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בנים אתם לד' אלקיכם לא תתגודדו ולא תשימו קרחה בין עיניכם למת

You are children to Hashem, your G-d, do not mutilate yourselves and do not make a bald patch between your eyes for the dead. (14:1)

The Baalei Tosfos comment, “You are children to Hashem, your G-d; therefore, if your father of flesh and blood dies, do not mutilate yourselves, for you are not orphans, since you have a living father.” Every Jew should sense such a closeness with Hashem. Quoting this commentary, a gadol wrote the following to a woman who had sustained the tragic loss of her husband: “True, you and your children have suffered a terrible blow, but, at the same time, you have received a Redeemer Who is closer to you than any other (being that she is now a widow and…

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בנים אתם לד' אלקיכם לא תתגודדו ולא תשימו קרחה בין עניכם למת

“You are children to Hashem, your G-d; do not mutilate yourselves and do not make a bald patch between your eyes for the dead.” (14:1)

Imagine the waiting line to see the king. Many people of all backgrounds and positions are each waiting for a moment of the king’s time. The king’s son, crown prince of the country, takes his place at the back of the line. A minister comes over and asks: “What is his royal highness doing at the back of the line? The king is your father! You can go in at any time! Why wait in a line with everybody else?” This is the meaning of, “You are children to Hashem, your G-d.” He is our Heavenly Father, and, as such,…

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ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

See! I place before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

Noticeably, the Torah begins with the word Reeh, see, in the singular, and concludes with nosein lifneichem, “(I) give before you,” in the plural. Why is this? The Kotzker Rebbe, zl, explains that each and every person has his own unique perspective and individual understanding of Torah which coincides with his spiritual level. Thus, it says, “See,” to the individual. The Torah, however, was given to all Jews collectively, which is alluded to by the words lifneichem, before you, in the plural. Horav Yitzchak, zl, m’Vorka, traveled together with Horav Avraham Moshe, zl, m’Peshischa to visit a certain tzaddik, holy,…

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ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

See! I present before you today a blessing and a curse. (11:26)

The Daas Zekeinim m’Baalei Tosfos offer a novel interpretation of the word reeh, see, focusing on what it was the nation was to look at. Moshe Rabbeinu said to Klal Yisrael: “See – look at me. I chose the derech tov, the path which leads to blessing. As a result, I look different.” This is reference to the karnei or, rays of Divine light, which emanated from Moshe, causing his countenance to radiate. Horav Eliyahu Svei, zl, observes that, although Moshe presented the people with a choice of two divergent paths, one, which leads to blessing, and the other, which…

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