Sruly Schnair – Page 59 – Peninim on the Torah

ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת

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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה לי כי בשררות לבי אלך למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5782

When he hears the statement of this oath/curse, he will imagine self-blessings, saying, “Peace will be my lot when I shall follow what my thoughts envision, so that the quenched may be added to the thirsty.” (29:18)

The pasuk addresses the observant Jew who does not believe that Torah study is an absolute requirement. Horav Shimon Schwab, zl, observes that, throughout Tanach, thirst is a metaphor for the Jew’s desire to learn Torah. Torah is compared to water. The Navi Yeshayah (55:1) declares, Hoi kol tzamei la’mayim; “Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to water.” Chazal comment, “Water is always a symbol for Torah.” Having said this, we understand the pasuk to be intimating that Hashem will not forgive the fellow who is fully satiated (ravah) with his frumkeit, mitzvah observance, considering himself devout and righteous, reasoning…

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ויתשם ד' מעל אדמתם באף ובחמה ... וישלכם אל ארץ אחרת

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5782

Hashem removed them from upon their soil, with anger, with wrath …. He cast them to another land. (29:27)

Hashem was angry against the Land, to the point that He was about to bring on it the curses of the Torah. Instead, He removed Klal Yisrael from the Land and sent them into exile. Horav Yosef Nechemiah Kornitzer, zl, explains that actually being exiled from the Holy Land was to our benefit. Once the decree went out against the Land, it could not be rescinded. Had we been there, we would have suffered immeasurably – if we would even survive. Thus, Hashem’s benevolence and compassion shined through and came to the fore as it always does. He exiled us….

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ושבת עד ד' אלקיך ושמעת בקולו

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5782

And you will return to Hashem, your G-d, and listen to His voice. (30:2)

The reason for repentance should be a desire to come closer, to attach oneself to Hashem. This does not mean that teshuvah, repentance, spurred on by a desire to be rid of suffering, or to garner Heavenly blessing, is not effective. It certainly is. Teshuvah is effective. It is only that one who repents because he loves, achieves greater efficacy than one who repents out of fear. Furthermore, there is a designated time when one’s teshuvah is most appropriate and hence achieves greater productivity. During the forty-day period from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur, Hashem waits for us to…

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כי הוא חייך וארך ימיך

Sruly Schnair In Nitzavim, 5782

For He is your life and the length of your days. (30:20)

Hashem is our life. He sustains and infuses us with life. For this alone we should love Him. To do this, we must study His Torah for its sake. Love means to care only for the subject of one’s love – not for any other reason. One who studies Torah for ulterior motives will not come to love Hashem. We love G-d as a result of our love/study of the Torah. The two go hand in hand. Horav Reuven Karlinstein, zl, relates a story that he heard from the son of Horav Shmaryahu Greineman, zl, who never left the side…

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וענית ואמרת לפני ד' אלקיך

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5782

Then you shall call out and say before Hashem, your G-d. (26:5)

Bikkurim, offering the first fruits to the Kohen, symbolizes the Jew dedicating everything in his possession to Hashem. (Incidentally, our greatest possession is “ourselves.” Thus, we should keep in mind that we should wholly dedicate to Hashem, all of “ourselves”.) As part of the Bikkurim ritual, the one who brings the first fruits makes a declaration recording our history and salvation from such ignominious scoundrels as Lavan – who attempted to uproot the very underpinnings of our people by destroying Yaakov Avinu – to Pharaoh, the despot who enslaved us for over two centuries. He relates how we prayed, cried,…

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ובאו עליך כל הקללות האלה ... כי לא שמעת בקול ד' אלקיך לשמרמצותיו וחקתיו אשר צוך.

Sruly Schnair In Ki Savo, 5782

All these curses will come upon you … because you will not have hearkened to the voice of Hashem, your G-d, to observe His commandments and decrees that He commanded you. (28:45)

Halfway through the Tochachah, Rebuke, in the midst of the frightening curses, the Torah gives us two reasons for this formidable punishment: We did not listen to Hashem (i.e. did not perform His mitzvos); we did not serve Him with joy. Understandably, not listening, disregarding Hashem’s command, blatantly not observing His ordinances, is reason for such severe punishment. Should a Jew who serves Hashem without joy, whose observance is lackluster, be held in such contempt as to deserve these curses? Perhaps, we may suggest that the Torah is presenting only one reason: our lack of observance. The Torah, however, immediately…

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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)

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)

והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה לי כי בשררות לבי אלך למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה

When he hears the statement of this oath/curse, he will imagine self-blessings, saying, “Peace will be my lot when I shall follow what my thoughts envision, so that the quenched may be added to the thirsty.” (29:18)

ויתשם ד' מעל אדמתם באף ובחמה ... וישלכם אל ארץ אחרת

Hashem removed them from upon their soil, with anger, with wrath …. He cast them to another land. (29:27)

ושבת עד ד' אלקיך ושמעת בקולו

And you will return to Hashem, your G-d, and listen to His voice. (30:2)

כי הוא חייך וארך ימיך

For He is your life and the length of your days. (30:20)

וענית ואמרת לפני ד' אלקיך

Then you shall call out and say before Hashem, your G-d. (26:5)

ובאו עליך כל הקללות האלה ... כי לא שמעת בקול ד' אלקיך לשמרמצותיו וחקתיו אשר צוך.

All these curses will come upon you … because you will not have hearkened to the voice of Hashem, your G-d, to observe His commandments and decrees that He commanded you. (28:45)

YEARS

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