Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Vayelech & Shabbat Shuva 5776

The Torah Portion of Vayelech 


SHABBAT SHUVA

Excerpted and Translated from the the Teachings of Rabbi Gershon Steinberg ztz"l
L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben Chaim ztz"l


"And Moshe went..." (Devorim 31:1)  


The Tirgum Yonatan says that Moshe went to the place of study -- to Yeshiva.  The Baal HaTurim says that he went to the Patriarchs to tell them that Hashem fulfilled his oath that Israel will enter the Land.

"And Moshe called Yehoshua and said to him before the eyes of all Yisrael, 'Be strong and be courageous'..." (Devorim 31:7)


The last words of the Torah are "before the eyes of all Yisrael" (Devorim 34:12).  After finishing the Torah we need to strengthen ourselves and to begin anew.

"Gather together the people -- the men, and the women, and the small children...."  (Devorim 31:12)


The Sages say, why do the small children come?  It is in order to give reward to those who bring them.  It has been asked, if the parents all come to the Temple certainly they will take the small children with them anyway, because how could they leave them?  But the explanation of the text is that the Holy One Blessed Be He wanted that they would have a Mitzvah  (and therefore a reward) to bring them, and therefore He commanded to do so.  

"...the men, and the women, and the small children..."  (Devorim 31:12)


In the Mitzvah of "Hakhel", the gathering together of the people, mention is made of men, women, and small children. The Roshei Teivot (initial letters) of the Hebrew words for men, women and children are as follows:  "Tet" is the first letter of the word "Taf" (in English: "small children"); "Nun" is the first letter of the word "Nashim" (in English: "women"); and "Aleph" is the first letter of the word "Anashim" (in English: "men").  The Gematria (numerical value) of each of these letters adds up to 60, as follows: "Tet" has a value of 9, "Nun" has a value of 50, and "Aleph" has a value of 1. The number 60 is also associated with Birkat Kohanim (the blessing given by Kohanim), because that blessing has 60 letters in it.  In addition, the number 60 is associated with the Talmud, because the 6 Orders of the Mishnah have a total of 60 Tractates. Because of this, the Holy One Blessed Be He wanted everyone to come -- men, women, and small children -- so that both blessing (from the Kohanim) and the holiness of the Torah (associated with the 60 Tractates of the Talmud) would apply to everyone. (from the Ben Ish Chai)

"And I will surely conceal My face..." Devorim (31:18)


It is told about a particular Tzaddik (Righteous Man) that he saw his grandson crying, and asked him "Why are you crying?"  The grandson told him that he was playing with his friends and hiding just like the other children that play hide-and-seek, but no one came to look for him, and that's a sign that he isn't worth anything to his friends.  The Tzaddik also started to cry, and he said, "Also Hashem hides His face and cries", as it is written "In hidden places my soul cries" (Yirmiyahu 13:17), and why?  Because "No is inquiring and no one is requesting" (Yechezkel 34:6).

HAFTORA


"Return, Israel, to Hashem Elokecha, because you have stumbled in your iniquity."  (Hoshea 14:2)


Why does the Prophet need to say "because you have stumbled in your iniquity"?  Isn't it clear when he said "Return, Israel", that you have stumbled in your iniquity?  However, what the Prophet meant when he said this to Israel, is that if you had been precautious not to stumble in any sins, then it would be clear that you would not be stumbling in any transgressions -- even accidentally or under duress.  And this is why the Prophet seems to repeat himself and says "because you have stumbled in your iniquity".  The reason that you need to repent is because you have already stumbled in your inquity, and that is what has brought you to sin again in transgressions that you did not even know were transgressions.  And therefore we also confess "On the sin which we sinned before you by mistake, on the sin which we sinned before you under duress", because also these types of transgressions are thought of as sins.  (from the Gr"a)

"Return, Israel, to Hashem Elokecha, because you have stumbled in your iniquity." (Hoshea 14:2)


From this verse, Rabbi Levi said, great is repentance which reaches the Throne of Glory (Yoma 86a).  It has been asked, why did Rabbi Levi need to bring a proof from the Prophet?  Isn't there a verse which specifies this in the Torah, "You will return to Hashem Elokecha..." (Devorim 4:30)?  The explanation is that our Rabbis said (in Yoma 86a) regarding the one who repents from love, his willful sins are turned into merits, but the one who repents from fear, his willful sins are made into sins that he did by mistake.  And in truth, if we were to study only the verse "You will return to Hashem Elokecha..." (Devorim 4:30), we would think that only in the case of sins which were done by mistake does repentance reach the Throne of Glory, but in the case of sins which were done willfully that repentance does not reach the Throne of Glory.  But now, when we are studying the verse from the Prophet, "Return, Israel, to Hashem Elokecha, because you have stumbled in your iniquity" (Hoshea 14:2), the significance of this is that even for sins that were done willfully, if a man returns in repentance, we see that his repentance reaches until the Throne of Glory.

"...nor will we ever call again call our handiwork 'our god' -- only in You will the orphan find compassion."  (Hoshea 14:4)


The Rambam in the Laws of Repentance (Chapter 2, Halacha 2) writes: And what is repentance?...that the One Who knows hidden things will testify on him that he won't return to that sin forever, as it is said "nor will we ever again call our handiwork 'our god' etc."  And the Aruch Hashulchan adds, in the Laws of Rosh Hashana (siman 602), that is what the Torah says (in Vayikra 16:30) "...before Hashem you will be purified...", that is to say, that He, the Blessed One, will testify about you that you are purified.

"Our Father Our King, cause us to do complete repentance before you.  Our Father Our King, send complete healing to the sick ones of your people."  (from the Avinu Malkeinu prayer)


One time, the Admor the Rebbe Yoel of Satmar ztz"l and the Gaon Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz"l met each other, and the Gaon Rav Moshe ztz"l asked the Admor from Satmar ztz"l, Your Honor is a Rebbe and when people mention a sick person before you, and you bless him with a "complete healing", what is the intention of saying "complete"?  Isn't it enough to bless him with "healing" by itself?  And the Admor of Satmar ztz"l answered him, Your Honor is a Rav, and if so, explain to me what is the intention when we say "complete repentance"?  Isn't it sufficient to just say "repentence" by itself?  And the Gaon Rav Moshe ztz"l answered that "complete repentence" means just what the Rambam wrote, that it is a repentance such that the One Who knows all hidden matters will testify that the person will never return to do that sin ever again, and if so it is not just repentance on what occurred but "complete repentance" so that he won't return to do that sin.  The Admor of Satmar ztz"l then said to him, if so, then this is the explanation of "complete healing", not just that the person will be healed from his disease, but that he will never again return to have that sickness again.

  

The Torah Portion of Vayeilech has 30 verses.  2 positive commandments.Haftora: "Shuva Yisrael"  (Hoshea 24 61).  

We don't say Pirkei Avot and we don't say "Borchi Nafshi".


May you all have a  light-filled and happy Shabbat.  Shabbat Shalom.

L'ilui Neshamat HaGaon HaTzaddik R' Gershon Avigdor Ben R' Chaim ztz"l, Nilkach L'Bait Olamo Yud Gimmel Tishrei 5772

G'mar Chatima Tovah - May You Be Completely Sealed for a Good Year.

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