28 Elul 5770 |
September 7 2010 |
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NETZAVIM:
This week’s parsha actually takes place on the last day of Moshe’s life. His last task – to bring the entire Jewish people into a solidified covenant with God. We are told that similar to Mount Sinai, all Jewish souls for all generations were present at this gathering.
As a part of this gathering the people were again warned against rejecting Hashem or the Torah with emphasis on collective, organized sin which could result in disastrous outcomes for the land of Israel. There is also the consolation that one day, God will gather his people back to the land of Israel from the nations that oppressed them. (i.e. The State of Israel? Nefesh B’nefesh?).
We are to cling to Hashem and make choices in life consistent with that idea.
VAYELECH
In this second parsha, Moshe publicly appoints Joshua/Yehoshua (the first semicha/rabbinical ordination ceremony!) as his successor to lead the Jewish people into the land of Israel. Moshe was of course, 120 years old – the age that Jews traditionally wish each other to live to see.
An interesting mitzvah, no longer functioning is the mitzvah of “Hakel” which was the obligation for the king of Israel to publicly read parts of the book of Deuteronomy to the entire nation upon their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Sukkot. Not every year though, just after the seven year cycle of shemita. Every Jew, from newborns to the infirmed were required to attend.
The Torah was written down with a copy entrusted to each tribe as well as a copy placed in the Aron Hakodesh.
DVAR TORAH:
1. The parsha begins with: "You are standing today, all of you before Hashem your G-d." The Lubavitcher Rebbe, z'tl noted that the Parsha begins with Jews standing together before Hashem as an entity - "all of you" - and then details the different groups and types of people. Though the Jews are one unit, each Jew makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution. Each Jew has his/her mission which unites the entire Jewish people. The unity of the Jewish people is created not by everyone being the same, but by each being him/herself and fulfilling the directives of Hashem.
2. So too, the Midrash comments on this verse -- when are the Jews "standing"? When they are together." Even a child can break a single reed; but a bundle of reeds can't be easily broken.
3. Help people overcome their fears. "And Moshe went . . . " Ibn Ezra explains that before Moshe died he went to each tribe to notify them that he was about to die, but they should not be afraid because he was leaving them with Yehoshua who would be a reliable leader. We learn from Moshe that we must do everything to alleviate another's fears.
Did you Know?
Did you know that although the Teruah note during the shofar blowing is to be 9 “dots” long, there is actually no maximum as to its length. So too, the Tekiah blow, each one of them in fact, has no length maximum.
Saturday Night: Some time between 22:30 – 01:30 depending on your shul: SELICHOT.
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