Nitzavim: A Little-Known Commandment

by Rav Shai Tachan, Rosh Kollel Shaarei Ezra, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

At the end of Parashat Nitzavim (which we read aloud this Shabbat, together with Parashat Vayelech; D'varim 29,9-31,30), we read of the importance of loving and actually "cleaving to" G-d, "for He is your survival and long life in dwelling in the Land that He swore to your forefathers…" (30,20).

"Cleaving to G-d" is, in fact, a positive Torah commandment (see D'varim 13,5 and 10,20). Since it is a relatively less-known mitzvah, let us elaborate here upon it, for it is a Torah commandment no less binding than that of keeping the Sabbath and reciting the Kriat Shma.

Let us begin with an explanation as to how exactly one is to "cleave" to G-d. Our Sages related to this point (Tr. Ketubot, p. 111b), asking: "Is it at all possible to cling to the Divine Presence? For it is written, "The Lord your G-d is a consuming fire” (D'varim 4,24)!" 

The Sages of the Talmud answer: "One who marries his daughter to a scholar, and who does business with Torah scholars, and who benefits Torah scholars with his wealth – the Torah relates to him as if he were clinging to the Divine Presence."

We thus learn from our Sages' holy words that when a person clings to the scholars of the Torah, it is literally considered as if he is clinging to the holy Presence.

Later rabbinic authorities expand on this approach. The Sefer Mitzvot Gadol explains that the ultimate goal of adhering to Torah sages is in order to learn their ways. The Sefer HaChinukh adds that this means to learn from them how to fulfill the commandments of the Torah and what is the correct Torah outlook. That is, one should not think that he can understand all the Torah's mitzvot and other teachings on his own; no true autodidacts exist in Torah. We must make sure to study with Torah scholars and not rely on our own understanding. 

Interestingly, even though this law is cited by Maimonides (Deot 6,2), there are those who explained this commandment more literally. For instance, Nachmanides (to D'varim 11,22) remarkably writes the following: 

"The commandment of adhering to G-d means to remember and love G-d always; your thoughts should never part from Him, neither when you walk on the way, or lie down to sleep, or awaken. To the point that when you speak with people, it will be only with your mouth, while your heart will be elsewhere, before G-d."

Clearly, Nachmanides is not disputing Maimonides, who echoed the Talmud's words. Rather, the former explains that this mitzvah can be understood on two levels: one according to the expositions of the Sages, as the Rambam wrote, and the other according to the straightforward meaning of the verses. In fact, that which Nachmanides wrote appears as well in Maimonides' codex of laws, albeit as part of a different Torah commandment: "to love God." Specifically, the latter wrote in his Laws of Repentance (10,3):  

"What is the proper degree of love? That a person should love God with a very great love until his soul is bound up in this love. Thus, he will always be occupied with this love as if he is lovesick for a woman, whose thoughts are never diverted from loving her; he is always occupied with her: when he sits down, when he gets up, when he eats and drinks. Love for God should be even greater… as the Torah charges (D'varim 6,5), "Love God... with all your heart and with all your soul,” and as Solomon wrote metaphorically (Song of Songs 2,5), “I am lovesick;” indeed, Song of Songs in general is a parable depicting this love for G-d."

[Here the author elaborates on additional Rabbinic formulations: Rabbeinu Bachye writes that the commandments of Love for G-d and Cleaving to G-d are one and the same; the Chovot HaLevavot says that cleaving to G-d is a matter of true and complete love for G-d; and the Mesilat Yesharim states that "cleaving" is a branch of the mitzvah of "loving G-d."]

Elsewhere, we explained that there are three aspects of our relationship with the Creator: Sometimes it is like a son to a father, sometimes like a servant to his master, and sometimes like lovers, i.e., husband and wife. Here we see that the mitzvah under discussion is a manifestation of our relationship with G-d as husband and wife. These verses make it clear how strongly Hashem seeks a deep and close relationship with us, and that He anticipates that we feel towards Him the same closeness that He feels towards us. 

The Rambam used the metaphor of love between a man and woman quite purposefully to describe our relationship with G-d. It would not even be an exaggeration to say that G-d created the entire institution of marriage in order that we learn from it how we should feel towards Him.

Vayelech: Hidden Within the Hidden – Not Hidden at All!

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivat Orot Netanya, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

A rabbi and teacher par excellence once met with an elderly Holocaust survivor, and the two spoke of matters of faith. The survivor said, "I grew up in a Hassidic family, filled with Torah and awe and fear of Heaven, and my parents raised me to always believe that G-d runs the world with beneficence and goodness."

"But then," the man continued, "when the Shoah happened to us, and I saw so much evil, I realized that my parents had been mistaken. I knew it could not be that G-d the Good would run a world with so much evil in it. I therefore became a total heretic and stopped keeping the commandments."

The rabbi said, "Your parents were mostly right, but they erred in one thing: G-d is not good!"

The Shoah survivor was shocked at what he had heard, and after a moment of confusion, he reacted sharply: "Not true! My parents were right! G-d is good…"

The rabbi used an educational trick in this exchange. He sensed that deep down, this Jew was still totally connected with all his soul to his parents' traditions, and that in his heart, his belief in G-d was still strong – but that he had great anger at G-d because of his horrific Shoah experiences. His abandonment of Torah was just a manifestation of his pain, the rabbi realized, and that when push would come to shove, the Jew could not but cry out in faith in G-d with confidence in His goodness.

This approach can also be used in the face of difficult questions of faith asked by our youth - if the teacher or parent truly understands the child and where he is coming from. Sometimes, their questions are simply a way of acting out, expressing anger, etc. – but if someone were to tell them that their objections were correct, they would show their true colors of faith.  

The Same Divine Game

In truth, this is how G-d often acts with us, with this same educational "trick." In this week's Torah portion (a double reading, Nitzavim and Vayelech, D'varim 29,9 to 31,30), Hashem tells Moshe: "Know that the Nation of Israel will sin in the future; I will be angered at them and even abandon them, hiding My face, and they will undergo great tribulations" (see 31,16-21). "Haster astir panai – I will totally hide My face on that day…" (verse 18). 

This is why G-d insists that the song of Haazinu would comprise the next chapter in the Torah, D'varim 32 – so that when Israel experiences great tribulations, such as the Shoah, the song will be a testimony that G-d knew this all in advance.

And what will that help? Why is it important to have advance testimony? 

The explanation is that even though G-d says that He will hide from us, the very fact that He is telling us this in advance means that He is not really hidden! It is all known in advance; it's as if the game was "thrown" ahead of time, and is simply a Divine scheme. As such, everything – even His concealment – is part of G-d's revelation in the world!

After all, if we know in advance that someone will hide, and where, he cannot really be said to be hiding.

This is a Path to Teshuvah

This insight is actually a way for us to repent of our errant ways and sins. Many know the popular song Vaafilu b'hastarah sheb'tokh hahastarah, but have trouble with its exact meaning. It is infact based on the words of Rabbe Nachman of Breslov, who wrote it to explain the Torah's double use in the above passage of the word for "concealment," haster astir (of the same root as hastarah). 

Rabbe Nachman wrote: "And even in the concealment that is within the concealment, I am most certainly found there as well – for there is nothing that can exist without the vitality given by G-d; for without His life-force, it would have no existence at all" (Likutei Moharan 56,3). 

The idea is that there are two levels of concealment. If Hashem is hidden only once, it's true that He is "hidden," but we know it, and this gives us the ability to look for and find Him. But, if he is "hidden within a concealment," this is a situation in which we don't even know that G-d is hidden there, and we don't know to look for Him there!  But in truth, even there, G-d's life-force is present.

And where is this place of hastarah within hastarah? Rabbe Nachman explains that "even if, Heaven forbid, one commits a sin or deed against G-d's will – still and all, G-d's energy is there." That is, the sin is the place of hastarah within hastarah. Let us assume that we understand that, but how do we understand that a sin has G-d's life-force within it?

The answer is that G-d gives man life at every moment; if not, he would die on the spot. The same is true even for a sinner, of course; his capacity for sinning comes from G-d, as does all life. And even if we may not be able to explain it, we see that even "sin" is part of the Divine program.

And this is precisely why Hashem gave us the ability to repent, do teshuvah, and actually rectify our sins. Because when we regret and repent having left G-d's will, and understand that He is He Who runs everything and is found in everything, and desire to fix our sins via regret, verbal acknowledgement, and abandonment of sin – we show that G-d is found even in the "hastara of the hastarah," meaning that there is actually no Divine concealment at all. 

And to take it another step deeper – which we will not do here – this also can help us understand the Talmudic teaching that when one repents out of love, his purposeful sins actually turn into merits (Tzidkat HaTzaddik 40). 

May we merit to repent fully and do complete teshuvah, and experience G-d's revelation in His return to Zion with compassion!

Ki Tavo: The Torah's Harsh Rebuke Leads to Good Things

by Rav Dov Lior, former Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba and Hevron, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The central theme of this week's Torah portion of Ki Tavo (D'varim 26,1-29,8) is the blessings and curses that Israel took upon themselves just days before the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu. This is the covenant made in the plains of Moav, since the covenant made at Horeb (Mount Sinai) nearly 40 years earlier had been broken by them.

The main point of the covenant is the belief in Divine Reward and Punishment. This is one of the foundational principles of faith, as Maimonides enumerates in his Thirteen Principles of Faith. What this requires of us is to observe what is happening around us – that which happens to myself as an individual, and even more so, what happens to our community and nation. We do not have the luxury of thinking that everything is mere coincidence. There are no coincidences, neither for the individual nor for the community; everything that happens is the result of our actions, for better or worse.

Moshe Rabbeinu, as he winds up his parting speech to the Israelites, is very harsh here in Chapter 28. Though he begins with words of blessing, most of it is what is known as tokhe'ha, sharp rebuke and threat of dire punishment if Israel does not adhere to the commandments of the Torah. In verse 59, he uses an unfamiliar term in his depiction of the plagues that could come upon us: "V'hifla [from the root meaning 'wondrous'] your punishments, terrible and relentless…"

The Medrash states: "V'hifla – I do not know what that is. But when the Prophet states, 'I will continue to mafli this nation hafle vafele, and the wisdom of its sages will be lost and the understanding of its wise men will be hidden' [Yeshayahu 29,14, using three different forms of the word in question], we see that it means the loss of tzaddikim."

That is, if Divine Providence brings upon us a plague or punishment of any kind, and there are those in our midst who know how to understand and explain to the public why and because of whom and what the punishment came, this means that the blow achieved its goal, the public will repent, and the punishment will end and disappear.

However, if the righteous have departed us, and there is no one to open the people's eyes to what is happening, then the sins, and the consequent punishments and suffering will continue to exist among us. This is what the Torah refers to here as "relentless plagues" (ne'emanot, literally meaning "faithful" and consistent); the punishments do not end but rather continue indefinitely.

We live in a period in which we cannot easily point to specific people who have the ability to open our eyes, to teach the community why and wherefore various difficulties come upon us. There is no other country in the world that is threatened by its enemies near and far with destruction simply because it exists. Our security inside and outside our homes throughout the country is not guaranteed. Any day that goes by without a terrorist attack or attempted attack is a type of miracle; regarding this, we say in our prayers, "regarding all Your miracles that are with us every day."

Sadly, however, if someone wants to comment on something having to do with the difficulties that we are experiencing, he is immediately labeled an extremist whose words should be ignored. And so we continue to tread water, with no clear path out of the international entanglement, politically and militarily. This, of course, in addition to sociological problems such as increased violence among the youth, a decline in morality, and more.

However: At this difficult time, we have the holy opportunity and mission to rise to the occasion, and redouble our efforts. We must not give in to despair or to weakness. We must rather continue even more strongly to teach and exhibit the ideals of Torah and sanctity of life, to increase our commitment one to another and to our society, and to strengthen the Jewish presence in every part of the Land of Israel. I have no doubt that if we do what we must do, there will be great Heavenly help, siyata dishmaya, and our nation will return to itself and to G-d, and we will merit to see the Redemption of our Nation and Land.

Ki Tetzei: Retrieving Our Lost Strengths

by Rav Yosef Naveh, Hassidic Educator and Torah Coach, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion of Ki Tetzei (Deuteronomy 21,10 through Chapter 25) begins with this verse: "When you go out to war with your enemy, and G-d gives him into your hand, and you take captives…"  Though this is referring to a physical enemy, as the succeeding verses indicate clearly, it can also be understood, as the saintly R. Simcha Bunem of Pshischa explained, as referring to one's personal battle with his own negative inclinations and urges.

In the work HaLekach v'HaLibuv by R. Avraham Schorr (son of R. Gedalya Schorr), he asks how "taking captives" can be understood in the context of a battle with the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination). He also asks why the Hebrew word here for "captives" is shivyo, implying that the captive we might take was previously captive in the hands of the enemy; how can this be understood?

R. Schorr answers as follows, based on the Sfat Emet: Later in the Torah portion, we read, 'Do not see your brother's ox or sheep wandering lost – and ignore them; return them to your brother… But if you don't know who the owner is, they shall remain with you until he comes to collect them.'" There are different types of things that a person can lose – and must later retrieve.

For in truth, every individual person is granted many strengths from Heaven – strengths of the soul and of the bodily organs – for the purpose of using them to fulfill G-d's will, to fulfill His commandments and learn His Torah. But when a person uses these abilities to satiate his own needs and lusts, or to actually violate G-d's word and will, these strengths are then taken from him, and then much hard work is needed in order to restore them to his domain.

The Talmud states (Betzah 16a): "G-d gives an 'extra soul' (neshama yetera) to a person on Sabbath eve, and it is taken from him when the Sabbath departs – as written (Sh'mot 31,17): "He ceased and rested, shavat vayinafash [the first syllable of the second word is pronounced vay, an expression of sorrow]: Once He ceased, then vay - the soul [nefesh] was lost."

The Baal Shem Tov famously asks: "The verse speaks of the beginning of the Sabbath, so why did the Sages derive from it a lesson regarding the end of the Sabbath?"

The Sfat Emet answers that when the Sabbath arrives, a person senses what he lost during the days of the week, and the thirst to find his lost spiritual items is aroused within him. That is to say, throughout the workweek, a person is lost in his This-Worldly pursuits, and he "forgets" to seek out his lost spirituality. Instead, his desires are for material matters, not those that G-d specifically wills. But on the Sabbath, the "day of souls," a person's grasp of the truth becomes stronger and he remembers that which he lost, and he says, "Vay, my true soul was lost!" And then, by remembering and searching for it, he can retrieve the lost object.

This also explains why the Torah implies here (from the word shivyo) that the "captive" was previously held in the enemy's hands: This is referring to the strengths of the soul that were lost and taken captive by the Yetzer Hara during the work-week when a person was in his weaker state.

But when a person fulfills "When you go out to war with your enemy," and charges out to fight his negative urges – he merits to restore his lost powers, and take back his captives that had been lost to the yetzer hara.

We read in Proverbs: "Distance your way from [the strange woman] ... lest strangers be sated with your strength and your labors be in the house of an alien" (5,8-10). This can be understood to mean that when one sins, strangers – external forces – come and take his strengths and become satiated from them. One who has fallen into this trap is then advised to 'You alone shall have them, and strangers shall have nothing with you" (ibid. 17). Righteous ones tell us that the Hebrew initials of the last four words in this verse spell out Elul, which is the month of repentance – telling us that when we repent completely of our sins and do good deeds, we merit that our spiritual forces remain only for ourselves ("you alone"), and will not be used by evil forces; strangers will no longer have control over them.

As stated, when one's energies have been lost to the Yetzer Hara, they are held captive by it – but when he does teshuvah and seeks back these strengths, he can restore them to his own domain.

Elul is also an acronym for other significant phrases. The Sfat Emet cites the verse (Yeshayahu 48,11), "And I will not give My glory to another" (V'chvodi L'acher Lo Eten). He explained that during the days of Elul, the gates of mercy are opened for our return to Hashem. And the most famous acronym in this regard is "I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine" (Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li, Shir HaShirim 6,3).

Therefore, the forces of evil have no ability to hide G-d's countenance; "I will not give My glory to another." For in the month of Elul, man is able to take and restore the lost spiritual forces that were in the "other's" jurisdiction. Elul is the unique time for awakening and seeking out and restoring our lost energies. This is done via the blowing of the shofar during each weekday of Elul, which arouses our will.

For G-d most certainly fulfills the commandment of "returning lost objects," as the Sages said: "A Heavenly voice goes out every day from Horev [Mt. Sinai] and declares, 'Woe unto mankind for the insult to Torah" (Pirkei Avot 6,2) – reminding us to seek out what we have lost.

And this is the special nature of the holy days of Elul: Buried within them is a unique force that arouses man from his slumber, calling on him to seek out that which he has lost over the year, in order to finally merit that which is alluded to in the verse above, "until [you] come to collect it."

Shoftim: Standing Silently By

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel ZT"L, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Among the many mitzvot (commandments) in this week's Torah portion of Shoftim (D'varim 16,18-21,9), we read: "The testimony of one witness [regarding a crime] may not be accepted; a case must be established through the testimony of two or three witnesses" (19,15).

The Sages ask (Makkot 5b): "If the testimony of two witnesses is sufficient, why did the Torah state 'two or three'"?

Several answers are offered; let us focus on that of Rabbe Akiva, who said: "The purpose is to exact a price on the third witness, and equate his punishment to that of the first two." That is, if they are found to have lied, not only are the first two witnesses punished, but also the third one – and he cannot claim, 'My words made no difference, since there were already two witnesses, so why should I be punished?'"

The Gemara adds there: "If one who merely joins up with other sinners is punished, how much more so is one rewarded for joining up with those who do good deeds!"

In any event, we learn from this a major principle in "national education:" When the authorities commit an injustice, such as the expulsion of residents from Gush Katif and handing over parts of the Land of Israel to foreigners, it is forbidden to take part! That is, even if police and military forces have already gathered in numbers sufficient to complete the mission, and then other soldiers or police officers are recruited to take part as well, the latter cannot claim that they bear no guilt because the plan can be completed without them. Rather, anyone who joined up with the forces, in whatever role, is guilty – and must repent for this sin. His t'shuvah (repentance) must be a personal decision to never again take any part in evicting Jews from their homes, and also by publicly declaring and educating others that such a great sin must never be repeated.

I would add that we are reminded to speak about this specifically now, because the days of t'shuvah are fast approaching and every Jew must correct what he corrupted in the past.

It is interesting to note that a disagreement has developed among several of the rabbis of the religious-Zionist camp. Some say that a soldier must obey all military commands, even regarding the eviction of Jews from their homes, while others claim that it is forbidden to obey orders that directly contradict Torah law. The latter cite the Rambam, who wrote, "If the king decreed to abrogate a commandment, he is not listened to" (Laws of Kings 3,9, based on Sanhedrin 49a). Several rabbis were interviewed in the media this week who instructed their students to obey the army's orders regarding the eviction of Jews from a building in Hebron. It is puzzling to me that I did not hear any of those rabbis relate to the apparent violation of the Rambam's halakhic ruling.

It should also be noted that no Rosh Yeshivat Hesder pre-military academy head is permitted to rule on this "question," because of his personal "interests" (biases) regarding continued funding from the Ministry of Defense for his yeshiva.

Back to the fundamental point: A person will have to account in the Heavenly court for having stood by sinners, and will be punished for not having protested their acts. This concept is also seen elsewhere in the Torah, such as regarding the rebellion of Korach and his gang. When Moshe Rabbeinu heard that there was to be a Divine punishment, he declared before all, "Move away from the tents of these evil people… lest you be consumed by [the punishment for] their sins" (Bamidbar 16,26). This raises the question: Since G-d knows who is guilty and who is not, what's the difference where they all stood? G-d could have punished only those who actively rebelled!

The answer is: "Woe to an evil person, woe to his neighbor" (Mishna Nega'im 12,6). The very fact that the neighbor did not distance himself from an evil person brings upon him punishment. 

Our Sages were clear on this point: "Distance yourself from a bad neighbor" (Ethics of the Fathers 1,7). Rabbeinu Yonah explains that this means that one must not think that he can join up with the evil ones only temporarily, or even just superficially – because he could end up being punished simply for being with him and not protesting.

This of course also applies to being with people who speak gossip, slander, or impure/unclean speech. See also Proverbs 22,14, from which is learned that everyone in the vicinity of a sinner will be punished, unless they protested.

Our military failures in the Second Lebanon War, a year after the Disengagement, refute the position of those young rabbis who instructed their students not to disobey IDF orders during that expulsion of Jews. They claimed that disobeying orders would weaken the IDF. But look at what happened: The result was exactly the opposite of what they thought!

Contrast this with the ruling of the venerable Rabbi Dov Lior about a month ago: When religious soldiers received an order to join the IDF forces preventing citizens from marching on foot to the destroyed settlement of Homesh, they asked his counsel whether to obey the instructions. He answered them that the role of the IDF is to protect us from our foreign enemies, and that it is not its role to prevent Jews from settling their land, and that using the soldiers for this purpose is a political and invalid use of the IDF by the authorities.

How fortunate we are that it is in our power to correct the past through repentance.