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לאהבה את ד' אלקיכם ללכת בכל דרכיו ולדבקה בו

To love Hashem your G-d, to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him. (11:22)

To follow in Hashem’s ways, to walk in His path, means to display the same loving compassion for all Jews, regardless of background, personality and religious attitude. Hashem is our Father, and, as such, turns away no one. On the contrary, it is we who turn away from Him. Horav Shlomo Levinstein, Shlita, relates the following episode. Horav Mordechai Rabinowitz is the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Oheiv Yisrael in Petach Tikvah. It is a school that caters to a high caliber of highly motivated students. Like so many good schools, it is very difficult to gain entrance to this yeshivah….

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ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם

You shall cut away the barrier of your heart. (10:16)

Metaphorically, the heart represents the seat of a human being’s passion and emotion. When one loses his moral compass and begins to fall prey to his base desires, this moral weakness is described figuratively as a dulled heart, ensconced in a layer of dross which prevents it from connecting spiritually. In other words, the person’s ability to perceive and be inspired spiritually is hampered by this encumbrance. The only way to resuscitate the heart spiritually is to “cut away” the layer that dulls the person’s spiritual impulses, preventing him from growing in the manner of becoming a Torah Jew. What…

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לא יהיה בך עקר ועקרה

There will be no infertile male or infertile female among you. (7:14)

We, as human beings, will not be plagued with infertility. The pasuk continues on with a similar blessing for our sheep and cattle. The Baal HaTurim makes note of an incredible gimatria, numerical equivalent, that corresponds with the pasuk, Lo yiheyeh becha akar va’akara, which amounts to 834. Likewise, the words b’divrei haTorah, “in the words of the Torah,” also amount to 834. This implies a connection between Torah study and fertility, which is explained by Horav Shlomo Levenstein, Shlita, as a demand for a person to be mechadesh chiddushim, innovate original commentary and elucidation, to apply creativity to one’s…

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והיה עקב תשמעון את המשפטים האלה

This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances. (7:12)

In this instance, the word mishpatim, statutes, is a general term to describe the various divisions of the mitzvos – eidus, chukim and Mishpatim – under one title. All mitzvos, whether they commemorate an historic religious event, a legal obligation to a fellow Jew, a form of Heavenly service, or a mitzvah which defies human comprehension, are all included in the category of mishpatim, legal maxims. As such, it is our duty to execute them simply because it is Hashem’s command; it is our duty – with no thanks or reward to be claimed. Yet, by doing all of these,…

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