Sefer Devarim
This is the only sefer in the whole Torah in which Moshe narrates the book. It is Moshe who is saying the “words, devarim.” The reason given for this is that by this point, Moshe became so in sync with Hashem that he could now give over His words. This is encouraging, since it is also the sefer in which we see how Moshe is punished by not being allowed to enter eretz Yisrael.
We are told here, “Hashem our G-d, spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘Enough of your dwelling by this mountain.’” According to R Kalman HaLevi Epstein, this teaches us that when we were at Mt. Sinai, G-d told us not to see every obstacle as an unconquerable mountain, but to fight any obstacles that could prevent improper conduct. What does this mean? Don’t sweat the small stuff. When stuff happens that seems to annoy us, we should try to see it in proportion – as the old adage goes, “don’t take life too seriously; nobody gets out alive anyway.” Yes indeed, life is hard and filled with obstacles, but step by step, it is possible to get through these.
This idea has been expanded by the Chernobler who said that the righteous will see mountains as molehills and the wicked will make mountains out of molehills. When Moshiach comes (speedily in our days), everything will be made clear and the righteous will see that what they had to overcome was very tough (but they rose to the challenge) and the wicked will see that what they had to cope with was actually very easy (but they didn’t manage it).
The word used for “enough” in our pasuk above is actually rav which can be translated as “a lot of.” So we can re-assess the pasuk with “a lot of you will sit on this mountain” which means that while we might physically go to Israel, we will still remain seated at Mt. Sinai with its constrictions etc. Wherever we go we will have Sinai behind us; it is our task in life to metaphorically move away from Sinai and rise above our everyday challenges.
We are told here, “Hashem our G-d, spoke to us in Horeb, saying, ‘Enough of your dwelling by this mountain.’” According to R Kalman HaLevi Epstein, this teaches us that when we were at Mt. Sinai, G-d told us not to see every obstacle as an unconquerable mountain, but to fight any obstacles that could prevent improper conduct. What does this mean? Don’t sweat the small stuff. When stuff happens that seems to annoy us, we should try to see it in proportion – as the old adage goes, “don’t take life too seriously; nobody gets out alive anyway.” Yes indeed, life is hard and filled with obstacles, but step by step, it is possible to get through these.
This idea has been expanded by the Chernobler who said that the righteous will see mountains as molehills and the wicked will make mountains out of molehills. When Moshiach comes (speedily in our days), everything will be made clear and the righteous will see that what they had to overcome was very tough (but they rose to the challenge) and the wicked will see that what they had to cope with was actually very easy (but they didn’t manage it).
The word used for “enough” in our pasuk above is actually rav which can be translated as “a lot of.” So we can re-assess the pasuk with “a lot of you will sit on this mountain” which means that while we might physically go to Israel, we will still remain seated at Mt. Sinai with its constrictions etc. Wherever we go we will have Sinai behind us; it is our task in life to metaphorically move away from Sinai and rise above our everyday challenges.
The question we have to ask ourselves in this parsha is, are we in the right place to seek out Hashem? The pasuk states: “From there you will seek Hashem, your
G-d, and you will find Him, if you search for him with all your heart and all your soul.” The Chiddushei Harim explained that if you search for G-d with all your heart, there you will find him [in your heart]. But the pasuk begins with uvekashtem (which isn’t translated here but informs us that we are beseeching G-d to be zocheh to seek Him out. You can’t just decide one day you’re going to seek out G-d; you must prepare yourself and doing that means beseeching G-d, requesting Him to put you in the place of being able to seek Him out.
In the amidah prayer we have many requests, from being healed, to being forgiven, to making our enemies go away, and more. But at the very end, we say to Hashem, My G-d, please open my lips and let me speak, in a sense saying, yes we’re asking all of this, but we need You Hashem, to help us be in the right place to ask it. Once we have asked G-d herewith to request us this journey, we then say tidreshaynu which means search. So we’re saying, please G-d, help us get misham (from there), to be able to really search for You. We’re making the first move; can You meet us halfway?
G-d just wants us to start, to begin, with no matter how much trepidation. He just wants to see us make the first move. How true is this also in our individual relationships when we see those close to us just make a first move, however small it may be. Thus we are the same with G-d. We start with please, then we show G-d we are there (in the right place to come close) and then we ask Him to guide us in our search.
G-d, and you will find Him, if you search for him with all your heart and all your soul.” The Chiddushei Harim explained that if you search for G-d with all your heart, there you will find him [in your heart]. But the pasuk begins with uvekashtem (which isn’t translated here but informs us that we are beseeching G-d to be zocheh to seek Him out. You can’t just decide one day you’re going to seek out G-d; you must prepare yourself and doing that means beseeching G-d, requesting Him to put you in the place of being able to seek Him out.
In the amidah prayer we have many requests, from being healed, to being forgiven, to making our enemies go away, and more. But at the very end, we say to Hashem, My G-d, please open my lips and let me speak, in a sense saying, yes we’re asking all of this, but we need You Hashem, to help us be in the right place to ask it. Once we have asked G-d herewith to request us this journey, we then say tidreshaynu which means search. So we’re saying, please G-d, help us get misham (from there), to be able to really search for You. We’re making the first move; can You meet us halfway?
G-d just wants us to start, to begin, with no matter how much trepidation. He just wants to see us make the first move. How true is this also in our individual relationships when we see those close to us just make a first move, however small it may be. Thus we are the same with G-d. We start with please, then we show G-d we are there (in the right place to come close) and then we ask Him to guide us in our search.
Ekev is translated in most chumashim in this context as rewards. The pasuk reads: “This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances and you observe and perform them, Hashem your G-d will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.” Ekev can also mean heel. This pasuk could therefore allude to the sort of mitzvah people don’t take seriously and tend to ‘tread on them with their heels.’ So according to Rashi, G-d assures Israel that if they are careful to observe even these neglected mitzvoth, thy can be sure G-d will reward them with His covenant of kindness. When one is careful with the smaller mitzvoth, G-d will protect the covenant for him. And if we take care of the light mitzvoth, G-d will perform measure for measure and give kindness to abate the difficulty experienced in performing the mitzvoth.
We are basically being promised here that we will merit Divine reward for treating the seemingly less significant mitzvoth with proper respect and likewise receive similar rewards when treating each other in the same respectful manner as well.
We are basically being promised here that we will merit Divine reward for treating the seemingly less significant mitzvoth with proper respect and likewise receive similar rewards when treating each other in the same respectful manner as well.
This is perhaps one of my favourite parshiot. It really speaks to me. We are told quite simply, “re’eh” and according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe z”l this refers to seeing G-d. The pasuk states, “See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse.” The question one might ask is, why do we need the seemingly superfluous “see”? Because the message here is not simply “I’m presenting a blessing and a curse before you” but rather, see me. The re’eh is a reference to how we see things. And in this case we are being told to see the blessing and a curse in a G-dly fashion. See the choices I am presenting to you, through My eyes, and then make your decision.
This is what re’eh – and the message of this parsha – is all about. Whatever you do in life, see it through the eyes of Hashem. Think about what He would want you to do. Act in a G-dly manner.
In addition, interestingly the pasuk is in the plural, but the re’eh is singular. Why? The message itself – the instruction as it were – is for the whole community. There is a blessing and a curse for you all to choose from. But the see, the real instruction, is for each individual. When G-d is telling us to see things through His eyes, He is talking to each one of us on a personal level. Because doing this, is a very personal thing. We all connect to Hashem on our own, individual level, and that is why the instruction is in the singular.
This is what re’eh – and the message of this parsha – is all about. Whatever you do in life, see it through the eyes of Hashem. Think about what He would want you to do. Act in a G-dly manner.
In addition, interestingly the pasuk is in the plural, but the re’eh is singular. Why? The message itself – the instruction as it were – is for the whole community. There is a blessing and a curse for you all to choose from. But the see, the real instruction, is for each individual. When G-d is telling us to see things through His eyes, He is talking to each one of us on a personal level. Because doing this, is a very personal thing. We all connect to Hashem on our own, individual level, and that is why the instruction is in the singular.
We are told here, “Justice, justice, you shall chase, so that you will live and possess the land that Hashem your G-d gives you.” Since we know the Torah doesn’t waste words, why the seemingly superfluous repetition of “justice”? According to R Bunam of Pshischa we are being told to pursue justice through justice. I love this idea. So often one gets caught up in “trying to do the right thing,” getting to the goal, that through this they end up acting in a despicable manner. I’ll give tzedakah but I won’t earn my money truthfully. This is the antithesis of pursuing justice through justice. We are being told to pursue justice but to ensure that we do not negate the ends for the means in the process.
An idea I had regarding the repetition is we should think twice before making judgments. It’s all too easy to say this is right and this is wrong, but if we really think about the whole situation in its entirety, we might change our minds. Use the two levels of “justice” as indicated here to make a more informed, less judgmental, decision.
Pursuing justice is not easy. That is why Chazal explains this pasuk to mean that you should even leave a city to ensure you have a just court – that is what it means by chasing justice. But on our own individual level, we have the opportunity, nay, the responsibility to always justly look for justice in everything we do.
An idea I had regarding the repetition is we should think twice before making judgments. It’s all too easy to say this is right and this is wrong, but if we really think about the whole situation in its entirety, we might change our minds. Use the two levels of “justice” as indicated here to make a more informed, less judgmental, decision.
Pursuing justice is not easy. That is why Chazal explains this pasuk to mean that you should even leave a city to ensure you have a just court – that is what it means by chasing justice. But on our own individual level, we have the opportunity, nay, the responsibility to always justly look for justice in everything we do.
In this parsha, replete with laws, we are told, “You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and Hashem your G-d redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing.” It seems that this pasuk is somewhat misplaced and a little strange. Are we being told, well, things were really bad for you, I, Hashem made them better, and now I command you to do what I say? No. Hashem is telling us, remember, things were bad, you were slaves and it was hard, but now things are really good. What does this mean? Nothing stays the same forever. Things were bad and now they’re good.
What we can learn from this is that even if we do feel things are terrible, they won’t always be like that. Things can – and really do – change, the whole time. Just because you are feeling bad one day, doesn’t mean it has to last.
Now we see how the pasuk fits in to our parsha. Remember you were a slave in Egypt and use that memory to realize it, or any of life’s other troubles, can hit you at any time. So be a Torah-observant Jew and you’ll be able to live a better quality life with Hashem on your side.
What we can learn from this is that even if we do feel things are terrible, they won’t always be like that. Things can – and really do – change, the whole time. Just because you are feeling bad one day, doesn’t mean it has to last.
Now we see how the pasuk fits in to our parsha. Remember you were a slave in Egypt and use that memory to realize it, or any of life’s other troubles, can hit you at any time. So be a Torah-observant Jew and you’ll be able to live a better quality life with Hashem on your side.
This parsha teaches about the first fruits. We are commanded, “…that you shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land that Hashem your G-d gives you…” The lesson here is obvious. We have to bring davka the first fruits as the first is what we value as most precious. At our most ecstatic moments, it is crucial that we recognize G-d and make a sacrifice. That is the reason for the pidyon haben as well; we are grateful that we have been given a first-born son with relatively little trauma to mother and child. At the height of our joy, we stop to recognize this and truly thank Hashem.
Connected to this is the idea that we don’t forget our humble beginnings. The annual bringing of the bikkurim ensures we remember “the earth is Hashem’s and all in it.” We realize this when we say “your land,” understanding that the land is G-d’s. When we have a baby, it is our son, but this is quickly followed by a brit mila, an entrance of the son into the Covenant with G-d. So enjoy G-d’s world for sure, but remember indeed it is His world, and be grateful for all that He has bestowed upon us.
Connected to this is the idea that we don’t forget our humble beginnings. The annual bringing of the bikkurim ensures we remember “the earth is Hashem’s and all in it.” We realize this when we say “your land,” understanding that the land is G-d’s. When we have a baby, it is our son, but this is quickly followed by a brit mila, an entrance of the son into the Covenant with G-d. So enjoy G-d’s world for sure, but remember indeed it is His world, and be grateful for all that He has bestowed upon us.
“Nitzavim” means “standing.” It’s usually followed by the parsha “Vayelech,” which means “and he went.” The two parshiot are often read on the same Shabbat. The message with this is that at some points in our lives we are simply “standing,” listening, stopping, pausing, and at other points we must get up and go. The challenge is to decide when to do what. In this parsha, always read before Rosh Hashanah, it is the perfect time to stop, pause, reflect. We are told, “You are standing today, all of you, before the L-rd your G-d…to enter a covenant.” That’s exactly what we must do come Tishrei, stop and reflect, stand before our G-d, especially since Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of man. The message is also for all of us, individually as it is in the plural. Every one of us has a duty to appear before G-d, standing, solid, alone in our own thoughts even if we are part of a community.
We need to stand together so that we can be part of a community, but also because only as a unit, can we fulfill all of G-d’s commandments. There are some laws only men can do; some only women; some only in eretz Yisrael, etc. so this proves that we all need each other. That’s the point. No (wo)man is an island and we must all work together for the greater good.
We need to stand together so that we can be part of a community, but also because only as a unit, can we fulfill all of G-d’s commandments. There are some laws only men can do; some only women; some only in eretz Yisrael, etc. so this proves that we all need each other. That’s the point. No (wo)man is an island and we must all work together for the greater good.
We are told, “And Moses went and spoke these words to all of Israel.” The question is of course, where did Moshe go? According to Rav Moshe Feinstein z”l, he went to fulfill G-d’s last commandment to him, which was that it was his time to die. What this teaches us is that so immersed was Moshe in G-d’s will, that he was even able to accept the decree that he die and not be let in to eretz Yisrael. He was only able to view it from afar. The theory goes according to Feinstein, that had Moshe not accepted G-d’s commandment, he would have remained alive! But Moshe was on such a high madreiga that he accepted G-d’s will.
This parsha comes the week before my son’s birthday. We named him Golan Moshe and I see now what nevua my husband really had (in choosing his first name and his second name is after his great grandfather z”l). We are told we get nevua in naming our children and in this parsha we see the level of connection to G-d that Moshe had to Hashem. But we also see his sadness. He stood at the edge, looking over to the Golan and made his peace with the world by accepting totally Hashem, the yoke of all mitzvoth. There can be no greater way of living or dying and it is my beracha and hope that my son merit the same connection and commitment to Torah and yiddishkeit.
This parsha comes the week before my son’s birthday. We named him Golan Moshe and I see now what nevua my husband really had (in choosing his first name and his second name is after his great grandfather z”l). We are told we get nevua in naming our children and in this parsha we see the level of connection to G-d that Moshe had to Hashem. But we also see his sadness. He stood at the edge, looking over to the Golan and made his peace with the world by accepting totally Hashem, the yoke of all mitzvoth. There can be no greater way of living or dying and it is my beracha and hope that my son merit the same connection and commitment to Torah and yiddishkeit.
The parsha begins: “Listen O heavens, and I will speak; hear O earth, the words of my mouth.” Ha’azinu, the parsha iy”H my son Golan Moshe will have his barmitzvah on, is a poem. To me, this is fitting since my son himself is pure poetry. Sweet, sensitive, fun loving and all the gentle things poetry should be to the recipient.
We have to ask why two different words are used in this pasuk: listen and hear. Listen is a command and needs active work, but hear is something one does passively; it just happens; whether you want to or not, you will hear something. Maybe that something is something you don’t want to hear like a loud noise from your neighbours while you are trying to sleep. Maybe it is the voice of truth – Hashem’s commandments to us – and that something keeps coming back to us. As well, this could mean that we human mortals are represented by the earth, and the angels are represented by the heavens. So it would make sense that we are hearing something that might be difficult – but at the same time our duty – to act on.
Moses would only speak once the heavens became available, but the earth had no choice as it (the people) would always hear the words of the L-rd. The angels don’t have the same task as man; so they have to be told to listen but humans (the earth) have a duty and a responsibility and yet at the same time they are able to make a choice: to take on the truth of G-d’s law, or reject it. But it is there for them the whole time and thus we are being told to hear it, not drown it out, but do something with what we are hearing; follow the right path.
It is my hope, dream and prayer that Golan Moshe really hears the words of Hashem and thereafter chooses to follow His will, while at the same time, truly enjoying His world, in his own special, individual way.
beH at the time of posting this piece, it is 8 years on this parsha that Golan Moshe Sass will be bar-mitzvahed.
We have to ask why two different words are used in this pasuk: listen and hear. Listen is a command and needs active work, but hear is something one does passively; it just happens; whether you want to or not, you will hear something. Maybe that something is something you don’t want to hear like a loud noise from your neighbours while you are trying to sleep. Maybe it is the voice of truth – Hashem’s commandments to us – and that something keeps coming back to us. As well, this could mean that we human mortals are represented by the earth, and the angels are represented by the heavens. So it would make sense that we are hearing something that might be difficult – but at the same time our duty – to act on.
Moses would only speak once the heavens became available, but the earth had no choice as it (the people) would always hear the words of the L-rd. The angels don’t have the same task as man; so they have to be told to listen but humans (the earth) have a duty and a responsibility and yet at the same time they are able to make a choice: to take on the truth of G-d’s law, or reject it. But it is there for them the whole time and thus we are being told to hear it, not drown it out, but do something with what we are hearing; follow the right path.
It is my hope, dream and prayer that Golan Moshe really hears the words of Hashem and thereafter chooses to follow His will, while at the same time, truly enjoying His world, in his own special, individual way.
beH at the time of posting this piece, it is 8 years on this parsha that Golan Moshe Sass will be bar-mitzvahed.
I find this a pretty tough parsha to end things. Moshe, our great hero and leader, is being told that he can’t go into eretz Yisrael. This should have been the pinnacle of his career, what he’s worked for his entire life, but he is being denied it. And the way he is being told seems pretty harsh and in yer face too: “And G-d said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, saying, I will give it to your offspring. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross over to there.’ So Moses, servant of G-d, died there, in the land of Moab, by the mouth of G-d.”
Ohr HaChaim offers a somewhat comforting explanation. His Kabbalistic idea is that all souls have to go through eretz Yisrael en route to olam habbah but since Moshe was on such a high level, his soul was able to get there from wherever he was. He didn’t need to go through eretz Yisrael.
Perhaps. Or perhaps Hashem was sparing Moshe. Moshe had dreamed of eretz Yisrael his whole life and he may have been disappointed with what he saw. Perhaps on some level Hashem was doing him a chesed by not letting him in as ultimately he may have felt let down by his fantasy of the land, as opposed to the reality he ultimately would have seen.
At the end of the day though, perhaps the lesson is even simpler than that. We don’t know why Moshe was seemingly punished so harshly, just like we don’t know why a lot of things happen in our life. Perhaps this is just to teach us that if even our great hero Moshe didn’t understand, why should we be so conceited to think that we can understand the workings of Hashem either.
Ohr HaChaim offers a somewhat comforting explanation. His Kabbalistic idea is that all souls have to go through eretz Yisrael en route to olam habbah but since Moshe was on such a high level, his soul was able to get there from wherever he was. He didn’t need to go through eretz Yisrael.
Perhaps. Or perhaps Hashem was sparing Moshe. Moshe had dreamed of eretz Yisrael his whole life and he may have been disappointed with what he saw. Perhaps on some level Hashem was doing him a chesed by not letting him in as ultimately he may have felt let down by his fantasy of the land, as opposed to the reality he ultimately would have seen.
At the end of the day though, perhaps the lesson is even simpler than that. We don’t know why Moshe was seemingly punished so harshly, just like we don’t know why a lot of things happen in our life. Perhaps this is just to teach us that if even our great hero Moshe didn’t understand, why should we be so conceited to think that we can understand the workings of Hashem either.