Vayeilech – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

When all Yisrael comes to appear before Hashem…in the place He will choose. You shall read this Torah in their ears… Gather together the people…so that they will hear so that they will learn…and be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. (31:11,12)

Once every seven years, on the first day of Chol Hamoed that followed the Shemittah year, all of Klal Yisrael was enjoined to gather together at the Bais Hamikdash to listen to the king read from Sefer Devarim. He would read pesukim that dealt with our allegiance to Hashem, the Covenant, and reward and punishment. The primary doctrine of Jewish life is the Torah. Without it, we are nothing. With it, we have the capacity for attaining the greatest spiritual rewards. Consequently, it is only proper that all Jews stand in affirmation of the Torah. Chazal infer from the Torah‘s…

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“Gather together the people — the men, the women, and the young children …” (31:12)

Rashi cites Chazal in the Talmud, Chagigah 3a, who explain that the men came to learn, while the women came to hear, and the children came to provide reward for those who brought them. According to Chazal, it seems that the parents had no particular reason for bringing their children other than providing an opportunity for themselves to receive reward. This is enigmatic! If the sole purpose of bringing the children was to avail the parents of reward they could have been rewarded for bringing wood or stone or anything else for that matter. Why did they specifically bring their…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“Summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Mo’ed and I shall instruct him.” (31:14)

We may note that up until this point whenever Moshe had been called upon to designate Yehoshua as his successor, he had given him orders to execute. In this instance, however, in the final moments as the mantle of leadership was actually transferred, we find that Hashem is the One Who issues Yehoshua’s charge. Horav Elie Munk, z.l., comments that although Moshe would no longer be directly involved in transmitting the Torah to Yehoshua, his student, he would nevertheless still remain a powerful influence upon him and all future leaders of Klal Yisrael. He cites the Zohar that makes a…

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“And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, and this people will rise up and stray after the gods of the foreigners of the land… And I will forsake them and I will conceal My face from them.'” (31:16,17)

The punishment for he who “strays” seems exceedingly harsh. Hashem does not “hide His face” and “turn away” from the average sinner. Why does this individual stand out in his punishment? This punishment is mentioned particularly in sharp contrast to the words of the Navi, Malachi, ofhkt vcuatu hkt ucua, “Return to me and I will return to you” (3:7). Or, as the Navi Hoshe’a declares, lbugc ,kaf hf lhekt ‘s sg ktrah vcua, “Return O Yisrael to Hashem your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity” (14:2). In these instances, the Jews are given a chance to repent,…

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“And I will surely have concealed My face on that day.” (31:18)

There will be times when Am Yisrael will be in such desperate straits that they will feel that Hashem has forsaken them as a result of their iniquity. Hashem responds to this fear, assuring that He will never forsake His People. His presence may be concealed, but it will never disappear. In a homiletic rendering of the pasuk, the Baal Shem Tov interprets the words rh,xt r,xv as, “I will hide the hidden.” Hashem will send His blessing in a concealed manner — through the vehicle of pain and suffering. In fact, the blessing will be hidden so well, the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Vayeilech

“So now, write this song for yourselves and teach it to the Bnei Yisrael, place it in their mouth.” (31:19)

In a sermon delivered at the writing of a new Sefer Torah, Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, z.l., offered the following parable to explain this pasuk. There once were two sisters who met a number of years after they had each been married. One sister, who had married a young man from a wealthy family, dressed in a manner which reflected her material success. The other sister had married a poor fellow who did not have the good fortune to better his lot during his married life. It was truly surprising that at their meeting both sisters bemoaned their lot in…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Vayeilech

“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Vayeilech

“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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“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5752, Vayeilech

“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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When all Yisrael comes to appear before Hashem…in the place He will choose. You shall read this Torah in their ears… Gather together the people…so that they will hear so that they will learn…and be careful to perform all the words of this Torah. (31:11,12)

“Gather together the people — the men, the women, and the young children …” (31:12)

“Summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Mo’ed and I shall instruct him.” (31:14)

“And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, and this people will rise up and stray after the gods of the foreigners of the land… And I will forsake them and I will conceal My face from them.'” (31:16,17)

“And I will surely have concealed My face on that day.” (31:18)

“So now, write this song for yourselves and teach it to the Bnei Yisrael, place it in their mouth.” (31:19)

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

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

“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)

“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)

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