Parsha Partner

View/Print the PDF Version of this Parsha Partner

 View/Print a Text Version of this Page

Parsha Perspectives

by RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM

לא תספו על הדבר אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם ולא תגרעו
ממנו לשמור את המצוה ה’ אלקיכם אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם

“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract from it, to observe the commandments of Ha-shem your G-d, that I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

In this week’s parsha, we find a mitzvah that is very important for keeping the integrity of the Torah, and the Jewish tradition through the ages. “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract from it, to observe the commandments of Ha-shem your G-d, that I command you” (Deut. 4:2). This verse instructs us to leave the mitzvos exactly as we received them, without adding anything or taking away from them. It is clear why G-d would tell us not to take away from the mitzvos.

But why does G-d not allow anyone to add to the mitzvos? If they want to be more pious and do more, why would G-d prohibit it?

The Dubno Maggid explains this concept with the following parable. Sam asked his neighbor Frank if he could borrow a silver spoon. The neighbor gave it to him and was surprised to see him return the next day with two spoons, one bigger than the other. “What is this for?” asked Frank. “Well, after you gave me the spoon, it got pregnant and gave birth!” Not missing a beat, Frank called out a hearty Mazal Tov, and wished Sam well.

A few days later Sam came to borrow a big copper pot. Frank gave it to him, and much to his joy, Sam came back a few days later with the copper pot, and a little “baby” pot. Once again Sam explained that the pot had been pregnant and gave birth to the small pot.

When Sam came by the following week and asked Frank to borrow his large silver menorah, Frank was only too quick to hand it over, in anticipation of a baby menorah. Two months went by, and there was no sign of Sam or his pot. When he finally spotted Sam at the train station, he rushed over and asked why he hadn’t yet returned the menorah. “Oh” replied Sam, “the menorah, yes, a terrible thing happened! A few minutes after I arrived home, the menorah suddenly fell ill. It wasted away for a few hours, and then it simply died! I am so sorry about your loss!”

Sam was enraged. “What do you mean my menorah died?? Whoever heard of a menorah dying?!” To which Sam replied, “Well, whoever heard of a pot or a silver spoon giving birth? But that didn’t seem to trouble you so much, so I don’t know why this is troubling you?”

When G-d gave us the Torah, he gave us a precise prescription for a perfect, peaceful, and pleasant life. Once we think we can take control of the wheel and start turning it, even in the direction of more mitzvos, there is a fundamental perspective shift. No longer is it G-d’s Torah, but rather our personal Torah, to do with it as we please! If one could add to the Torah, one could just as easily detract from it; we would give “birth” to new mitzvos we want to see on the list, and we would have the ones that are a bit too difficult simply “die.” For that reason G-d commands us “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract from it.”

We find a similar idea in the technology arena. Most companies offer warrants on their products, but if you tamper with the product, even by adding enhanced functionality or components, the warranty is no longer valid. It is no longer the manufacturer’s product, and they won’t stand behind it.

A person may feel like they should add roses to their Four Species, because it will make him much more beautiful and fragrant, or he may think he should add organic foods to the kashrut requirement, because it will be healthier. While these additions may speak to his sensibilities, he would no longer be doing a mitzvah, but would rather be following a personal conviction.

Only when the Torah is kept in the way it was received, does G-d stand behind His product, and offer His eternal warranty!

Return to top

Parsha Talking Points

by RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS

1. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

“And we settled in Gai, opposite the House of Pe’or. And now, Israel, hearken to the statutes and to the ordinances that I teach you today to perform so that you shall live, and come, and inherit the Land that Hashem, the G-d of your forefathers gives you.”3:29- 4:1

And we settled in Gai – And there you engaged in idolatry. Nevertheless, if you will heed the words of the next verse and hearken to the statutes and ordinances, then you will be forgiven, unlike I, who was not forgiven for my sin and will therefore not enter the Land of Israel. – Rashi

And now, Israel – “Moses said to the Jewish people, ‘Which sin did I commit already and how many prayers did I recite in penance, yet I still wasn’t forgiven? You, on the other hand, have committed so many terrible sins, yet the Almighty offers you to repent and promises that if you do, He will accept it?’ Rabbi Yehoshua ben Abba said, ‘In three instances the Jewish people committed a grave sin and were invited by the Almighty to repent and be forgiven.” – Yalkut Shimoni

Sifsei Kohen adds that the words, “And now,” are mentioned to teach us an important lesson that even when one is old and near death, he can still repent and be forgiven his sins. “And now,” i.e. even at the end of the forty years and after all the provocations, you may still hearken to the commandments and be forgiven. Proof of the effectiveness of delayed repentance is the law that states that we must violate Shabbat to extend a person’s life even if by doing so, he’ll only survive an extra few minutes. Why? What value is there to a few extra moments of life that render it worthwhile to violate Shabbat? The answer is that the additional few moments of life offer another opportunity for the person to repent his sins. Such is the astonishing power of repentance that even a last-minute effort is worth violating Shabbat in anticipation of it.

2. FIND AND SEEK

“And you will seek out from there, Hashem, your G-d, and you will find [Him] for you have sought with all your heart and your soul. When you are in distress and all these things happen to you, at the end of time, you will return unto Hashem, your G-d, and you will hearken to His voice.” 4:29,30

These verses refer to two different types of repentance:
1. And you will seek out Hashem…with all your heart – This verse refers to one who repents on his own, purely out of a desire to realign himself with the Almighty. His repentance is “with all his heart,” and he is therefore guaranteed success, as the verse continues, “And you will find him.”
2. When you are in distress – This verse refers to one who repents only because G-d has visited him with trials and tribulations. It is not “with all his heart.” Nevertheless, the fact that he underwent hardship will compensate for his lack of wholehearted devotion and ensure that he merits complete forgiveness. – Ohr HaChaim (Rabbi Chaim ben Attar)

Alternatively, Ohr HaChaim explains the first verse to refer not to one who seeks repentance, but rather, to one who seeks a form of Divine Assistance that will be necessary during our time in exile among the nations of the world. This is why the verse explains that the seeking out of G-d will occur “from there.” He will be asking the Almighty to take care of him and grant him his necessities, without which he cannot survive, and for which he has no other place to turn. The verse promises that when we request this of him, “you will find,” i.e. the request will be granted. However, the verse is written in the singular [“U’Matzata”], to suggest that only select individuals will merit a favorable response to this plea because they have sought “with all their heart and soul.” Those who submit requests in exile without the proper measure of devotion and fervor are not granted their requests by the Almighty.

3. KNOW ONE

“Hear O’ Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is one.” 6:4

Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is one – Hashem, who currently is only our G-d, because the nations of the world insist on worshipping idols instead, will one day be “One,” i.e. the G-d of the entire universe. This is because in the end of days, He will be accepted as the Lord by all the nations of the world, who will come to recognize the truth of monotheism. – Rashi

Hashem is one – The Garden of Eden was created for those who concentrate on internalizing the idea that G-d is the sole power in the universe, for one who does so, inherently denies the power of idols. Conversely, one who worships a multitude of deities denies the oneness of the Almighty, and it was for these people that Gehinom (spiritual purgatory) was created. This is the reason that in the story of Creation and the Tree of Knowledge, the word “Gan” [garden - referring to Eden] appears 13 times. Conversely, in this parsha, the word, “Aish” – fire [referring to the flames of Gehinom] appears 13 times. This is to indicate that one who concentrates intently on the meaning of the word, “Echad” – One, in the Shema, whose numerical equivalent is 13, will be spared the fires of Gehinom and merit the delights of the Garden of Eden. – Rabbeinu Bachya

A closer look at the first and last words, “Shema” and “Echad,” reveals that the last letters of each word, “Ayin” and “Daled” are enlarged. There are numerous lessons to be derived from this, but prominent among them is the idea that these two letters combined spell the words, “Dah” and “Eid.” Dah means “to know,” and instructs us to not merely repeat this sentence by rote without thinking too deeply into its meaning, but to reflect upon, seek proof of, and tangibly know that Hashem is the one and only power that controls the entire universe. Eid means “to testify,” for one must not only know this fact, but he must also actively publicize it to the inhabitants of the world. His actions and lifestyle should constantly testify to the truth of monotheism.

Return to top

Partner Talk

Dear Rabbi,

Last year, for the first time ever, I went to synagogue on Tisha B’Av. It was emotionally moving to sit on the floor with the whole congregation and read the Lamentations. What I am struggling with is the fact that people have been mourning the destruction of the Temples for thousands of years – to no avail. The Temple still hasn’t been rebuilt. How is it that we think we can bring about the rebuilding of the Temple when the prayers of the righteous people of previous generations couldn’t accomplish this? Also, were all their prayers for naught?

Respectfully,
Sam F.

Dear Sam,

Your excellent questions bring out a few important concepts. It is clear that we have the ability to bring about the redemption through our prayers, but that we are not on the level of the greats of previous generations (the authors of the Mishna and Talmud, and all the other Sages) who led our people through the millennia.

However, we are not expected to rise to their levels, but rather to do as much as our potential allows. Rav Chaim Friedlander in his work the Sifsei Chaim (Vol 3, pg 355) explains that each generation has its own set of parameters, based on the abilities of the people at that time, within which it is judged. With this in mind, someone who prays for the rebuilding of the Temple could potentially accomplish as much individuals like Rabbi Akiva or Hillel reached in their times. The Temple will come when people reach their personal “shleimut” (their completeness), regardless of their statures as compared to those of the leaders of previous generations. In that sense, we have just as much ability this year to bring the redemption as anyone did, in any generation.

As far as your second question about whether the prayers of the previous generations were for naught, the Jewish perspective is that prayers are never wasted. Even when we don’t see the results of our prayers before our eyes, every prayer (and for that matter, every mitzvah), adds positive spiritual effect to the world, elevating the spiritual climate of the world, and in that sense is not wasted. In addition, every earnest prayer offered has a cumulative effect, so that the prayers of millions throughout the generations will all contribute to our eventual redemption.

The truth is that there is an even greater value to the prayers that are said over the destruction of the Temple – in that that they are comforting to G-d. They show Him that we still care, that we want to rekindle our relationship with Him, that we want to come back home.

Imagine a king, after lifting up his people from slavery, educating them with the deepest wisdom and giving them rich and fertile tracts of land, sees his people fighting and treating each other with unjustified cruelty. Unable to bear it, he destroys his palace and moves to another kingdom until the people can unite properly again.

Imagine the pain he feels when the people of his kingdom go on as if nothing is missing, as if they don’t need him or care about him. Now imagine how much it means to him when he sees a small group of people demonstrating in the streets, calling for his return. Even if he’s unable to return yet because there is too much strife in the land, the efforts of those people offer him enormous comfort. Alas, he’s still wanted and needed. There are people out there who really can’t bear to have their king in exile! Rest assured, when he comes back to power, those are the people he will have in his royal cabinet.

For two millennia, G-d has been in exile, along with his beloved people. But throughout this time, people have mourned and lamented His exile, begging for Him to return. The Torah teaches that this is a great source of comfort to G-d, and when He does return, everyone who mourned His absence, will be part of the select group who will merit to see its rebuilding.

“Anyone who mourns over Jerusalem will merit to see it in its joy!” (Babylonian Talmud, Taanis 30B)

Regards,
Rabbi Leiby Burnham

Return to top

Soul Talk

As a person contemplates the complexity of the world, it immediately becomes apparent that it could not be a product of random evolution. The unfathomable number of details required for every aspect of the natural world to function in harmony clearly shows us an underlying order in creation. Considering that this knowledge is available to all, and lies in the realm of simple observation, why should there be a need for faith? Achieving what the Rambam refers to as ‘‘the knowledge of a Primal Being’’ seems to be an intellectual pursuit; what role does the heart play, as in the verse: וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ, “and you shall know today and take it to your heart?”

The human psyche can accommodate self-contradictory behaviors and emotions. It is not uncommon for people to experience both love and hate about the same person at the same moment! We often become the enemy of our own goals and objectives. Our emotions are so powerful that our heart dominates our mind, compelling us to act in ways that are entirely illogical.

Similarly, explains Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein, we seek causal explanations for all that we see from within nature, even though our intellect perceives that nature is but a camouflage, and in fact Hashem is the true source and cause of reality. Our hearts often see only the surface of things, and thus we stray far from true belief. While the knowledge of truth exists, and most of us would vociferously claim to be ma’aminim (believers), the knowledge has not penetrated into our hearts. Our minds may know, but our bodies do not necessarily follow the directions of the mind.

In a similar vein, Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) writes in Daas Tevunos that ‘‘knowledge (of the Unity of Hashem) is entirely clear to us. It therefore is apparent that our obligations in this area must transcend simple knowledge. We must labor to implant it in our hearts until no doubt remains this is what the Torah commands us —וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ , “the entire purpose of creation is to reach a deep level of recognition that everything is Hashem.’’

Sometimes our clear knowledge of the fundamentals can fool us into thinking that we have achieved true emunah (faith). This is a grave mistake. As Rabbi Yisrael Salanter expressed it, the distance between our minds and hearts is as great as the distance between knowing truth and not knowing truth. Clarifying truth for our intellect is a massive undertaking, requiring deep study of the world around us. But even when we have accomplished that, our work is not done. We must toil unceasingly to achieve a constant awareness that Hashem is the sole source of all — an awareness that begins in our mind, but must penetrate our heart.

With permission from Artscroll’s Daily Dose

Return to top

Table Talk

FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE

by RABBI LABEL LAM

“Shema Yisrael HASHEM Elocheinu HASHEM Echod” – ”Hear O’ Israel HASHEM is Our G-d HASHEM is One.” If there is one line in the Torah that can be called the “mission statement” of the Jewish People, this is probably it. It’s what we recite in the morning and the evening each day. It is scrolled onto the doorposts throughout our homes. It has also been the final and ultimate expression of unshakable devotion, spontaneously uttered by so many being ushered to death’s door. That declaration is followed immediately by the commandment, “And you should love HASHEM your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” A very tall order indeed!

א) What is the continuity, conceptually, from the first verse to the second? How does the acceptance of G-d’s “oneness” trigger this intense feeling of loving Him with all of one’s heart, soul, and might?

ב) How could the Torah legislate love? Isn’t love an emotion which we either have or don’t have? How could it possibly be developed?

Return to top

Parsha Summary

Parsha Summaries are coming soon!