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הנסתרות לד' אלקינו והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם לעשות את כל דברי התורה הזאת

The hidden (sins) are for Hashem, our G-d, but the revealed (sins) are for us and our children forever, to carry out all the words of the Torah. (29:28)

An abundance of commentary is available to explain the application of the nekudos, dots, above u’l’vaneinu, “And for our children.” We will address the commentary of the Chafetz Chaim, zl, because of its depth – despite its apparent simplicity. When a person writes a note, pens a statement, and he wants to make a point, underscore a certain idea, he will underline, bold, or highlight it in some noticeable manner. Hashem sought to teach Moshe Rabbeinu an important lesson, one that he should impart to the Jewish People, one that He wanted them to underscore in building their future: it…

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אתם נצבים היום... לפני ד' אלקיכם

You are standing today… before Hashem, your G-d. (29:9)

Hayom, today, alludes to the special day, Rosh Hashanah, when we all stand in judgment before Hashem. This day is different, for on this day, as Horav Nosson Wachtfogel, zl, comments, we enter into the palace of the King. We have a private conference, during which we think of nothing else: not of the past; not of the future; just the present. Our conversation does not revolve around ourselves; it is not for our personal requests. Rather, on this day we coronate Hashem; we praise Him and pray that today will be the beginning when all creatures, all peoples, will…

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ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבודת הקודש עליהם בכתף ישאו

And to the sons of Kehas, he did not give; since the sacred service was upon them, they carried on the shoulder. (7:9)

The Chida, zl, offers a compelling interpretation of this pasuk. Shevet Kehas, the Tribe of Kehas, was part of Shevet Levi, the tribe which represents the lomdei Torah, those who devote themselves to the study of Torah. As such, says the Chida, the chiyuv, obligation, to study Torah is never-ending. It is a ceaseless commitment on the part of the devoted to learn Torah literally until his last ounce of strength, until his very last breath. One cannot retire from Torah. One whose vocation is teaching Torah will, upon retirement, move on to studying Torah full time. This idea is…

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ולקח הכהן מים קדשים בכלי חרש ומן העפר אשר יהיה בקרקע המשכן יקח הכהן ונתן אל המים

The Kohen shall take sacred water in an earthenware vessel, and the Kohen shall take from the earth that is on the floor of the Mishkan and put it in the water. (5:17)

The “bitter waters,” which the sotah, wayward wife, must drink, are the instrument of an ordeal which can have either negative or positive results. On the negative side, if the woman has, as accused, been involved in an extra-marital relationship, she will die a bitter death. On the positive side, if she has been wrongly accused, she stands to benefit considerably. She will be blessed with healthy children. The process begins with the Kohen reading the curses contained in Parashas Sotah on a piece of parchment. The verses of the Torah in which these curses are written are then erased…

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ואיש את קדשיו לו יהיו

A man’s holies shall be his. (5:10)

The Chafetz Chaim, zl, was wont to say that the above pasuk teaches us that an object or endeavor which a person dedicates/consecrates for sacred use is what actually belongs to him, and this is what ultimately accompanies him to the eternal world of Olam Habba, the World to Come. This means that the only objects/endeavors that we may call “ours” are those which are linked to a spiritual goal. Otherwise, we cannot consider it to belong to us. Moreover, we should not rely on others to carry out our responsibilities. True, many wonderful and generous people are around who…

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ושש שנים תזרע את ארצך... והשביעית תשמטנה ונטשתה. ששת ימים תעשה מעשך וביום השביעי תשבת

And six years you shall sow your land… but the seventh year you should let it rest and life fallow… six days you should do your work, but on the seventh day you should rest. (23:10,11,12)

The Torah juxtaposes the laws of Shemittah, the Sabbatical year, upon the weekly Shabbos, simply because both attest to the handiwork of the Creator which took place during the Six Days of Creation. Following these “working” days, Hashem rested, which was the first Shabbos. This seventh day of rest is commemorated both weekly on Shabbos and every seven years, in the form of Shemittah. In his Pri Tzaddik, Horav Tzadok HaKohen, zl, cites the Mechilta 20, that tells us that the Torah cautions us not to neglect the weekly Shabbos during the Shemittah year. This statement begs elucidation. Why would…

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וגר לא תלחץ ואתם ידעתם את נפש הגר... ושש שנים תזרע את ארצך... והשביעית תשמטנה

Do not oppress a stranger; you know the feelings of a stranger… six years shall you sow your land… and in the seventh, you shall leave it unattended and unharvested. (23:9,10,11)

The juxtaposition of the laws of Shemittah upon the admonishment not to treat the ger, convert, in a lesser manner than we would treat anyone else is enigmatic. What relationship exists between these two seemingly disparate mitzvos? Furthermore, how is the admonishment concerning the proper treatment of the ger linked to the fact that we were strangers in the Land of Egypt? Had we not once been Egyptian slaves would it in any way diminish the responsibility to act appropriately with the ger? Horav Avigdor HaLevi Nebentzhal, Shlita, quotes Rashi, who explains, “For you were strangers in the land of…

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כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

You shall not cause any pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

It takes a truly reprehensible person to take advantage of a widow or orphan. These are individuals who are alone against the world. Why make life even more difficult for them? At first glance, we may even wonder why the admonishment against afflicting the almanah, widow, or yasom, orphan, is even included with the many laws that are mentioned in this parsha. Quite possibly, Hashem wants to put everyone on notice: He takes a special interest in the plight of these lonely people. He will listen to their pleas when they cry out to Him in pain. Anyone who causes…

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ומכה אביו ואמו... וגנב איש ומכרו... ומקלל אביו ואמו

Whoever strikes his father or mother… whoever steals/kidnaps a man and sells him… whoever curses his father and mother. (21:15,16,17)

Social murder, which consists of depriving a human being of his personal freedom, is tantamount to actual murder. To kidnap a human being and sell him is a capital offense. To strike a father or mother, to injure one of them, is indicative of an evil person. Last, a child’s verbal articulation of his wish to see his parent destroyed is also a capital offense. What kind of person would be so vile as to strike a parent or to stoop so low as to curse a parent? Such a person is so filled with himself that no one else…

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וימהר יוסף כי נכמרו רחמיו אל אחיו

Then Yosef rushed because his compassion for his brother had been stirred. (43:30)

Yosef’s conversation with his brother Binyamin was an emotion-laden experience. Yosef asked Binyamin if he had a brother from the same mother as he. Binyamin responded in the affirmative, but he did not know his whereabouts. When Yosef asked Binyamin concerning his own family, the latter replied that he had ten sons – each one named in a manner commemorating the loss of his brother. When Yosef heard how far Binyamin had gone in perpetuating his memory, his emotions were stirred. Two powerful lessons can be derived from here. First, the greatest tribute one can make to the memory of…

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