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ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך

And He will give you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you. (13:18)

Being designated as agents of destruction can take its toll on people. We read horror stories about young high school graduates who enlist in the military, and, after a tour of duty, become hollow, often depraved individuals. This is what death and killing can do to the mind. Of course, this is especially true when the victims are one’s own people. The inhabitants of the Ir Hanidachas, wayward city, have committed a most egregious crime, for which they are duly and rightfully punished. The ones carrying out the punishment, however, might become affected by it. They might develop a callousness…

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הכה תכה את ישבי העיר לפי חרב

You shall smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. (13:16)

There are a number of halachos pertaining to Ir Hanidachas, the wayward city, and to the testimony of the witnesses who attest to the guilt of its inhabitants which do not seem to be consistent with one another.  The people living in a city in which most of its inhabitants have been persuaded to worship idols are put to death. This includes all inhabitants of the city – including women and children, who might otherwise be innocent of the charges. The Torah demands that the testimony of the witnesses must be eidus she’atah yachol l’haazimah, a testimony of witnesses that…

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כי יקום בקרבך נביא או חלם חלום... לא תשמע אל דברי הנביא... אחרי ד' אלקיכם תלכו ואותו תיראו ואת מצותיו תשמרו

If there should stand up in your midst a prophet or a dreamer of a dream… do not listen to the words of that prophet… Hashem, your G-d, you shall follow and Him shall you fear; His mitzvos shall you observe. (13:2, 4, 5)

The Torah admonishes us not to listen to the false prophesies of a prophet who encourages us to turn away from Hashem. While the prophet’s message might be very subtle, the heresy is still present. Regrettably, the common man might not see through the beautiful picture that he paints, but false remains false, regardless of the presentation and background. We are told to follow only Hashem, to fear Him and observe His mitzvos. This is the only protection against those who would do us harm. A similar posuk is found in Parashas Eikev, “Hashem, your G-d, shall you fear, Him…

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ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

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

There are no grey areas in Judaism. One either listens to the word of G-d and is blessed, or he is cursed for refusing to listen. Moshe Rabbeinu seems to underscore the significance of the word, ha’yom, “today.”  Does it really make a difference if it is “today” or “tomorrow”? The message is the same. If you listen – blessing; you do not listen – curse! Why does he emphasize that he is presenting it “today”? In the Likutei Moharan, Horav Nachman Breslover, zl, is quoted as saying: “A man has in this world only ‘that day,’ ‘that hour,’ ‘that…

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