Parshah thoughts; V’eschannan
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Shades Of Belief
‘Today we have seen that Hashem can talk with man and yet live’ said the Jews to Moshe. Apparently up until then they did not fully believe Moshe. He would say to them ‘Hashem said to me…’. They suspected he made it all up: can a human really talk with Hashem and not get destroyed by it?? So although they followed Moshe, it was for lack of a better alternative. They didn’t really buy his story. Only at Sinai did they REALLY believe. Incredible!
In the beginning of his mission, Hashem told Moshe; ‘And this shall be the true sign that I have sent you; after taking the Jews out of Egypt you will serve Hashem on this very mountain [Har Sinai]’
Here from the Jews’ mouths: until Har Sinai they indeed did not believe!
The takeaway: Faith is a tricky business. There are very many shades of faith and not all is black or white. Faith can be a matter of expedience, a matter of conviction or a matter of will. There is always more to go.
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Living Har Sinai
‘Beware, take good care of yourselves that you never forget the things your eyes have seen: don’t allow them to be forgotten all your life. Tell your children grandchildren [about] the day that you stood before Hashem at Chorev (Har Sinai) when Hashem commanded me, “Gather the people to hear My words…”‘
We are warned to never forget Sinai. Practically speaking, what exactly is involved here; are we to speak about it at our Shabbos table, should we draw a mural on the wall depicting Har Sinai, or should we have a “Har Sinai stone” always on our desks?
My answer: Yes. To all the above.
The sefer ‘Hamaspik Le’ovdei Hashem’ posits that we are the result of our experiences. Our attitudes towards mitzvos, Gedolim, the Beis Hamikdash, tznius and the many other life-values depend largely on our experience with them. Well, can we dictate our experiences? We are so deeply influenced by them, but are helpless to create them??
We cannot directly experience everything we’d like to, but we can visualize and virtually live through them in our imagination. In fact, says this sefer, imagination is even stronger than hearing about another’s experience. It is almost seeing!
The imagination is an amazingly powerful tool. This is where to use it: Live through Maamad Har Sinai. Fantasize it and daydream. In our minds we recreate it. We will need every tool at hand to make it tangible and actual. So bring on the Har Sinai stone. This is the mitzvah.
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When Is Praying Not Praying?
Moshe prayed Hashem again and again that he enter Eretz Yisroel. Hashem had said No, and then said No again. Yet Moshe persisted. Why did he continue his attempt?
The Medrash portrays two servants of the king who were misbehaving. The king became annoyed and decreed that they receive no meat nor wine for a month. One said ‘Suit yourself. I anyways don’t care for meat and wine. I won’t eat them for three years, if you please!’
The other fellow was distressed; ‘Please’, he beseeched the king, ‘allow me meat and wine’.
Which of the two honored the king? Certainly the second chap. The first sneered at the king’s punishment!
So too, Moshe was showing that he cared about not going into Eretz Yisroel: it was meaningful to him, and he was therefore praying Hashem again and again to remove it. He was honoring Hashem!
Sometimes praying means that you and Hashem have business with one another: you have a relationship and you matter. Its not all about receiving the goods. Sometimes the conversation itself it what is meaningful. Daaven!
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Take A Sh’ma Twice A Day, Full Dosage
Sh’ma (including “kail melech ne’eman”\”Hashem e-lokeichem emes”) has 365 words, and is a segulah for our health. We are careful with Hashem’s 365 words, and He is careful with our 365 body parts.
Tosfos explains with a parable; Once there was a fellow who lived in Eretz Yisrael, but had his fields in America. Every year he would fly in to care for his fields. Once, waiting for his flight in the airport, he chanced upon another fellow just coming off the plane. ‘Sholom aleichem Reb Yid! What brings you to Eretz Yisrael?’ he asked. ‘Well, you see, although I live in America my fields are here in Eretz Yisroel, and so I am forced to fly in to care for them’ answered the other. ‘Say, I have the same thing, only reversed. Here is an idea’, said the first, ‘why don’t you stay in America and care for my fields there, and I’ll care for your fields here!’ Well, that’s exactly what they did, and they lived happily ever after!
So too, our health is our concern, yet is in Hashem’s hands. Sh’ma is Hashem’s concern, but is in our hands. We watch over His, and He will watch over ours.
Why do YOU say Sh’ma?
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Seeing All Sides
Moshe said ‘Hashem, you have begun to show (your servant) [me] your greatness and your strong hand; who in Heaven and earth can do like Your acts and mighty feats. Let me go over and see the good land, the godly mountain and the Levanon’. What is the connection between the two?? Why should the fact that Moshe saw Hashem’s greatness be reason that he see the Land??
We suggested that there are folks who are great campaigners. Action is their element, and they accomplish an unbelievable whirlwind of doing. But when it comes down to producing concrete results, these fellows peter out. They are much better at creating buzz: sound and noise. Others are the exact opposite: they work behind the scenes, producing solid and lasting results, but they are no fighters or leaders.
In fact, the old way of looking at things was that each celestial power was an entity unto itself. Each distinct elemental force was a God, a Being from where that power emanated, and who controlled it. Their Good – ‘Osay shalom’, was not the Bad – ‘boray rah’ – it had to be two separate gods. Only Monotheism believed ‘Hashem is One’: there is but one Power. It is all Him. Hashem of War is also Hashem of Peace.
Moshe was pleading Hashem; I have begun by seeing Your strong hand, your wonderful and inspiring fight against our enemies. But You are not just Fight. You produce prosperity too; Let me see the land You have provided Your people.
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Haftorah: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and see who created these!’
The Rambam in Hilchos Yesodei haTorah explains that there is an actual commandment to love and fear Hashem. How can love and fear be commanded? Can we just ‘turn them on’?!
He answers: contemplate nature, see its vastness, ponder the stars, the sun and the moon. You will be struck with the cognizance that no human, or power known to man, is possible of creating anything of this nature. It will be apparent that there is a creator, with powers unimaginable to us, huge, wise and powerful. Instantly you will awaken within yourself a love and affinity for that Perfect Being, Hashem. And that will be subsequently followed with an awe of the awful immensity and force of Hashem.
The Navi was prescribing the path; Love Hashem and fear Heaven.
P.s. This experience is metaphysical. Our senses are simply overcome by the immensity of the cosmos. It does not logically prove anything. Our senses are overcome by meth too… However we may know G-d in our heads without experiencing Him. Here is a way of completing that recognition with visceral experience: expose oneself to be overcome by His handiwork.
©2013
kollel parshah | Tiferet Ramot 83-21, Jerusalem, Israel, 97290
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