Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

Category

5773

YEARS

5751
5752
5753
5754
5755
5756
5757
5758
5759
5760
5761
5762
5763
5764
5765
5766
5767
5768
5769
5770
5771
5772
5773
5774
5775
5776
5777
5778

כי לא תשכח מפי זרעו

For it will not be forgotten out of the mouth of its children. (31:21)

This promise guarantees that our People – regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves – will never entirely forfeit its calling, never totally forget its mission, until the end of time. There will always survive within us a spiritual principle protected by Hashem Himself, through which again and again we will return and achieve a spiritual renaissance. I take the liberty of paraphrasing an inspiring paragraph from Horav S. R. Hirsch’s commentary to the end of this parsha. The Rav lived in Germany during a period when the reformers, heirs to the Haskalah, Enlightment movement, ran rampage over…

Continue Reading

ואמר ביום ההוא הלא על כי אין אלקי בקרבי מצאוני הרעות האלה

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)

One would think that Klal Yisrael’s acknowledgment of the sins which catalyzed Hashem’s wrath should be considered a sort of teshuvah, repentance. If so, why does it not inspire a reciprocal merciful response from Hashem – instead of continued concealment? Indeed, hester Panim, concealment of Hashem’s countenance, is a harsh punishment. What could be worse than being ignored by the Almighty? Ramban points out that, although the pasuk indicates feelings of introspection and an acknowledgment of shortcomings, it does not represent complete teshuvah. One is definitely on the correct road to repentance, but he is not yet there – not…

Continue Reading

הקהל את העם האנשים והנשים והטף... למען ישמעו ולמען ילמדו ויראו את ד'

You must assemble the nation, the men, and the women and the children… so that they may hear and that they may learn and fear G-d. (31:12)

Assembling men and women is understandable, but why the children? Do they even begin to understand what this event is about? Do children understand enough that what they hear at the public reading of the Torah would move and inspire them to study the law? Perhaps if they were all alone without their parents, our questions would have some basis. The Torah wants their parents to remain with them – not like the father who comes late to davening, drops off his son and proceeds to the Kiddush club. Bringing the child in such a manner truly has very little…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!