Parshas Devarim 5760 Lingua Franca

                  By Rabbi Joshua (tambien se conocido El Hoffer) Hoffman
 
      This week we begin reading the book of Devarim, also known as Mishneh Torah, or 'repetition of the Torah,' because, in essence, the book consists of a recapitulation of the Torah by Moshe to the children of Yisroel, on the brink of their entry into the Holy Land. The Ramban explains that there are some new mitzvos in the book of Devarim, but these new mitzvos are, generally, ones that apply only in the Holy Land, or take on added significance in that land. Moshe was thus repeating the Torah to the people in a way that would demonstrate its significance to their national existence in Eretz Yisroel. I believe, however, that there is a message in this week's parsha to the Jews in their various lands of exile throughout history. 
 
    The Torah, setting the stage for Moshe's recapitulation of the Torah to the people, tells us "On the other side of the Jordan in the land of Moav, Moshe began to clarify the Torah" (Devarim, 1 : 5). Rashi, citing the midrash, explains that by 'clarifying,' the verse means to say that Moshe explained the Torah in seventy languages. The Chassidic leader Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, in his commentary Kedushas Levi, explains that the Torah often uses words written in other languages. For example, the word 'totafos,' (Devarim, 6 : 8) which refers to the tefillin of the head, consists of a combination of two words from two different languages - the word 'tat,' which means two in Koptic, and the word 'pas,' which means two in the Afriki language. The word 'totafos,' thus, means four, because the tefillin of the head consist of four compartments, each containing a different section of the Torah written on parchment. The reason that the Torah writes some words in that way is because the essence of a nation is reflected in its language. The Torah foresaw that the Jews would be exiled among the nations of the world in the future, and, therefore, mentioned the languages of these various nations, so that the Torah would have relevance to the essence of those nations. 
 
   Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's explanation, at first blush, sees to be very mystical and esoteric. However, I think it can be clarified through Rav Kook's theory of history as presented in a classic essay that is published in later editions of his early work Orot. He writes that there are two categories of idea that form the foundation of every nation - the national idea, and the God idea. The national idea is the essence of that nation, the special talent that each nation has - for example, the Greeks are noted for their appreciation of beauty. The God idea reflects the extent to which the nation attaches itself to God, and attempts to actualize its special national talent as seen through the prism of the God idea. Rav Kook further writes that a nation that a nation cannot remain in existence for long if it divorces itself from its connection to God.  Just as, for a human being, a connection to God is as vital to one's life as is oxygen, so, too, is it vital for the existence of all nations. 
 
   For all other nations, continues Rav Kook, the national idea is something different than the God idea. However, for the nation of Yisroel, the national idea and the God idea are one and the same. The national idea, the national essence, of the Jewish people is its attachment to God. Moreover, Yisroel is to be a mirror among the nations, reflecting back, in miniature, the national essence of each nation. Thus the national characteristic of each nation, developed by each nation to its fullest, is then adapted, in smaller measure, by Yisroel. Yisroel then filters each of these characteristics through the prism of its own special national character - its attachment to God, demonstrating to each nation that its own national characteristic can be utilized in the service of God, to promote its attachment to God. The reason this system of dynamics between Yisroel and the other nations was set up, writes Rav Kook, instead of simply having Yisroel teach the importance of Godliness through example, is that without a process of give and take, the lesson would never take root. Just as, in an individual human relationship, there must be a process of give and take, so, too, must there be in relationships among nations. For Yisroel to influence the other nations, it must take something from them, too.
 
     In light of Rav Kook's theory of the dynamic between Yisroel and the other nations, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's explanation of Rashi becomes more understandable. As we noted earlier, he explained that the Torah includes within it words from the languages of different nations so that it would have relevance to the essence of each nation as reflected in its language. Following Rav Kook's theory, the purpose of this phenomenon is so that Yisroel will be able to fulfill its function as a mirror of the nations, absorbing within itself the essence of each nations essence, taking it through the prism of its own national essence - its attachment to God - and reflecting it back to each individual nation. Thus, through the inclusion of these languages in the Torah, Yisroel is able to accomplish its historical task in exile. Doing so in turn expedites its return to the Holy Land, where it can best perform its function as a light to the nations, demonstrating to all humanity that an attachment to God is relevant to all aspects of a nation's life.  It is thus very fitting that parshas Devarim, in which we learn of the inclusion of the seventy languages in the Torah, is read each year on the Shabbos preceding Tisha B'Av, when our thoughts are concentrated on returning to the land, the rebuilding of the Temple and the fulfillment of our national destiny. May God comfort us all among the mourners of Zion, and turn this hope into reality.