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“And they will say one day, is it not because our G-d is not among us that these evils have come upon us? And I will surely hide My face in that day. For all the evil which they wrought in that they turned to other gods.” (31:17,18)

Horav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch Z”l emphasizes the speaker’s audacity. The sinned does not say, “I have sinned because Hashem has forsaken me.” Rather, he says, “It is because Hashem is not in my midst that I have sinned.” He does not find fault in his own behavior, so that he accepts responsibility for his own actions. Instead, he finds Hashem’s “behavior” to be the cause of his misfortune! He perceives that Hashem, whom he still refers to as his G-d, has abdicated his promise to protect and support him. If Hashem had only kept His promise, such sufferings would not…

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“And there shall come upon them many evils and troubles; so that they will say in that day; is it not because our G-d is not among us, that these evils have come upon us?” (31:17)

We may note the contrast in the text between the beginning and the end of this pasuk. While the posuk begins with the phrase many evils and troubles, at the end it only uses the word bad. What stimulated the transition, which has diminished this individual’s troubles? In order to resolve this problem, we must first understand the true meaning of ,urm – troubles. The origin of this word is rm which implies tightness or restriction. This alludes to moments when one is so tormented by troubles that he feels enveloped and unable to maneuver himself out from under the…

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“And Hashem said to Moshe, behold your days approach that you must die.” (31:14)

  The Midrash mentions a poignant story which can serve as a lesson for us, especially during the current Days of Awe. The great sage, Rabbi Shimon Ben Chalafta, went to a bris milah, at which the child’s father made an impressive feast. In fact, after serving a very old wine to the guests, the father proudly proclaimed that he would age a portion of this wine for the future joyful occasions of his son. Upon leaving this feast, the sage encountered the Angel of Death, who seemed to be in a “happy mood.” he questioned the angel as to…

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“Assemble the people, the men, and the women, and the little children.” (31:12)

Rashi explains that the purpose of including the little children was to compensate those who had brought them. It seems peculiar that parents should be enjoined to bring little children to this great assemble only for the purpose of receiving reward! We may suggest the following lessons to be derived from this imperative. First, education is not bound by a specific time frame. Parents should seek to educate their children from an early age. Indeed, in this case, infants were being educated subconsciously, since they were too young to understand the words of Torah!   The Talmud states that Rabbi…

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