Torah Weekly
Parshas Vayelech
For the week ending 6 Tishrei 5756; 29 & 30 September 1995
Summary
Contents
On this, the last day of his life, Moshe goes from tent to tent
throughout the camp, bidding farewell to his beloved people, encouraging
them to "keep the faith." Moshe tells them that whether
he is among them or not, Hashem is with them, and will vanquish
their enemies. Then he summons Yehoshua, and in front of all
the people, exhorts him to be strong and courageous as the leader
of the Jewish People. In this manner, he strengthens Yehoshua's
status as the new leader. Moshe teaches them the mitzvah
of Hakhel: That every seven years on the first day of
the intermediate days of Succos, the entire nation, including
small children, is to gather together at the Temple to hear the
King read from the Book of Devarim. The sections that
he reads deal with faithfulness to Hashem, the covenant, and reward
and punishment. Hashem tells Moshe that his end is near, and
he should therefore summon Yehoshua to stand with him in the Mishkan,
where Hashem will teach Yehoshua. Hashem then tells Moshe and
Yehoshua that after entering the Land, the people will be unfaithful
to Him, and begin to worship other gods. Hashem will then completely
"hide his face," so that it will seem that the Jewish
People are at the mercy of fate, and that they will be hunted
by all. Hashem instructs Moshe and Yehoshua to write down a song
- Ha'azinu - which will serve as a "witness"
against the Jewish People when they sin. Moshe records the song
in writing and teaches it to Bnei Yisrael. Moshe completes his
transcription of the Torah, and instructs the Levi'im to
place it to the side of the Aron (Holy Ark), so that no
one will ever write a new Torah Scroll that is different from
the original - for there will always be a reference copy.
Commentaries
Contents
(Mayana Shel Torah in the name of the early Tzadikim)
(Rabbi Michoel Schoen)
(Sforno)
Haftorah
Hoshea 14:2 10; Yoel 2:11-27; Michah 7:18-20
ContentsThe Shabbos between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is called Shabbos Shuvah, which means both 'return' and 'repentance'. The first word of this week's Haftorah is 'Shuvah' - "Return O Israel to Hashem, your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity." Just as a person who has been found guilty by the courts and his only hope is to throw himself on the mercy of the king, so too the prophet exhorts the Jewish People to throw themselves on the mercy of the Supreme King of Kings, and beg for clemency, for He alone, in His great kindness, has the power to overrule the verdict and forgive their sins and transgressions.
This is the first Shabbos of the year, and because of this, its sanctity needs to be especially guarded - as it is the first. The Talmud states, "if the Jewish People had kept the first Shabbos, no nation nor tongue could have ruled over them." On Rosh Hashana a new order is created for all of the days of the year. Thus, if the first Shabbos of the year is correctly observed, then the whole year is perfected.
Shabbos is an aid to teshuva. As our Sages teach (Brachos
37), a 'tzaddik gamur' (completely righteous person)
cannot stand in the place where a ba'al teshuva (someone
who returns to Judaism) stands. Tzadikim uphold the world,
as it says in Proverbs, "A tzaddik is the foundation of the
world"; but the way of a ba'al teshuva is before
the world and above the world, as the Talmud says "Teshuva
preceded the world" (Pesachim 54). Shabbos also
has a light which is higher than the seven days of the week
- a reflection of the World to Come.
Written and Compiled by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
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