamim (wholehearted) with Hashem, your God.” (Sefer Devarim 18:13, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) This translation reflects Rashi’s (1040-1105) midrashically based comment on our verse: “Conduct yourself with Him with simplicity and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future; rather, accept whatever happens to you with simplicity and then, you will be with Him and to His portion.”
 
In contrast to Rashi’s analysis, Onkelos’ (First Century C.E.) approach to our pasuk, and throughout the entirety of his Aramaic translation of the Torah, suggests a very different connotation for tamim, namely, she’lim, or perfect and complete. Moreover, while Rashi focuses upon a person being wholehearted with God, Onkelos emphasizes the proper manner that one must adopt in their approach toward Hashem: “Perfect and complete you shall be regarding the awe and fear you should have for Hashem your God.”
 
Whether we adopt Rashi’s or Onkelos’ exposition of our pasuk, we need to examine “tamim” in the context of the Taryag Mitzvot; namely, is it included or excluded from the 613 Torah mitzvot? Not too surprisingly, the major disputants regarding this issue are the Rambam (1135-1204) and the Ramban (1194-1270).
 
The Rambam does not include “Be tamim with Hashem, your God” as a mitzvah in his Sefer HaMitzvot. In his critical comments on this work, the Ramban offers this rationale for its exclusion:

Perhaps the master thought that [“Be tamim with Hashem, your God”] is a general command that incorporates all mitzvot regarding the proper manner that one is obligated to walk on the paths of the Torah. [As such,] this matter is like the verse, “Praiseworthy are those whose way is perfect (temimei derech), who walk with the Law of Hashem.” (Sefer Tehillim 119:1) Therefore, he did not include this verse in his accounting. (Critical Notes to the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments Uncounted by the Rambam, number 8, translation and brackets my own)
 
The Ramban, however, rejects this approach and includes tamim in his listing of the Taryag Mitzvot:

The eighth mitzvah we are commanded is for our hearts to be perfectly aligned with Him may He be blessed. And this is as it is stated in the Torah: “Be tamim with Hashem, your God.” The essence of this command is that we should associate our hearts with Him alone, may He be blessed, and believe that He, and only He, performs all actions in the universe, and that He alone knows the truth as to what the future will bring. Moreover, it is solely from Him that we have permission to ascertain the nature of future events, through the vehicle of his prophets, or His men of mercy, namely, through the Urim v’Tumim. Consequently, we are prohibited from seeking out soothsayers and their ilk, and we must never believe their words will surely come to pass. (Critical Notes to the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments Uncounted by the Rambam, number 8, translation my own)
 
In sum, the Ramban maintains that “Be tamim with Hashem, your God” is included in the Taryag Mitzvot. In his view, this mitzvah mandates that we turn solely to Hashem and His earthly representatives for knowledge of forthcoming events. Concomitantly, we must absolutely reject the words and visions of necromancers who pretend to foretell the future through their divinations. By turning solely to Hashem, and by consciously rejecting the so-called prophecies of human oracles, we demonstrate our complete allegiance to Hashem, and we become tamim with Him.
 
Rav Tzadok HaKohen Rabinowitz of Lublin (1823-1900) views our verse, “Be tamim with Hashem, your God,” in a different light than the previous commentators. Rather than discussing the substantive content of, “be tamim,” he underscores the expression, “with Hashem, your God,” as the primary modality through which one can attain temimut. Yet, how can we be “with Hashem, your God?” Rav Tzadok channels a pasuk from Sefer Shemot that addresses this concern: “And you shall worship Hashem, your God, and He will bless your food and your drink, and I will remove illness from your midst.” (23:25) He notes that the verse explicitly states, “I will remove illness from your midst,” and explains its import:
All of this [the removal of illness from our midst] does not take place by itself. Only Hashem, may He be blessed, has the ability to remove [illness]. This is similar in kind to a filthy garment, even though you soak it in water, the person who is washing it must scrub at it until he removes its grime. Nonetheless, without water the dirt will not be removed. (Likutei Mamarim, page 86, this and the subsequent passage, translation and brackets my own)
 
Chazal often note that water is a metaphor for Torah. One classic example is found in Sefer Bereishit 37:24: “And they [Yosef’s brothers] took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty there was no water in it.” Rav Acha allegorically glosses the words “there was no water in it” as meaning there were no words of Torah. (Midrash Rabbah, Sefer Bereishit 24) Rav Tzadok follows this approach and states that Torah, and Torah alone, enables one to “be tamim with Hashem, your God:”
​
The reference to “water” specifically refers to divrei Torah [halacha] and divrei aggadah [non-halachic Torah subjects]. This is so, since through them, one may recognize He who spoke and thereby created the world and bask in the light of “the face” of the living King. [As such,] the Torah states: “Be tamim with the Hashem, your God,” [this means,] when one is with Hashem and His followers [that is, Torah scholars], then he will be perfect and complete without any lack whatsoever.
 
When viewed from this perspective, “be tamim with Hashem, your God,” is a reiteration of the spiritual charge issued to Avraham Avinu so long ago: “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be perfect (tamim).” This message is particularly apropos for the month of Elul, as we prepare ourselves for the Yamim Noraim and the coming new year.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we ever be like Avraham Avinu and serve Him in authenticity and temimut. V’chane yihi ratzon.  
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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 two seemingly contradictory pasukim:

However, there will be no needy (evyon) among you, for Hashem will surely bless you in the land Hashem, your God, is giving you for an inheritance to possess.” (Sefer Devarim 15:4)

For there will never cease to be needy (evyon) within the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, you shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor one, and to your needy one in your land. (15:11, All Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
When taken in tandem, these pasukim raise the following contradiction: “How can the first pasuk proclaim, ‘there will be no evyon among you,’” when the second no less explicitly states, “For there will never cease to be evyon within the land?’” The second century Midrash Sifrei suggests this resolution: “When you perform the will of the Omnipresent One, the poor will reside [solely] among the other nations; when, however, you fail to fulfill the will of the Omnipresent One, then there will be poor among you.” (Section 118:11, translation and brackets my own)
 
Unfortunately, to paraphrase the Sifrei, we live at a time in history when there are many poor among us. As such, we are obligated to fulfill Hashem’s decree, as found in the second half of 15:11: “You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor one, and to your needy one in your land.” In sum, this is the mitzvah of tzedakah. The word “tzedakah,” derives from the root word “tzedek” and connotes justice. Moreover, it is used precisely in this sense in the well-known verse, “Justice (tzedek), justice (tzedek) shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land Hashem, your God, is giving you.” (Sefer Devarim 16:20)
 
Tzedakah looms large in the collective experience of our people. Little wonder, then, that the Rambam (1135-1204) devotes an entire chapter of his Mishneh Torah to its singular import. Moreover, even though the Mishnah teaches us that Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi declared, “Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the rewards of the mitzvot,” (Pirkei Avot 2:1) the Rambam, basing himself upon Talmud Bavli, Baba Batra 9b, writes: “We are obligated to be careful with regard to the mitzvah of tzedakah to a greater extent than all [other] positive commandments… (Sefer Zeraim, Matnot Aniyim, 10:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)  In other words, even though we are urged to treat every mitzvah as being equal in kind, tzedakah is nonetheless different than all other positive commandments.
 
At this point we may ask in classic Jewish fashion, “How and why is this mitzvah different than all other positive commandments?” The Rambam offers the following response: “… because tzedakah is an identifying mark for a righteous person, a descendant of Avraham Avinu, as [the Torah] states: ‘I have known him, because he commands his children... to perform tzedakah.’” (Sefer Bereishit 18:19) Congruent with Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 79a, the Rambam is teaching us that giving tzedakah is one of the defining characteristics of the Jewish people, to the extent that “whenever a person is cruel and does not show mercy, his lineage is suspect” (Sefer Zeraim, Matnot Aniyim, 10:2, see, as well, Talmud Bavli, Beitzah 32b).
 
Given the fundamental nature of tzedakah within the behavior patterns of our people, the Rambam urges us to look upon all members of Klal Yisrael as being inextricably bound to, and responsible for, one another, “Kol Yisrael aravim zeh l’zeh:”
​
The entire Jewish people and all those who attach themselves to them are as brothers, as [the Torah] states: “You are children unto Hashem, your God.” (Sefer Devarim 14:1) And if a brother will not show mercy to a brother, who will show mercy to them? To whom [in this world] do the poor of Israel lift up their eyes? [Clearly, to one another.] (Sefer Zeraim, Matnot Aniyim, 10:2, brackets my own)
 
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevorchim Chodesh Elul. As Chazal teach us, Elul is particularly dedicated to introspection, self-analysis and authenticity in our mitzvot observance. Moreover, it is the time to embrace new and better behaviors toward one another and live lives wherein tzedakah helps define who and what we are. With Hashem’s help may this be so. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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 to love HaKadosh Baruch Hu is stated nine different times in Chamishah Chumshei Torah. Intriguingly, every instance of this mitzvah is found in Sefer Devarim, and four separate times in our parasha:

And now, O Israel, what does Hashem your God, demand of you? Only to fear Hashem, your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to worship Hashem your God, with all your heart and with all your soul (10:12).
 
[Therefore] you shall love Hashem, your God, keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments, all the days. (11:1)
 
And it will be, if you hearken to My commandments that I command you this day to love Hashem, your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul (11:13)
 
For if you keep all these commandments which I command you to do them, to love Hashem, your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him (11:22) (All Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Rambam (1135-1204) codifies this commandment in this manner: “It is a mitzvah to love and fear this glorious and awesome God, as [Sefer Devarim 6:5] states: ‘And you shall love God, your Lord and, as [Deuteronomy 6:13] states: ‘Fear God, your Lord.’” (Mishneh Torah, Yesodei HaTorah 2:1, this and the following Mishneh Torah translations, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
Many of us understand what it means to love a fellow human being. Yet, how can finite man love infinite God? This question seems paradoxical to its very core. Fortunately, we can turn, once again, to the Rambam:

What is the path [to attain] love and fear of Him? When a person contemplates His wondrous and great deeds and creations and appreciates His infinite wisdom that surpasses all comparison, he will immediately love, praise, and glorify [Him], yearning with tremendous desire to know [God’s] great name, as David stated: “My soul thirsts for Hashem, for the living God” [Psalms 42:3]. (2:2)
 
In sum, by encountering nature in all its majestic power, and by studying Hashem’s holy Torah, humankind “will immediately love, praise, and glorify [Him], yearning with tremendous desire to know [Hashem’s] great name.”
 
To what extent should we “yearn with tremendous desire to know Hashem’s great name?” The Rambam answers this question in words worthy of the most inspired poet:

What is the proper [degree] of love? That a person should love God with a very great and exceeding love until his soul is bound up in the love of God. Thus, he will always be obsessed with this love as if he is lovesick. [A lovesick person's] thoughts are never diverted from the love of that woman. He is always obsessed with her; when he sits down, when he gets up, when he eats and drinks. With an even greater [love], the love for God should be [implanted] in the hearts of those who love Him and are obsessed with Him at all times as we are commanded [Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love God...] with all your heart and with all soul.” King Solomon suggested this concept [Song of Songs 2:5] when he stated, as a metaphor: “I am lovesick.” [Indeed,] the totality of the Song of Songs is a parable describing [this love]. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 10:3, with my emendations to enhance readability)

To summarize the two key elements in the Rambam’s presentation: “A person should love God with a very great and exceeding love until his soul is bound up in the love of God,” and man must be so obsessed with his love of the Almighty that his waking moments are dedicated to the recognition of His glory.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, describes man’s yearning for Hashem in Kabbalistic metaphors:
​
Man approaches God at a rapid pace, where all his being, beset by the torment of fiery longing, is tensed toward the encounter with his divine lover. He is swept away by the surge of his yearning and carried aloft to the Infinite. Man’s being draws him with enchanted supernatural cords toward his God, who is the source of being. (And From There You Shall Seek, translation, Naomi Goldblum, page 69)
 
At this juncture we have:

• Established that ahavat Hashem is a mitzvah m’doraita (Torah obligation)
• Examined the affective and cognitive triggers that lead one to love G-d
• Demonstrated the unlimited desire and longing for Hashem that one is obligated to nurture within the deepest recesses of his or her being.

 
The most famous verse pertaining to ahavat Hashem, “And you shall love Hashem, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your means,” does not appear in our parasha. Instead, it is found in Parashat Va’etchanan and serves as the second verse of Shema Yisrael. Rabbeinu Ya’akov ben Asher (1269-1340) on this verse notes that the Hebrew word, “v’ahavta” contains the same letters as “ha’avot.” Moreover, he demonstrates through a variety of textual proofs that loving Hashem “with all your heart,” was the watchword of Avraham, “with all your soul,” was the maxim of Yitzhak, and “with all your means,” was of the hallmark of Ya’akov.
 
With the Almighty’s help, may we, too, emulate the Avot and Emahot, and live lives infused with ahavat Hashem. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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 sole instance in Tanach of the term “Va’etchanan” (“and I beseeched”). In his second explanation of this term, Rashi (1040-1105) notes: “This is one of the ten expressions that are called prayer that are found in the Sifre [the halachic midrash to Sefer Devarim].” He does not mention, however, the nine other terms that are mentioned in the Sifre (Note: our version of this midrash has 12):

1. Zaaka = to cry out
2. Naakah = cry
3. Shavah = sigh
4. Batzar = distress
5. Rinah = to call out
6. P’giah = entreat
7. Nipul = to fall down in supplication
8. Pilul = to metaphorically wrestle with Hashem
9. Atirah = implore
10. Amidah = standing
11. Chilui = to plead
12. Techina = to plead, beseech, entreat

 
While examples of tefilah are found throughout Tanach, its efficacy is a true mystery. The problem is straightforward: How can finite man communicate with the ineffable and infinite Creator? This difficulty is alluded to in Talmud Yerushalmi, Brachot 1:9:
​
Levi said: “The distance from the earth until the firmament would take 500 years for a man to traverse. The distance from each firmament to the next [of which there are seven] is 500 years as well. Moreover, the thickness of each firmament is a five-hundred-year journey and so, too, for each and every firmament.” Look how removed Hashem is from His world and [nonetheless] a man enters the synagogue, stands behind the prayer stand, silently prays and Hashem listens to his prayer!
 
Why does Hashem listen to our tefilah? This question speaks to the very heart of our relationship with Hashem. As such, it may be one of the most spiritually significant questions we can ask.
 
My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, wrestled with this question on numerous occasions. At first glance, one might think that Hashem hears our tefilot today because of zechut avot (the merits of our forebears). The Rav, however, based upon Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 55a, notes that during the time of the prophet Yechezkel (sixth century BCE), zechut avot ceased to exist between Hashem and the Jewish people. In the navi’s view, zechut avot could only extend so far. After many generations, we radically strayed from the values that Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov personified; little wonder, then, that Hashem ceased to look upon us as the rightful recipients of their extended merit.
 
The above analysis forces the question once again: Why does Hashem listen to our tefilah? The Rav responded to this question by citing Rabbeinu Tam’s (1100-1171) cogent comment (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 55a, s.v. u-Shmuel): “Zechut avot tamah, aval berit avot lo tamah.” This means even though zechut avot has ceased, we will always have berit avot (the Promise and Covenant of the Patriarchs). Berit avot, in contradistinction to zechut avot, is not contingent upon our behavior. Instead, Rav Soloveitchik suggests, it is an unconditional juridical agreement that can never be abrogated. Hashem absolutely promised us that He would ever deal with us in a manner that reflected the terms of this original contract, no matter how far we might stray. Berit avot is the unbreakable and immutable covenant to which Hashem and b’nai Yisrael are both party. Hashem “must” deal with us as Knesset Yisrael, the grand trans-historical entity that began with the avot in the lonely deserts of Eretz Yisrael.  Since each of us is an essential component of Knesset Yisrael, the Almighty listens to our prayers when they are uttered in a heartfelt fashion. In sum, the berit avot is l’olam voed. Moreover, it is our guarantee that our voice will always be heard. (Based upon Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s posthumous work, The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish'ah be-Av Kinot, pages 51-56)
 
We now have a new appreciation of what it means when we say “Shema koleinu Hashem Elokeinu” in the Shemoneh Esrai. This new understanding allows us to utter these words with a new sense of confidence and inspiration. Now, we know that Hashem will hear our prayers; He will hearken to our voice, for this is the very essence of the berit avot. This notion is truly comforting. Moreover, it may be the reason why Dovid Hamelech declares in Sefer Tehillim: “The Lord is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity (b’emet).” (Sefer Tehillim 145:18, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
May Hashem hear our prayers when we call Him b’emet, now, and for evermore. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
Many 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: https://www.box.com/s/7bf01f9abcabf02e25c3
 
*** 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.