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Voeschonon / ואתחנן
Voeschonon /
ואתחנן
And you will
seek Hashem your G-d
and you will find
Him because you
search for Him with
all your heart 4-29.
The first word seek
is in plural but the
word find is in
singular. Why. The
Vilna Gaon answers
that the Gemora in
Rosh Hashana
describes when two
people enter to
daven and only one
is answered, the
Gemora attributes
this to a lack of
kavana. This is the
possuk here. Two
will seek but only
one will find, for
he will seek with
all his heart.
The Gemora in
Chagiga extols the
greatness of one who
reviews his
learning. It says
that there is no
comparison of one
who learns 101 times
to one who learns
100 times. It is
said from the Vilna
Gaon that the
numerical value of "Shachach"
שכח, which means to
forget, is 328 and
Zachor זכר, which
means to remember is
227. So one who
reviews 101 removes
that much from the
forgetting and
remains with
remembering.
On Shavuos which was
the time that we
received the Torah,
we read,
appropriately the "Aseres
HaDibros". Also on
Shabbos Nachamu, the
Shabbos of comfort,
when we await the
total redemption, we
read the Aseres
HaDibros. The
Kedushas Levi
comments, that with
the coming of
Moshiach there will
be a clear
understanding of the
Torah, as if there
is a new Torah being
given to the Jewish
people. Therefore it
is a day that we
await a new
acceptance of the
Torah, a new day
like Shavuos.
And you should love
Hashem with your
heart. The Chofetz
Chaim would explain
this. One's love for
Hashem should fill
the heart to
capacity that there
is no room for
another love.
The Chofetz Chaim
described Hashems
love for his nation.
Hashem provides for
all mankind. He
gives, He protects,
He cares for each
and everyone. Our
task is to earn this
reward by perfecting
our service to Him
and to our fellow
man. We could
compare. This, said
the Chofetz Chaim,
to the rich man that
owned a factory. He
appointed a very
capable manager over
the factory. Now,
the manager had a
relative that he
wished to hire, but
there were no
positions available.
So, instead, he told
Him to come and pick
up a check, a salary
each week without
work. One day the
owner decided to
check out the
progress of the
factory. He
interviewed each
worker, what is your
job, what are your
hours. The
embarrassed
relative, when asked
what is your job,
responded, I receive
a salary. This
embarrassment is
what we try to avoid
with our service to
Hashem.
“The words should be
on your heart, you
should teach it to
your sons, you
should speak about
these words”. The
possuk begins with
your personal growth
in Torah, switches
to teaching the
children and then
returns to personal
learning. The answer
is that you’re own
personal learning
and conduct many
times is the best
way to “teach your
sons”. Another
beautiful
explanation is to
understand the
obligation of the
father to teach a
child. Is this a
mitzvah of the
father to enhance
the mitzvos of the
son, similar to
“bris” and “pidyon
haben”, or is this
rather part and
parcel of the
individual’s own
obligation to learn?
This means personal
learning should
involve teaching
one’s children. This
is the “pshat“ in
the “possuk”.
Inserted in the
middle of the
obligation for
personal growth is
an obligation to
teach the children,
for this too is part
of your Torah
learning (Har Tzvi)
“Honor your father
and mother as Hashem
commanded you”. In
the first set of
“luchos” it does not
have this addition
“as Hashem commanded
you”. The Kedushas
Levi explains. The
phrase is informing
us, say Chazal, that
one only must heed
the directive of a
parent if it does
not contradict Torah
law, for you and
your parents are
obligated to honor
the Torah. If so,
then at the giving
of the first set of
“luchos” the Torah
and its mitzvos had
not yet been offered
so the Torah could
not use the phrase
“as Hashem commanded
you.”.
Hashem said to Moshe
“don’t speak to me
again in the
matter”. The Vilna
Gaon gives a little
different
explanation. The
Zohar says that
Moshe was taught a
proven way to
accomplish in “tfila”.
A “tfila” enhanced
by the word “na”,
please, repeated
twice would
certainly not be
turned away. This we
find by Moshe
davening on behalf
of Miriam. “Na” refa
“Na”. Here also
Moshe uttered the
word “na”, please
allow me to enter
Israel. However,
before he could
repeat it, Hashem
told him “don’t
speak again this
word.”
“Utzidaka thiye lanu
ki sishmor” And it
will be to us for a
charity if we keep
the mitzvos of
Torah. Many people
are under the
impression that the
giving of charity
offsets a multitude
of sins. This possuk
lies to rest that
contention. “Charity
will be to us, but
only if we continue
to keep and adhere
to all the mitzvos.
Don’t add on to the
Torah. This possuk
is followed by “your
eyes have seen what
happened at Peor”.
What is the
connection? R’ Moshe
‘z’l explains. The
Rambam traces the
origin of avoda zara,
idol worship, as the
peoples desire to
honor the sun and
moon as emissaries
of Hashem. This was
an act of “adding
on” which caused
what “your eyes have
seen” as a result.
Previous Parshos
Tazria
Metzora
Achrei Mos
Kedoshim
Emor
Behar
Bechukosai
Bamidbar
Shavuos
Naso
Behalosicha
Shilach
Korach
Chukas-Balak
Pinchos
Matos-Masei
Devorim
Voeschonon Ekev
Reah
Shoftim
Ki Seitzei
Ki Savo
Nitzovim
- Vayelech Rosh
HaShana Haazinu-Yom
Kippur Sukkos V'zos
HaBrocha
Breishis
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