Humble Beginnings

Parshas Haazinu

Posted on September 13, 2023 (5783) By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha| Level: Beginner

This week, Moshe composes the song of Ha’azinu. It is a hauntingly prophetic piece replete with predictions and admonitions. It extols the virtues of Israel and forewarns them of a perilous future, if they disobey the Torah. He finishes the song, standing side by side with his disciple Yehoshua, as he prepares to transfer the mantle of leadership. Deuteronomy 32:34: “Moshe came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshea the son of Nun.”

 

Moshe equates his own stature with that of his student in order to show the world his high regard for the future leader to whom he had entrusted his people. Yet there is something strange. Yehoshua is not referred to by the regal name that Moshe had long since given him; rather he is called Hoshea. Before the hazardous mission of the spies forty years prior, Moshe added the Hebrew letter yud to Hoshea’s name. The yud represented the name of Hashem and served to protect Hoshea from the malicious intent of the slanderous spies.

 

From that day on, Hoshea is always referred to as Yehoshua.

 

Why then at the height of Yehoshua’s career, on the day he is to take over the reign of power, does the Torah refer to him as Hoshea? Is the Torah surreptitiously diminishing his stature?

Isn’t that exactly what the Torah would like to avoid?

 

On April 12, 1945, Vice-President Harry S. Truman was summoned to the White House. He was shown to the sitting room of the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Gently, she told him that President Roosevelt was dead.

 

After a few moments of stunned silence, Mr. Truman composed himself and asked, “Is there anything I can do for you, Mrs. Roosevelt?”

 

The First Lady shook her head. “Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one who is in trouble now.”

 

Perhaps Yehoshua’s crowning moment was also meant to be quite sobering. He was made to realize that the force behind his greatness would no longer be with him. The man who had crowned him with the glory of G-d’s name was joining the Creator, leaving Yehoshua alone and diminished. He was now just, Hoshea.

 

It was now up to Yehoshua to remember from whence his greatness came. Often, we bask in the spotlight of greatness and expect to glow when the radiance is turned off.

Unfortunately, we are not made of phosphorous. The time comes when our light must shine from within our own selves. Sure enough from that moment on, Hoshea shines as Yehoshua. Given the task we will shine too.

 

The Power of Love

Parshas Haazinu

Posted on October 3, 2003 (5763) By Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig | Series: Kol HaKollel | Level: Beginner

The Shabbos (Sabbath) between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbos Shuva (return). This Shabbos offers us a unique opportunity to focus on teshuva (repentance) in a way we cannot during the rest of the week. What are the mechanics of teshuva?

 

Our Sages teach us that when one does teshuva out of fear of G-d, then the sins he transgressed intentionally are viewed as if they were committed accidentally, but if one repents from a love of G-d, then his previous sins become transformed to merits for him. How does this work? One of the greatest manifestations of G-d’s love for His children is His desire to accept our repentance and overlook our wrongdoing. But why does He view them in a positive light afterwards and why is this perspective unique to when the teshuva was done out of ahava (love)?

 

Michtav Me’Eliyahu (collected writings and discourses of Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler (1891-1954) of London and B’nai Brak, one of the outstanding personalities and thinkers of the Mussar movement) explains that one of the main components of teshuva is remorse. When a person genuinely regrets his past deeds and repents out of fear, he acquires a new perspective of life: he stops to think about the greatness and awesomeness of G-d and the impropriety of violating His will. As this perspective develops and his outlook changes, he will now view his past transgression as accidental. He simply did not grasp the ramifications of his actions; had he, he would have never done them.

 

But teshuva out of love is different. True love is about giving. By definition, we cannot give anything to G-d, but the closest thing we can do is appreciate and express our gratitude for all He does for us. When someone develops his appreciation for the vastness of the array of G-d’s constant giving – from the dozen involuntary breaths he takes every minute of every hour of every day to the breathtaking sunrise he witnessed this morning – he fortifies his love relationship with his Creator. Thus, when he contemplates his past misdeeds and realizes that, despite them, G-d continues His abundant benevolence, his gratitude is multiplied. The repentance borne of this sentiment is much more profound and builds an even greater bond.

 

The development of this greater love is a result of the misdeed, so his repentance actually turned those misdeeds into something positive in generating a closer relationship with G-d.

 

Shabbos is designed specifically to allow us time each week to appreciate G-d and what He does for us. There is a specific mitzvah (commandment) to eat tasty foods that we do not have throughout the rest of the week to allow us to focus on His magnificent benevolence.

Capitalizing on these opportunities to develop our consciousness of G-d’s love for us will facilitate our return to Him out of love. Thus, Shabbos Shuva offers a unique prospect for an elevated sense of gratitude to turn our misdeeds into merits.

 

Good Shabbos! 

 

May we all be sealed for a sweet year of peace, health and prosperity!