The Covenant and Remembrance
Posted on August 28, 2013 (5773) By
Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein
| Level: Beginner
These final parshiyot
of the Torah always coincide with the approaching end of the old year and the
beginning of the new year. This is in line with the contents of these parshiyot
which contain the review of Moshe’s career as the leader of Israel and of his
life and its achievements. So too does the end of the year demand of us a
review, if not of our entire past life at least a review and accounting of our
actions during the past year.
Moshe’s review is
really the main contents of the book of Dvarim itself. Though it recalls
historical and national events, there is no doubt that Moshe himself is the
central figure of the book. He records for us his personal feelings and
candidly admits as to his disappointments and frustrations. But he never
departs from his central mission of reminding the people of Israel of the
unbreakable covenant that has been formed between them and their Creator.
That covenant is
renewed again in this week’s parsha. It is no exaggeration to assert that it is
constantly renewed and at the year’s end we are reminded of this automatic
renewal. That is the essential essence of remembrance that characterizes this
special season of the year. For
remembrance brings forth judgment and accountability and leads to an eventual
renewal of spirit and faith.
Moshe reminds the
people that the future is also contained in their remembrance and observance of
the covenant. All the generations past, present and future are bound together
in this covenant of accountability. And through this process, the mortal Moshe
gains immortality, as all of us can acquire this immortality through our
loyalty to the covenant.
Moshe at the end of his
life has in no way lost his acumen, strength or vision. He leaves this world in
perfect health and free of bodily ailments and restraints. Yet he tells us in
this week’s parsha that he “can no longer go forth and return.” For humans exist by the will of G-d and
when that will decrees the end of life then the human being will cease to
function on this earth. Who can claim greater merits in this world than Moshe
had? Yet the hand of human mortality struck him down.
Part of the great lesson of Torah is that life continues
without us necessarily being present. Moshe sees far into the distant future but knows that he will
not be present to see those events actually unfold. He harkens back to the
covenant of remembrance as being the instrument of his continuing presence
throughout all of Jewish history. As long as the covenant is remembered and
observed, Moshe is still present with Israel.
It is this covenant
that defines us as a people and even as individuals. Our relationship to it is
under constant heavenly review. It should be self-evident that for our part we
should enthusiastically renew our allegiance to it at this fateful part of our
life and year.
Shabat shalom
Rabbi Berel Wein
Our Doting Father
Parshas
Vayeilech
Posted on October 7, 2005 (5766) By
Rabbi Pinchas Avruch | Series: Kol HaKollel
| Level: Beginner
“Moshe went and spoke these words to all of
Israel. He said to them, ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today; I can no
longer go out and come in, and G-d has said to me, “You shall not cross this
Jordan.”‘” (Devarim/Deuteronomy 31:1-2)
One might think that Moshe’s inability to go out and come in
was a sign of waning strength, but the Torah states upon his death that “his
eye did not dim and his moisture did not leave him.” (ibid 34:7) Thus, Rashi
explains, Moshe’s statement was “I am not allowed, for the authority was taken
from me and given to Yehoshua (Joshua).”
But why must Rashi
note that the permission was transferred to Yehoshua? Modeling the Torah’s
precision to measure every letter, to state only that which is absolutely
necessary, Rashi does not simply include interesting morsels of extra
information. Was it not the case that Moshe could not
enter the Promised Land because permission was denied him, irrelevant of to
whom it was granted or even if it was granted to anyone else?
No. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1) explains that these “extra”
words in Rashi actually inform us of an important lesson in Divine providence.
G-d could not take away permission from Moshe unless there was a Yehoshua to
whom the responsibility could be passed, because G-d does not leave the Jewish
people without leaders. Indeed, throughout Jewish history, notes Rabbi
Feinstein, there have always been Torah scholars to serve as leaders and role
models for the Jewish Nation. Each successive generation of leaders, one step
further removed from the glory of the Sinaitic Revelation, may be of slightly
lesser excellence than their predecessors, but we are assured that G-d will
never leave us leaderless to navigate the great wilderness called life.
This is a very
comforting thought, for we live in a day when another of G-d’s promises is
self-evident. “But this people will rise up and stray after the foreign gods of
the land, in whose midst it is coming, and it will forsake Me. My anger will
flare against it on that day and I will forsake them; and I will conceal My
face from them and they will become prey and many evils and distresses will
encounter it.” (ibid 31:16-17) For 2000 years our people has endured this
painful prophecy. But our survival is proof that while G-d is concealed, He has
not divorced Himself from us. We are still His children, and He awaits the day
He can fulfill another prophecy. “And you will return to G-d your L-rd and
listen to His voice according to everything that I command you today. Then G-d
your L-rd will return your captivity and have mercy upon you and He will gather
you in from all the peoples to where G-d your L-rd has scattered you.”
Now, during these days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, as
we contemplate our relationship with Him and our next steps to strengthen our
connection, we see that – hidden as He is – He has, as He promised, always
provided us with leaders to model, to guide, to cajole. This reminds us that He
is still there for us, looking out for our well-being, tending to every blessed
detail in our lives, waiting for our return.
Have a Good Shabbos
and a Sweet, Happy and Healthy New Year!
School of Soft Knocks
Parshas
Vayeilech
Parshas Vayelech has Moshe handing the reign of power
to his beloved disciple Yehoshua, who now will grasp hold of the destiny of the
Children of Israel. Moshe does not leave him without first guiding him through
the difficult mission of leadership. At the end of Parshas Vayelech,
(Deuteronomy 31:7), “Moshe summoned Yehoshua and said to him before the eyes of all
Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous and do not be broken before them, for Hashem
your G-d — it is he who goes before you.'”
The Torah does not
specify what “strong and courageous” actually means. I conjured my own visions
of how to be strong and courageous when dealing with a “stiff-necked” nation.
It entailed exacting demands and rigid regulations. The Medrash, however,
offers a totally diametric explanation.
The Yalkut Shimoni,
a compendium of Midrashim compiled in the Middle Ages, discusses a verse in Hoshea.
“Israel is but a beloved lad and in Egypt I had called them my child.” It
quotes the verse in Deuteronomy 31:7, and explains the words “strong and
courageous.” Moshe explained to Joshua, “this nation that I am giving you is
still young kids. They are still young lads. Do not be harsh with them. Even
their Creator has called them children, as it is written, (Hoshea 11:1) “Israel
is but a beloved lad.”
Can the Midrash
find no better words to translate the phrase telling Joshua to “be strong and
courageous” other than be patience and understanding? In which way does
forbearance show strength? How does courage translate as tolerance?
In the years of World
War I, a young student who was fleeing the war-ravaged city of Slabodka sought
refuge in Tiktin, a village near Lomza, Poland. A prodigious Torah scholar, he
compensated for room and board by becoming a simple cheder teacher. He
gave his lecture in a small schoolhouse, but the townsfolk were quite
suspicious. There were no shouts from inside the one-room schoolhouse as it was
with other teachers; the boys seemed to be listening. Rumor had it that the
young man even let the children play outside for ten minutes each day in the
middle of the learning session.
They decided to
investigate. They interrupted his class one morning and were shocked. The kanchik
(whip) used by every cheder-Rebbe was lying on the floor near the trash bin.
Upon interrogating the children the parents learned that this radical educator
never used it.
Outraged, the townsfolk
decided to call a meeting with their Rabbi to discuss the gravity of the
situation. Who knows what ideas a teacher who would not use the kanchik was
imbuing in our children? They worried.
The local Rabbi pointed
to a picture of Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Spector, the leader of Lithuanian Jewry.
“Do you see that picture of the Kovno Tzadik?” He asked the townsfolk. “One day
thousands of homes across the world will have this young man’s picture hanging on
their walls.”
The elderly Rabbi was
right. The young man became the leader of a generation, teacher of thousands
and dean of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. It was the beginning of, Rabbi Yaakov
Kamenetzky’s career in education.
Moshe, the guide and architect of Jewish leadership, was
empowering his disciple with a message of guidance. The words “be strong and
courageous” embodied leadership of love and understanding. One cannot talk of
forbearance and patience without talking of strength and courage. But more
important: one cannot show true strength and courage if he is not patient and
understanding.
Dedicated by Mr. & Mrs. Armand
Lindenbaum in loving memory of Nathan Lindenbaum
Good Shabbos!
Copyright © 1997 by Rabbi M. Kamenetzky and Project Genesis, Inc.
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