Monday, September 18, 2017

Ha'azinu 5778

THE TORAH PORTION OF HA'AZINU - 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
L'ilui Neshamat R' Yochanan Yitzchak Ben Nachum z"l 
L'ilui Neshamat Yaakov Ben Matisyahu HaLevi z"l
L'ilui Neshamat Michael Ben Nachman z"l
L'ilui Neshamat Zehava Bat Shlomo z"l
L'ilui Neshamat Esther Mushka Bat Yaakov HaLevi z"l
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Malka Bat Rivkah Zlata
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Deena Bat Tzion Bat Zehava
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Chaya Basha Bat Esther
L'refuat Hanefesh V'lrefuat Haguf L'Etan Naphtali Ben Zehava
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Rivkah Goldah Bat Chaya Basha 
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Shimon Ben Rivkah Goldah
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Yoledet Simcha Pearl Bat Rivkah Goldah
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Ahuva Nechama Bat Simcha Pearl
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Moshe Shlomo Ben Rivkah Goldah
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Chaim Sh'muel Ben Rivkah Goldah 
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Avital Bat Rut
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Eliezer Yitzchak Ben Bracha Devorah 
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Michael Itzhak Nesshael Ben Avital 
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Naomi Chana Bat Chaya Basha 
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Refael Ben Masha Etel
L'refuat Hanefesh V'lrefuat Haguf L'Fruma Freidel Bat Esther  
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'Rav Daniel Reuven Ben Esther and
L'refuat Hanefesh V'l'refuat Haguf L'kol Am Yisrael V'l'geulah Hashleima Bekarov



"May the heavens listen, and I will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth."  (Devorim 32:1)


This presents a difficulty, for how are the heavens and earth connected to rebuke?  (see Rashi)   One explanation that can be given is based on what is written in Sanhedrin 91a: Antoninus said to Rebbe that the body and soul are both able to exempt themselves from judgment, how so?  The body says that the soul sinned because, behold, without the soul, I am like an inanimate stone.  The soul says that the body sinned, because without the body, behold, I would just fly away in the air. Rebbe answered him by means of a parable, about a king who had a garden which had very nice figs and he placed two guards there, one crippled and one blind.  The crippled one said to the blind one, I see nice figs, pick me up to ride on you and we will be able to take them so that we can eat them.  The crippled person rode on the blind person and they took them and ate them.  After several days the king came and asked them, where are the nice figs? The blind person answered, do I have eyes to see?  The crippled person answered, do I have legs that walk?  What did the king do?  He placed the crippled person on top of the blind person  and judged both of them together.  Similarly, the Holy One Blessed Be He brings the soul and throws it into the body and judges both of them together, as it is said "He calls upon the heavens from above..." (Tehillim 50:4) which refers to the soul, "...and to the earth to judge His people" (Tehillim 50:4) which refers to the body.  We see that "the heavens" is a reference to the soul, and "the earth" is a reference to the body. And that is the explanation of what is meant by "May the heavens listen", that is to say, this means that the soul should listen since the soul can be hinted at by the word "heavens".  And at the time that I am saying rebuke to the soul, then "may the earth hear", that is to say, that the body should hear, since the body is hinted at by the word "earth".  And by means of speaking to both of them, the soul and body together, they won't be able to exempt themselves from judgment.  (from Od Yosef Chai)  

"May my teaching drip like the rain..."  (Devorim 32:2)


The Torah is compared to rain.  Just as when it rains we don't immediately see the fruits, so it is with Torah.  Even if one doesn't see success immediately , in the course of time he will see success.  And just as when it rains nothing grows until one works the ground, so one first needs to struggle in the Torah and afterwards he will see great success.

"When I call out the Name of Hashem, ascribe greatness to Elokainu." (Devorim 32:3)


By virtue of the fact that we merit to praise Hashem, on that alone we should ascribe greatness to Hashem --  we need to praise Hashem for that in and of itself.

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, snd 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 Ha'azinu  has 52 verses.  Haftora: "Shuva Yisrael"  (Hoshea 14).

  

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 Tova - May you all be completely sealed for a Good Year


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