Vayeilech – Peninim on the Torah

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

So now, write this song for yourselves. (31:19)

Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to write the Torah and teach it to the nation. The Torah is referred to here as a shirah, song. (Alternatively, shirah applies to Shiras Haazinu.) Writing the Torah is the last (613th) mitzvah, for the climax of all the mitzvos is their redactment followed by teaching and studying. This comes across as enigmatic. We would think that writing the Torah should be the first mitzvah. It is almost as if a child goes to school, studies all year, and, at the end of the year, receives a textbook. Should it not be the other way…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5785

ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני ביום ההוא

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayeilech

I will surely hide My face on that day. (31:18)

The first lesson to be derived from this pasuk is that Hashem’s Presence is otherwise always revealed. If we do not see His choreography in our lives it is either because we refuse to look, or we are plagued with myopic vision when it involves spirituality. If Hashem must “hide” His Presence, then it is always out in the open. Hester Panim, Divine Concealment, when suffering and confusion reign, one mistakenly may feel abandoned and alone. He is not. We find another seminal Anochi, which, superficially, is the opposite of this Anochi. Anochi Hashem Elokecha asher hotzeischa mei’eretz Mitzrayim, “I…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5785

וילך משה וידבר את הדברים האלה אל כל ישראל

Sruly Schnair In 5785, Vayeilech

Moshe went and spoke all these words to all of Yisrael. (31:1)

Ramban writes that, on the last day of his life, Moshe Rabbeinu went from camp to camp to comfort the Jewish people (individually) concerning his leaving this world. He said, “I am already of an advanced age, and you have very little benefit from me.” (Moshe was in perfect health, but he wanted to play down the void that would be left with his passing.) Horav Meir Tzvi Bergman, zl, observes the unparalleled level of derech eretz, proper conduct/common decency/respectful behavior/courtesy, manifest by Moshe. It was the last day of his life, the day on which the punishment preventing him…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5784

וילך משה וידבר את הדברים האלה אל כל ישראל

Sruly Schnair In 5784, Vayeilech

Moshe went and spoke these words to all of Yisrael. (31:1)

Moshe Rabbeinu first sealed the new covenant with all of Klal Yisrael. Then, he went from tribe to tribe to bid farewell to each of them. Ramban teaches that it was more than a mere “good-bye.” He came to console them regarding his imminent death. It was critical that their sadness concerning his departure from this mortal world not becloud the inherent joy accompanying the sealing of the covenant. Let us attempt to grasp the depth of our quintessential leader’s actions on the last day of his mortal life. This was the day that the punishment resulting from the mei…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

והיה כי תמצאן אותו רעות רבות וצרות וענתה השירה הזאת לפניו לעד

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeilech

It shall be that when many evils and distresses come upon it, then this song will speak up before it as a witness. (31: 21)

The word v’hayah, it shall be, is used to imply simchah, joy. We wonder what the portent of ra’os rabos v’tzaros, many evils and distresses, has to do with joy? On the surface, it comes across as a period which clearly does not denote simchah. Horav Yitzchak Yedidyah Frankel, zl (Rav of Tel Aviv), offers an inspiring explanation for the placement of the term v’hayah in connection with tzaros rabos. He quotes Chazal (Pesichta Eichah Rabbah) who relate a powerful dialogue that ensued between Avraham Avinu and “representatives” of the alef–beis, Hebrew alphabet. The Midrash relates Avraham Avinu’s defense of…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeilech

So now, write this song for yourselves. (31:19)

The last mitzvah in the Torah is the command to write a Sefer Torah. This mitzvah is incumbent upon everyone. If one cannot personally write a Sefer Torah, he should commission its writing. The poskim teach that any sefer, especially one which is a collection of his own chiddushim, original thoughts, has greater significance. Furthermore, one who is unable to write should designate a room in his house to serve as a study which houses his seforim. Indeed, the most important room in his home should be where his seforim are kept. We are the People of the Book. We…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת ולמדה את בני ישראל

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeilech

So now, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to Bnei Yisrael. (31:19)

The shirah, song, to which the Torah is referring is Shiras Haazinu, which is called a song because it is written in the form of poetic verse. The Rambam (Hilchos Sefer Torah 7:1) implies from here that it is a mitzvah for every Jew to write a Sefer Torah for himself. Although the Torah here says only to write a song, it is incumbent on us to write the entire Torah. It seems that the Torah is being written in order to write Shiras Haazinu. Why should the mitzvah of kesivas Sefer Torah, writing a Torah scroll, be presented in…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeilech

So now, write this song for yourselves. (31:19)

The Rambam in Hilchos Tefillin, Mezuzah V’Sefer Torah (7:1) writes, “It is a mitzvah from the Torah incumbent upon each and every Yid to write a Sefer Torah for himself, as it says in the pasuk, “V’atah kisvu lachem es ha’Shirah ha’zos.” (Since one cannot write parshiyos, chapters of the Torah, at various intervals and put them together, the exhortation to write Shiras Haazinu implies that it should be written as part of the entire Torah.) “Even if his forbears left him a Sefer Torah, he still has a mitzvah to write his own Sefer Torah. If he writes it…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

הקהל את העם האנשים והנשים והטף... למען ישמעו ולמען ילמדו... ובניהם אשר לא ידעו ישמעו ולמדו ליראה את ד'

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeilech

Gather together the people, the men, the women and the small children… so that they will hear and so that they will learn… and their children who do not know – they shall hear and they shall learn to fear Hashem. (31:12,13)

Sforno comments concerning the young children’s hearing and learning, “The young children assembled at the time of Hakhel, who are too young to be capable of appreciating the words read by the king, will nonetheless sense that something of significance is transpiring. Eventually, they will inquire and learn as they mature, for their curiosity and desire to know will have been aroused.” This explanation illuminates the practical benefit of attending the Hakhel for young people. The experience will ultimately cause them to pursue the Torah’s teachings when they mature and become capable of absorbing its lessons. We have no idea…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5783

ויצו משה את הלוים... לקח את ספר התורה הזה ושמתם אותו מצד ארון ברית ד' אלקיכם והיה שם בך לעד

Sruly Schnair In 5783, Vayeilech

Moshe commanded the Leviim… take the Book of the Torah and place it at the side of the Aron of the Covenant of Hashem, Your G-d, and it shall be there for you as a witness. (31:25,26)

Why were the Leviim the ones commanded to place the Sefer Torah next to/or inside the Aron? While it may be true that a Yisrael was not permitted entry into the Kodesh HaKodoshim, Holy of Holies, where the Aron was situated, neither were the Kohanim and Leviim permitted entry. Indeed, the only one who was allowed into the Kodesh HaKodoshim was the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. Otherwise, it was off-limits to everyone. As such, why were the Leviim singled out? Obviously, this was a one-time dispensation. If so, our question still stands. Why was Shevet Levi chosen above anyone…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> 5785 ->

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

So now, write this song for yourselves. (31:19)

ואנכי הסתר אסתיר פני ביום ההוא

I will surely hide My face on that day. (31:18)

וילך משה וידבר את הדברים האלה אל כל ישראל

Moshe went and spoke all these words to all of Yisrael. (31:1)

וילך משה וידבר את הדברים האלה אל כל ישראל

Moshe went and spoke these words to all of Yisrael. (31:1)

והיה כי תמצאן אותו רעות רבות וצרות וענתה השירה הזאת לפניו לעד

It shall be that when many evils and distresses come upon it, then this song will speak up before it as a witness. (31: 21)

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

So now, write this song for yourselves. (31:19)

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת ולמדה את בני ישראל

So now, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to Bnei Yisrael. (31:19)

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

So now, write this song for yourselves. (31:19)

הקהל את העם האנשים והנשים והטף... למען ישמעו ולמען ילמדו... ובניהם אשר לא ידעו ישמעו ולמדו ליראה את ד'

Gather together the people, the men, the women and the small children… so that they will hear and so that they will learn… and their children who do not know – they shall hear and they shall learn to fear Hashem. (31:12,13)

ויצו משה את הלוים... לקח את ספר התורה הזה ושמתם אותו מצד ארון ברית ד' אלקיכם והיה שם בך לעד

Moshe commanded the Leviim… take the Book of the Torah and place it at the side of the Aron of the Covenant of Hashem, Your G-d, and it shall be there for you as a witness. (31:25,26)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!