V’zos HaBrachah – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

And they were brought in at Your feet, He would bear Your utterances.(33:3)

In the Talmud Bava Basra 8a, Chazal interpret this pasuk as a reference to talmidei chachamim, Torah scholars, who cut their feet going from town to town and country to country to learn Torah. Horav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita, relates the story of a certain gadol, Torah leader, who grew up in abject poverty. He was able to continue his Torah studies unimpeded due to his mother’s singular devotion to Torah. Winter cold and frost presented a unique problem for his mother. She had three sons who attended cheder and their shoes were not fit for walking in the cold and…

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תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

“The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Yaakov.” (33:4)

The Midrash in Sefer Vayikra cites the following story: An illiterate Jew approached Rabbi Yanai with a complaint, “Why are you holding on to my rightful inheritance?” Rabbi Yanai immediately countered, “What are you talking about? I am not aware of anything of yours that is in my possession.” The man did not budge. “You have something of mine!” he screamed. The Tanna had no idea who this man was, let alone that he had anything in his possession that belonged to him. “Do you think that simply because I am illiterate you can take advantage of me?” the man…

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וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim befit Your devout one. (33:8)

Moshe begins his blessing by addressing the Kohanim. Then, he speaks to the rest of the tribe. The praises that he sings are truly impressive and certainly warranted. Are we to ignore the fact, however, that the greatest controversy in the history of the nascent Jewish nation was initiated by a member of the tribe of Levi? The machlokes Korach, controversy of Korach, is one of the saddest moments in our history. Moshe Rabbeinu, also a member of the tribe of Levi, seems to have glossed over it. Why? Surely it must have pained him to recall that bitter dispute…

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שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

Rejoice, O’Zevulun, in your excursions, and Yissachar in your tents. (33:18)

arav Chaim Alpandri, zl, distinguishes between the machazik Torah, supporter of Torah, and the lomeid Torah, one who studies Torah. He notes that he who studies Torah receives great reward in Olam Haba, the World to Come. In addition, Torah study protects him from the blandishments of the yetzer hara, evil inclination. An antidote for the yetzer hara, Torah provides a therapeutic bulwark against the yetzer hara’s efforts to sway a person away from Hashem. While the Torah supporter certainly receives his due reward in Olam Haba, he might venture that reward and protection are not synonymous. In other words,…

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וימת שם משה עבד ה'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5764, V'zos HaBrachah

So Moshe, the servant of Hashem, died there. (34:5)

Moshe Rabbeinu was certainly a uniquely gifted individual. In fact, he must have been exceedingly brilliant by anyone’s standard. To have learned the entire Torah in forty days is no simple feat. It required acumen above the realm of an ordinary man. He had this plus the gift of Hashem’s Divine Inspiration. Yet, as Horav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv, Shlita, notes, when the Torah praises Moshe, it only lauds his humility. “Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth!” (Bamidbar 12:3). Apparently, success in Torah is not measured by the yardstick of…

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ויהי בישרון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד שבטי ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

He became King over Yeshurun when the members of the nation gathered — the tribes of Yisrael in unity. (33:5)

Rashi explains that Hashem is Klal Yisrael’s King in the most complete sense only when the people unite to do His will. Just as achdus, unity, prevailed at Har Sinai when all of Klal Yisrael accepted the Torah, so, too, does Hashem reign only over a nation that maintains a sense of harmony in belief and action. The Navi writes in Melachim I 3:3, “And Shlomo loved Hashem, walking in the statutes of David, his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.” Rashi explains that while Shlomo acted in a manner similar to David Ha’melech, he deviated…

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וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

FOf Levi he said, ‘Your tumim and your urim befit Your devout one.’ (33:8)

First, Moshe Rabbeinu stressed Levi’s position as the tribe from which the spiritual leadership, the Kohanim, of the nation emanated. Then, Moshe turned to the tribe as a whole, focusing on its bravery and steadfast loyalty in the desert. He then blessed the Leviim as the teachers of the nation. The commentators note the omission of Shimon from the blessings. This is due to the fact that Shimon was severely criticized by Yaakov Avinu for the tribe’s later participation in the worship and consequent moral deviation concerning the Baal Peor idol. The Sifri notes that at one time, Shimon and Levi…

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וימת שם משה עבד ה'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there. (34:5)

According to one opinion in Chazal, the last eight pesukim of the Torah were written by Moshe, but, rather than using ink, he wrote the last words with tears. The Torah comes to an end with the passing of Moshe, the quintessential rebbe of the Jewish nation, the man who dedicated every fibre of his being to Klal Yisrael. This conclusion to the greatest volume that has ever been recorded is written with tears — Moshe’s tears. It is very difficult to accept that Moshe wept over the words, “So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there.” Our leader led a…

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ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5763, V'zos HaBrachah

And by all the strong hand and for all the awesome power that Moshe T performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

The Torah records every significant moment of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life that impacted his nation for all time to come. His activities — whether in the area of leadership or social justice, his relationship with the Almighty, or his character traits — are all presented either overtly or in the context of a subtle lesson. If we were to sum up his life’s endeavor and search for the crowning lesson — that action for which he is to be remembered for posterity — it would be found in the closing words of the Torah. The words that seemingly serve as our quintessential…

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וישכן ישראל בטח בדד עין יעקב

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5762, V'zos HaBrachah

“Thus, Yisrael shall dwell secure, solitary, in the likeness of Yaakov.” (33:28)

Horav Yitzchok Aramah, z.l., the Baal Akeidas Yitzchak related a story to interpret this pasuk. The king of France became very ill. Doctors were brought in from near and far, and no one could devise a therapy for the king’s illness. The king of Spain heard about the French king’s dilemma and sent a message that he had a brilliant physician who could care for the king. He was a Jewish apostate who had left his faith in pursuit of fame and fortune. The French king refused to accept this doctor. He explained that if he was truly so proficient, it…

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והם תכו לרגלך ישא מדברתיך

And they were brought in at Your feet, He would bear Your utterances.(33:3)

תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב

“The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Yaakov.” (33:4)

וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim befit Your devout one. (33:8)

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך

Rejoice, O’Zevulun, in your excursions, and Yissachar in your tents. (33:18)

וימת שם משה עבד ה'

So Moshe, the servant of Hashem, died there. (34:5)

ויהי בישרון מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד שבטי ישראל

He became King over Yeshurun when the members of the nation gathered — the tribes of Yisrael in unity. (33:5)

וללוי אמר תמיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך

FOf Levi he said, ‘Your tumim and your urim befit Your devout one.’ (33:8)

וימת שם משה עבד ה'

So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there. (34:5)

ולכל היד החזקה ולכל המורא הגדול אשר עשה משה לעיני כל ישראל

And by all the strong hand and for all the awesome power that Moshe T performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)

וישכן ישראל בטח בדד עין יעקב

“Thus, Yisrael shall dwell secure, solitary, in the likeness of Yaakov.” (33:28)

YEARS

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