Vayeilech – Page 8 – Peninim on the Torah

My anger will flare against it…And many evils and distress will encounter it…It will say on that day, “Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?” (31:17)

Klal Yisrael’s sins incurred Hashem’s wrath, as well as His consequent concealment of Himself from them. The pasuk goes on to state that even after Klal Yisrael acknowledged that they were suffering as a result of Hashem’s removal of His Presence from their midst, Hashem continued to conceal Himself from them. While this may be a particularly severe punishment, we are told later that regardless of our sins, the Torah will never be forgotten from our People. If we have the Torah, we still can maintain hope for ultimate reconciliation after we have fully repented. In addressing the meaning of…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5757

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Vayeilech

At the end of seven years, at the time of the sabbatical year, on the festival of Succos…gather together the people–the men, the women, and the small children…so that they will hear and so that they will learn, and they shall fear Hashem. (31: 10,12)

veryone came together to hear the word of Hashem, as the king publicly read from the Torah. The mitzvah of Hakhel was performed in such a manner as to include every segment of the Jewish People. Indeed, the Midrash questions the need for bringing along the young children. Chazal tell us, “The men came to learn; the women to hear; and the infants came to provide reward for those who brought them.” We may question the reward provided for those who brought their infants. After all, if there was no intrinsic purpose in bringing the children, why did their parents…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Vayeilech

And Moshe went. (31:1)

Moshe went. From where did he come, and to where did he go? The pasuk does not address these simple questions. He simply went! Horav S.Y. Levin, zl, distinguishes between amidah, standing still, and halichah, walking/moving. Each one has its own advantage according to the situation. Moving forward is beneficial, as long as one goes in the right direction. If one has a prescribed course and he maintains it, then the more he walks, the closer he moves to his destination. In such a situation, moving is obviously more advantageous than standing still. Conversely, when one is lost — or…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Vayeilech

And Hashem said to Moshe, Behold your days are drawing near to die, summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Moed, and I shall instruct him. (31:14)

It would seem that Hashem could instruct Yehoshua, even if Moshe’s days were not drawing to a climax. Why does the Torah seem to emphasize that Yehoshua was receiving his instruction only because Moshe’s life was ending? Could Yehoshua not have received his charge after Moshe’s demise? The Netziv, zl, cites Chazal in the Talmud Bava Basra 75a who teach us that the zekeinim, elders of that generation, compared the “face” of Moshe to the “face” of the sun and the “face” of Yeshoshua to that of the moon. The analogy is interpreted in the following manner: The moon receives…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5756

Sruly Schnair In 5756, Vayeilech

When all Yisrael comes to appear before Hashem…in the place He will choose. You shall read this Torah in their ears… Gather together the people…so that they will hear so that they will learn…and be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. (31:11,12)

Once every seven years, on the first day of Chol Hamoed that followed the Shemittah year, all of Klal Yisrael was enjoined to gather together at the Bais Hamikdash to listen to the king read from Sefer Devarim. He would read pesukim that dealt with our allegiance to Hashem, the Covenant, and reward and punishment. The primary doctrine of Jewish life is the Torah. Without it, we are nothing. With it, we have the capacity for attaining the greatest spiritual rewards. Consequently, it is only proper that all Jews stand in affirmation of the Torah. Chazal infer from the Torah‘s…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“Gather together the people — the men, the women, and the young children …” (31:12)

Rashi cites Chazal in the Talmud, Chagigah 3a, who explain that the men came to learn, while the women came to hear, and the children came to provide reward for those who brought them. According to Chazal, it seems that the parents had no particular reason for bringing their children other than providing an opportunity for themselves to receive reward. This is enigmatic! If the sole purpose of bringing the children was to avail the parents of reward they could have been rewarded for bringing wood or stone or anything else for that matter. Why did they specifically bring their…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“Summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Mo’ed and I shall instruct him.” (31:14)

We may note that up until this point whenever Moshe had been called upon to designate Yehoshua as his successor, he had given him orders to execute. In this instance, however, in the final moments as the mantle of leadership was actually transferred, we find that Hashem is the One Who issues Yehoshua’s charge. Horav Elie Munk, z.l., comments that although Moshe would no longer be directly involved in transmitting the Torah to Yehoshua, his student, he would nevertheless still remain a powerful influence upon him and all future leaders of Klal Yisrael. He cites the Zohar that makes a…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, and this people will rise up and stray after the gods of the foreigners of the land… And I will forsake them and I will conceal My face from them.'” (31:16,17)

The punishment for he who “strays” seems exceedingly harsh. Hashem does not “hide His face” and “turn away” from the average sinner. Why does this individual stand out in his punishment? This punishment is mentioned particularly in sharp contrast to the words of the Navi, Malachi, ofhkt vcuatu hkt ucua, “Return to me and I will return to you” (3:7). Or, as the Navi Hoshe’a declares, lbugc ,kaf hf lhekt ‘s sg ktrah vcua, “Return O Yisrael to Hashem your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity” (14:2). In these instances, the Jews are given a chance to repent,…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“And I will surely have concealed My face on that day.” (31:18)

There will be times when Am Yisrael will be in such desperate straits that they will feel that Hashem has forsaken them as a result of their iniquity. Hashem responds to this fear, assuring that He will never forsake His People. His presence may be concealed, but it will never disappear. In a homiletic rendering of the pasuk, the Baal Shem Tov interprets the words rh,xt r,xv as, “I will hide the hidden.” Hashem will send His blessing in a concealed manner — through the vehicle of pain and suffering. In fact, the blessing will be hidden so well, the…

Home -> Vayeilech -> 5755

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“So now, write this song for yourselves and teach it to the Bnei Yisrael, place it in their mouth.” (31:19)

In a sermon delivered at the writing of a new Sefer Torah, Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, z.l., offered the following parable to explain this pasuk. There once were two sisters who met a number of years after they had each been married. One sister, who had married a young man from a wealthy family, dressed in a manner which reflected her material success. The other sister had married a poor fellow who did not have the good fortune to better his lot during his married life. It was truly surprising that at their meeting both sisters bemoaned their lot in…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> 5757 ->

My anger will flare against it…And many evils and distress will encounter it…It will say on that day, “Is it not because my G-d is not in my midst that these evils have come upon me?” (31:17)

At the end of seven years, at the time of the sabbatical year, on the festival of Succos…gather together the people–the men, the women, and the small children…so that they will hear and so that they will learn, and they shall fear Hashem. (31: 10,12)

And Moshe went. (31:1)

And Hashem said to Moshe, Behold your days are drawing near to die, summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Moed, and I shall instruct him. (31:14)

When all Yisrael comes to appear before Hashem…in the place He will choose. You shall read this Torah in their ears… Gather together the people…so that they will hear so that they will learn…and be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. (31:11,12)

“Gather together the people — the men, the women, and the young children …” (31:12)

“Summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Mo’ed and I shall instruct him.” (31:14)

“And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, and this people will rise up and stray after the gods of the foreigners of the land… And I will forsake them and I will conceal My face from them.'” (31:16,17)

“And I will surely have concealed My face on that day.” (31:18)

“So now, write this song for yourselves and teach it to the Bnei Yisrael, place it in their mouth.” (31:19)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!