Devarim – Page 10 – Peninim on the Torah

“How can I alone carry?” (1:12)

In the annual cycle of parshiyos, we always read Parashas Devarim, on the Shabbos preceding Tishah B’Av, our national day of mourning. This Shabbos is known as Shabbos Chazon, after the opening word of the Haftorah, Chazon Yeshayahu, where the Navi Yeshayahu foretells the great tragedy to befall the Jewish nation. Also, an obvious connection to Tishah B’Av is the word “Eichah,” how, which appears in Megillas Eichah, Book of Lamentations, that is read on Tishah B’Av. The Gaon M’Vilna sees a deeper connection between this parsha and Tishah B’Av in the third word of our pasuk, “levadi” – “Eichah esa…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Devarim

“You answered me and said, ‘The thing that you proposed to do is good.’” (1:14)

Rashi explains Moshe’s critique in the following manner: “You decided the matter to your benefit without considering that you were being disrespectful. You should have responded to the suggestion about instituting sub-leadership by saying, ‘Our teacher Moshe, from whom is it more appropriate to learn: you or your student? Is it not better to learn from you because you suffered over the Torah?’” The last few words, “because you suffered over the Torah,” seem to be superfluous. It would have been sufficient merely to posit that it is better to learn from the master than to learn from the student….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Devarim

“They came until the valley of Eshkol, and spied it out.” (1:24)

Avraham Avinu had three close friends and confidants: Avner, Eshkol and Mamre, whom he consulted when he was commanded to circumcise himself. Avner advised him not to do it because of his advanced age. Eshkol presented arguments in support of Avner’s advice. He felt that in Avraham’s weakened condition post-circumcision, his enemies would be able to overpower him. Mamre encouraged Avraham to circumcise himself. When the meraglim, spies, came to Eretz Yisrael, they stopped at Nachal Eshkol and picked a cluster of grapes which they brought back to Moshe. Horav Eli Munk, z.l., suggests an analogy between the episode of…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Devarim

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael… After he had smitten Sichon… On the other side of the Yarden in the land of Moav. (1:1,4,5)

Moshe Rabbeinu begins the fifth book of the Torah with an admonition to Klal Yisrael, reminding them of the myriad of sins which they had committed throughout the past forty years. Moshe spoke to all the people, not giving any individual the opportunity to say, “Had we been there, we would have refuted him.” We can learn from Moshe’s rebuke concerning the correct manner in which to reprove someone who has erred. Moshe waited until the last five weeks of his life to rebuke Klal Yisrael. He wanted to be sure that they would listen. The commentators offer a number…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Devarim

I said to you at the time… Let yourselves – wise, understanding men, known to your tribes, and I will place them at your head. And you answered me and said, “This thing which you have proposed to do is good.” (1:9,13,14)

Chazal view Moshe Rabbeinu’s words as a critique of Klal Yisrael. They should have answered, “Moshe, our teacher! From whom is it better to learn: From you or from your disciple? Surely from you, who exerted yourself so over the Torah.” Moshe understood what motivated their silence. They assumed that it would be easier to sway a judge who was one of them to their point of view. This type of attitude is not novel. Everybody wishes to face a judge whom they think will readily acquiesce to their point of view. One area of Moshe’s critique needs explaining. It…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Devarim

These are the words that Moshe spoke… All of you approached me. (1:1,22)

Moshe begins his rebuke of Klal Yisrael. He alludes to a number of sins, most of them by “remez,” hinting. He does not want to embarrass the people. He seeks to preserve their dignity. Why should the Torah list all of the details? He does this for most – except for two sins. Twice Moshe goes into detail, describing their error, how it began and what the consequences were. He agonizes about how they requested new judges. They would rather appeal their litigation to Moshe’s “students” than to the “teacher” himself. Moshe relates how his acquiescence to their request brought…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Devarim

Enough of your circling this mountain; turn yourselves northward. (2:3)

After thirty eight years in the wilderness, Klal Yisrael was once again at Har Seir. The nation was now instructed to turn to the north. The Kli Yakar interprets the word “tzafonah,” which usually means “north,” in its alternative definition, “hidden.” Accordingly, Hashem was telling Klal Yisrael, “Turn inward, hide yourselves.” He was implying that a Jew should maintain a low profile among his gentile neighbors. There is no reason to arouse their envy. This is similar to what Yaakov Avinu told his sons when he sent them to Egypt to purchase food, even though they had food at home. …

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Moshe Marcovich In 5758, Devarim

These are the words Moshe spoke to all Yisrael…(1:1)

Chazal tell us that these “devarim,” words, constituted the content of Moshe’s speech – divrei tochachah, words of reproachment. Moshe spoke to all of the Klal Yisrael, so that no individual would later say, “Had we been present we would have challenged his words.” Anyone who had an objection to Moshe’s admonishment had the opportunity to challenge Moshe, although nobody did so. Offering tochachah, reproach, is a serious endeavor which should not be undertaken lightly. It obliges every member of the Jewish community to try his hardest to improve his fellow man. Indeed, as Horav Shlomo Breuer, zl, writes,…

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Moshe Marcovich In 5758, Devarim

Enough of your dwelling on this mountain. (1:6)

A year had passed in which Klal Yisrael was situated at Har Sinai. It became time to move on to Eretz Yisrael. The Midrash defines the word “rav” as “abundance”; Klal Yisrael’s encampment at Har Sinai brought much benefit to them: the Torah, the Mishkan, the Zekeinim and other leaders. The Kli Yakar views the summons to leave Har Sinai as a practical lesson in attitude toward Torah. Moshe observed Klal Yisrael lingering at Har Sinai. They had become content with the Torah as a book of thought, a wonderful collection of laws brilliantly formulated by their Divine Author. They…

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Moshe Marcovich In 5758, Devarim

How can I alone bear your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels? (1:12)

The word “Eichah,” “how”, in this context is contrasted by Chazal to the exclamations of later prophets, who also used the word eichah to allude to the churban, destruction, of the Batei Mikdash. Notably, the baal koreih, Torah reader, chants this pasuk differently than the others, singing it to the tune of Eichah, Lamentations, which is read on Tisha B’Av. The obvious connection is the single word, eichah. The Gaon M’Vilna suggests a deeper connection between the two pesukim. In the third word of the pasuk Moshe says, “levadi” “alone,” (How can I alone bear?). A form of the word…

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“How can I alone carry?” (1:12)

“You answered me and said, ‘The thing that you proposed to do is good.’” (1:14)

“They came until the valley of Eshkol, and spied it out.” (1:24)

These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael… After he had smitten Sichon… On the other side of the Yarden in the land of Moav. (1:1,4,5)

I said to you at the time… Let yourselves – wise, understanding men, known to your tribes, and I will place them at your head. And you answered me and said, “This thing which you have proposed to do is good.” (1:9,13,14)

These are the words that Moshe spoke… All of you approached me. (1:1,22)

Enough of your circling this mountain; turn yourselves northward. (2:3)

These are the words Moshe spoke to all Yisrael…(1:1)

Enough of your dwelling on this mountain. (1:6)

How can I alone bear your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels? (1:12)

YEARS

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