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Parashat And Sidra Nitzavim-Vayeilech

Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech is the 51st and 52nd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

Nitzavim

Israel’s collective responsibility is the foundation from which, according to Moses’ belief, it is to grow national consciousness.
However, this collective responsibility must not allow the individual to believe that he is safe, if the community maintains fidelity to G-d and at the same time transgresses the Law and his will provision.
Collective responsibility does not cancel individual responsibility. Directly related to this principle is the well-known idea of G-d’s love and charity, which The Creator includes not only the nations as a whole, but also each individual within the national whole.
“Atem nitzavim,” begins this sidra: “You (all) stand” o—you are all present—the nation,
which does not disappear. “
Generations change, leaders change, but the nation remains. It is “maceva” – a pillar that endures. Still, Moses’ fears did not entirely disappear; they are afraid that the events that experienced in the desert.

Who will become the Moses of the future The nation will again fall into the mistakes of the predecessors, the wrath of G-d it will flare up against the ungrateful (29,26) and the time of exile will come.
(In this connection mention should be made of the emphatic letter lamed in the twenty-seventh trust yourself. This distinction from the rest of the text has its exact meaning, which follows from the meaning of the word i the content of the letter itself. The big lamed stands in the middle of the word “vayaslichem” – i.e. “he threw you out”, “he threw you out”. The word “lamed” refers to a letter and at the same time means “to teach”.
Its emphasis can then undoubtedly be interpreted in such a way that Israel does not have to go into exile be considered evidence of some sort of final “rift” between G-d and Israel.)
Exile does not bring destruction to G-d’s people, it is not the end of their happiness, but it gives lessons. Knowledge. Galut is by school.
So the future is dark and uncertain. Moses, however, says: “The hidden things belong to the Hashem our G-d, but the revealed things (are) ours and the children’s ours forever: that we may fulfill all the words of this Torah” (29:28).
No man has the right to despair in his life.
He must not do so, even if his existence, with all the circumstances that accompany it, seemed to him very fleeting, unimportant, negligible.
Only G-d knows the future and it is so good. After all, where would the creative power go, what would happen happened to man’s will and desire, if man knew what awaited him, and thus became a prisoner of his the future?
For us Jews, the truth is obvious, obvious and attainable. It is the Word revealed by G-d faithfulness to G-d and His Law.
Everything else is nothing but speculation.
The three words “lanu ulevanejnu ad” (“ours and our children forever”) are different from the rest of the text marked at the top by eleven dots. According to Rashi, this distinction should be understood as meaning that for the first eleven years after entering the The Promised Land was not yet covered by the obligation of collective responsibility in the true sense of the word, of which Moses had just spoken.
Israel does not begin to be judged as a whole until after the covenant on the mountain has been solemnized Ebal and Gerizim.
In the last days of his life, Moses constantly emphasizes to the people how important he is obedience to G-d, faith in the Creator.
Is it really that hard to be faithful to Him and to submit to Him? After all, “this command which I command you today, he is neither inaccessible to you nor far from you” (30:11).
The knowledge that the Law brings is not supernatural, comprehensible only to celestials.
None of what man needs to attain and understand the Law has been closed by G-d as his own mystery – “for (the ‘command’) is not in heaven” (30.12) – and the perfection which the Law brings does not depend
at time or place.
“It is not beyond the sea that you should say: ‘Who will cross the sea for us, that you may take him for us and give him to us announced that we should fulfill it’, but the word (that) is very close to you… (30,13-14).
G-d, who gave birth to all being, knows better than anyone else what your soul and body really are they need.
He couldn’t be wrong when he showed you the way of life with his finger. Because it really is life and death (verse 15), nothing more or less.

The whole national and individual being of Israel, her happiness, the fulfillment that everyone strives for in her, will be always depend on the choice one makes. At the foundation of the teaching of freedom, the essence of Jewish philosophy, are the following fundamental statements of the Torah:
The choice is before you; nothing diminishes it, nothing limits it. Everything is in your hands – your greatness and your decline, your light and your night. Sure, we live, and yet we still have to choose life. For life as G-d intends it and life as men understand it have very little in common. It goes for life – and the Torah is a magnificent witness to this – which fully opens itself to all aspects and
possibilities of existence.
The choice must always be present, and whoever says choice, says the master.
For only he who is the master of his choice can vote. And being the master of your choice is the main goal teachings that want to endow man with all his possible strength.
This choice will be a true act of love (30:20), for in this freely confessed choice to the Hashem of all being, the mercy of heaven and the power of creation meet, the unlimited power of God with by the humble and magnificent efforts of man.
“I am one hundred and twenty years old today, I can no longer go out and come in…” (31,1).
From the mouth of the leader, incomparable to all others, a lament rises to heaven. G-d’s glory accompanies Moses and his actions, but here his modesty seems to be disrespected and simplicity, of which G-d himself testified. We see Moses before us – the man and the words that complete the Fifth Book of Moses, in us they evoke deep emotion. The man Moses is alive before us, his words transcend the centuries, they reach our ears and we listen to a leader full of understanding and righteous severity, admirable directness and clear impartiality.
Moses hands over power to his faithful disciple Yehoshua, who in difficult times, in
moments when it was necessary to be a man in the true sense of the word, he proved exceptional qualities. The last law is revealed. It refers to the public, regularly repeated reading of the Torah, which Moses brought to the people, the reading which was every seventh year, the year of forgiveness, entrusted on the feast of Sukkot to the Levites.
Unlike other pilgrimage holidays, in which only men were required to participate, it has
in the seventh year to listen to the words of the Torah the whole nation: all who belong to it, let them be grown men, women, or children.
As soon as the child is able, even in his own way, to understand the meaning of the religious order, he must assembly to attend.
And on him, through the mouth of his called, the nation will renew its ancient promise: to listen to G-d, to learn from Him of the Law and keep the fear of G-d. Moses has to hand over his commission to Yehoshua in a ceremonial way.
The presence of G-d in the pillar of cloud lends this moment a unique seal: G-d himself
sanctifies Moses’ successor. Such acts of G-d are absolutely exceptional. In reality, Moses was a stronger personality than Yehoshua, and Moses’ death is therefore blamed by many considered an irreparable misfortune.
Yehoshua was in danger of finding himself in a very difficult position after the death of Moses. That is why G-d himself intervened to show the people that G-d’s Law is eternal, that it will not stop paying after all generations.

Vayeilech

With today’s parashat, we are approaching the end of the entire annual reading of the Torah. Our parashat begins with the words: “Moses went and he proclaimed these words to all Israel…” (Devarim 31:1). Moses was one hundred and twenty years old, he knew that his days were added up and issues final instructions. It is in this parsha that the last mitzvah of the entire Torah is contained. Maybe this commandment few people know, so it’s worth reminding. All the more so because it is the very last of all 613 in the Torah. The whole verse (31:19) reads as follows: “Now write down this song and teach it to the children of Israel, put it in their mouths so that this song she was a witness in the children of Israel!’
This verse speaks of the obligation to rewrite the Torah scroll. The Torah is meant by that song. All authorities perceive this as a personal mitzvah. It is the duty of every Jew to transcribe the Sefer Torah for himself (even if he inherited such a copy).
And the king has the obligation to transcribe even two copies (see mitzvah no. 503 Devarim 17,18), higher functions, higher responsibility, that’s how it should work. It is clear that G-d probably did not mean the earth to be by this overflowing with copies of the Torah, but to increase the learning, the knowledge of the Torah through the personal, handwritten transcription. It is fine to have a proper respect for the Torah, but it is equally important to act according to it, and that is why it is so necessary know well This is what personal rewriting is for. It always helped me to learn when I did at least handwritten extracts, notes. That visual memory, also associated with physical activity – in this case she helped me a lot with writing. After all, other mitzvahs work in exactly the same way. When we repeatedly perform – physically – some command, it gradually affects our mind as well and slowly reshapes the personality. Mitzvah goreret mitzvah- one mitzvah attracts another, but this is also true in the case of sin.
The Rambam (Maimonides) writes in Hilchot Sefer Torah (7:1) that every Jew must copy the scroll. When he pays for it to a sofer (professional scribe) to do it for him, he also fulfills his duty by doing so, but if he transcribes scroll with his own hand, it is as if he received the Torah directly from G-d.”
Even the Kraków rabbi Remu (Rav Moshe Isserles, 1525 – 1572, my 26th great granduncle) in his work, the halachic compendium Shulchan Aruch (Jore Dea 270.1) adheres to the Rambam’s opinion that every Jew must copy the Torah scroll and recognized that the best the form of fulfillment of this mitzvah is handwritten transcription. And if a person does not have such an option – he should buy scroll that is not complete and finish the job. Remu himself set an example and transcribed the Torah scroll with his own hand. AND this scroll was kept by the synagogue of Remu with great respect for the sage of the Torah until its destruction during II. world war.
So, how are we doing? Am I overwritten? Have you fulfilled this mitzvah? Although it is a mitzvah from the Torah, so probably hard. Of course there are technical difficulties. Who, besides the specialists, has mastered the art of writing Hebrew ketav ashuri script, which is used to write the text of the Torah? Even the professional typist – sofers – has to practice this for a long time art. And then even he can take a year to rewrite the scroll and that at full deployment. Today is the traditional mitzvah
the rewriting of the Torah scroll is accomplished through participation in a scroll that belongs to a certain community – usually by contributing a certain amount of money to purchase the scroll. A mitzvah fulfilled in this way emphasizes the concept of unity the Jewish people. Through participation at the community level, we fulfill the commandment of rewriting the Torah scroll. Many scrolls was created precisely because of this idea – to unite individuals in the fulfillment of this mitzvah.
I will mention one more thing. Every Jew is compared to a letter from the Torah scroll. And just like the Torah scroll it must be kosher according to halacha to be used, and each letter must be written exactly according to rules and should not be faded, cracked or incomplete in any way, so should the Jewish people in order to fully function
as a whole, each individual should fulfill his potential that lies dormant within him. If there is any individuality is incomplete or suffers, so in short it affects the whole. The Torah is our common treasure, and we best honor and respect it by studying it, knowing it, and obeying it. There is no need for us to clumsily try to transcribe the text of the Torah in exact Hebrew letters. Me personally
I liked it when I saw an empty book in a Polish synagogue, which incoming visitors had the opportunity to enter to attribute another verse from the Torah that was lying next to it. I can imagine something like that in our country and I would love it liked it. The text of the Torah is not something dead, it lives and still fulfills its function, we just have to notice it. She is not an idol in itself, is a mediator to understand G-d’s thinking. Therefore, with all due respect, three options are also allowed, because to whom the Torah can be sold. The first one is to donate to a poor girl so that she can get married and have her own family and children, then because of Torah study, and the third option is – because of the redemption of a Jew from slavery. Life, wisdom and freedom. And that’s all from me for the last commandment of the Torah, for a personal approach to the Torah, for rewriting the Torah in our lives.

Chassidic Parshat

Hide and Go Seek

(adapted from Sefer HaMayan HaNitzchi)
Hashem said to Moshe, “When you go to lie with your ancestors, this nation shall rise up and stray after the alien g-ds of the land into which they are coming. They will thus abandon me and violate the covenant that I have made with them. I will then show my anger against them and abandon them. I will hide my face from them and they will be their enemies’ prey. Harried by evils and troubles they will say, “Is it not because G-d is not with me that all these terrible things have befallen us”? And on that day I will surely hide my face on account of their corruption in turning towards alien g-ds. (Deut. 31:16-18)
The Chizkuni and others say that Hashem’s hiding of the face, known as ‘Hester Panim’, is a sign of love; Hashem doesn’t want to see his beloved people being punished. The Rambam says that this verse implies a withdrawal of divine providence. Nevertheless, in the thought of the Baal ShemTov and his disciples, we find a totally different approach to the idea of ‘Hester Panim’.
The Baal ShemTov asks, “How is it possible that our Father, the Merciful One would want to turn away from his beloved children and to make himself as if he didn’t wish to see them? And how would B’nai Yisrael be expected to survive if Hashem removed his providence?” The Baal ShemTov answered his own question with a remarkable insight into Avodas Hashem (divine service).
In reality there is no such thing as ‘Hester Panim’. It is only an illusion, the objective of which is to examine us on how we relate to the hiding. Do we continue to seek Him out, or do we give up searching for Hashem the moment that His presence is no longer obvious. The one who strives to the utmost of his ability to search out Hashem, is rewarded in the end with a greater closeness than he ever before was able to achieve.
‘Hester Panim’ is really only an illusion. The grandson of the Baal ShemTov, R’ Ephraim Chaim, known as the “Degel” after the name of his seminal work, Degel Machane Ephraim (the flag of the Camp of Ephraim), explained ‘Hester Panim’ with a parable. A King wanted to test his sons, to see which of them really loved him with a true love. So he arranged to have walls constructed all around his palace, walls of wind, walls of fire and moats full of water. But the walls were really a trick, an optical illusion. The walls created for the King a hiding place;
would his sons come to seek.
One son, who had a great desire to enter the palace to be with his father, was smart enough to discern that the walls barring his entry were only an illusion. He understood that it could not be possible that his father would create between them such a division. It must then be just a trick to test him. Every wall represented a deeper level of love which he hoped his son would have.
Another son, more foolish than the first perceived the walls only as obstacles and turned back, believing that the King his father had indeed abandoned him.
But we still must ask, what is the nature of these partitions and why do they prevent a person from coming closer to his Creator?
The Toldos, Reb Yaacov Yosef of Polnoye, says that they are the stray and alien thoughts that enter a person’s mind when he is learning, praying or engaged in some other mitzvah. They are thoughts that distract him and cause him to cool off, to dampening his enthusiasm in his divine service. A weak-hearted or shallow person imagines that since these thoughts are creeping in to disturb him, they are
sign that Hashem doesn’t desire his service and wants no part of him. So he cools off and eventually desists in his efforts to grow closer to Hashem.
One with deeper perception understands that even these thoughts are from a holy and pure source since there is no place devoid of Hashem. A small amount of effort at pushing the stray thoughts out of the way, allows the light of Hashem to begin pierce through, enlightening the darkness, and clearing up his confusion.
R’ Sheur Zalman of Liadi, the Ba’al HaTanya, explains that strange thoughts like these are actually a reason for simcha. The Oved Hashem (one dedicated to serving Hashem) is like a soldier intensively trained and prepared for battle (with the Yetzer Hara), but there is no enemy to fight. The moment some strange thoughts creep in he rejoices, since now he is able to engage in the battle to which he has dedicated his life. Is the purpose of his being.
It is now possible to answer a question that many commentators ask on the verse above. The verse states, “Is it not because G-d is not with me that all these terrible things have befallen us”? And on that day I will surely hide my face. . . “.
It is asked, since B’nai Yisrael have clearly humbled themselves by saying, “Is it not because G-d is not with me that all these terrible things have befallen us’? Why are they then summarily punished with ‘Hester Panim’? Isn’t this a more appropriate time for Hashem to reveal Himself and not to hide?
The Holy Maggid of Mezeritch provides an answer. The ones to whom our verse is referring are like the foolish son in the parable above. They recognize that Hashem is not with them, yet they still don’t search Him out. They are required to understand that the ‘Hester Panim’ is only an illusion. Could it be possible that the Father would really hide Himself from his children and not want to be found? Since they are not seeking and not searching, it shows that being in the presence of the Father is not important to them. The result: Hester Panim.
During these last days of Elul, the above message is particularly extant. Elul is the
time for making spiritual amends in preparation for the New Year. The service of
Rosh HaShanah though is different. On Rosh Hashanah we declare that Hashem is our King and that we are His people. We reaffirm this relationship every year on Rosh HaShanah. All the obstacles which prevent us from understanding that the King is really nearby, are illusory. Yes, Hashem sometimes hides, but he is waiting, anticipating and hoping that we will come and search for Him.
A Guten Shabbos