From: Netvort@aol.com
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007
3:46 AM
To: JoshHoff@aol.com
Subject: Netvort : parshas
Nitzovim - Vayeilech, 5767
Finishing the
Job
By Rabbi Joshua (thoroughly known as The Hoffer) Hoffman
The Ramban, in his
commentary to parshas Nitzovim, writes that the source for the mitzvoh of
teshuvoh, or repentance, is the first found in that parsha, " You will return to
the Lord, your God, and listen to His voice" (Devorim 30:2). The Rambam, in his
Laws of return, does not list a separate mitzvoh of teshuvoh. Rather, he writes
that when one returns to God, he has an obligation to say 'vidui,' or
confession, putting into words what he has determined, in his heart, to do.
According to Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, the Rambam does not deny that there
is a mitzvoh of teshuvah, but maintains that the mitzvoh consists of both an
inner process and an outer one. The inner process is the sincere return to God,
while the outer process is the verbal articulation of the inner process. The
source for the vidui that the Rambam brings is the verse in parshas Naso
(Bamidbar 5:7),"And they shall confess their sin that they committed", which
requires vidui to be said when bringing a sacrifice to the Temple for a sin that
one committed. The Sefer HaChinuch also cites this source, and also cites a
comment of the Sifrei in regard to the vidui mentioned there. The Sifrei asks,
perhaps this vidui is applicable only in Eretz Yisroel? The answer is that we
find another verse, in parshas Bechukosai, which mentions vidui which is said
outside of Eretz Yisroel, thereby demonstrating that vidui is a general
requirement for one who repents. Why would someone think that vidui only
applies in the Holy Land? The Chinuch explains because that is the main location
where atonement can be obtained. I believe that a closer look at parshas
Nitzovim can provide us with additional explanations for the notion that vidui
applies only in Eretz Yisroel.
The continuation of the
verse we quoted earlier, which the Ramban says is the source for the mitzvoh of
teshuvoh, reads, "...according to all that I command you today... " The words
rendered as 'according to all that I command you' - kechol asher ani metzaveh
oscha'' - translated literally, read 'as all that I command you.' Why didn't the
Torah say bakol,meaning 'in all'? Rabbi Avrohom Shmuel Binyomin Sofer, known as
the Kesav Sofer, explains that the process of teshuvoh being described begins in
the exile, and, in exile, the circumstances that the nation finds itself in,
being subjugated by other nations, prevents them from performing all of the
mitzvos. Moreover, there are a number of mitzvos, such as shemittah, that can
only be observed in Eretz Yisroel. However, says the Kesav Sofer, if the people
accept upon themselves to keep all of the mitzvos, and express a desire to do
so, it is considered as if they did actually perform them. Only later,after God
has returned all of the exiles to Eretz Yisroel, does the Torah say, " You shall
return and listen to the voice of the Lord, and you shall perform all of His
commandments that I command you this day" (Devorim 30:7), because only in Eretz
Yisroel will they be able to actually perform all of the mitzvos. Perhaps, then,
the question of the Sifrei, that perhaps vidui for sins should only apply in
Eretz Yisroel,is based on this notion,that outside of Eretz Yisroel,it is not
really possible to perform all of the mitzvos, and, so, perhaps one should
not say the vidui in exile, since, in the vidui, we accept mitzvoh observance
upon ourselves, and this cannot be fully accomplished in the exile.The Sifrei
then proves that vidui does, indeed, apply in the
exile.
Another explanation of the
Sifrei can be given based on an idea expressed by Rav Amnon Bazak in his Nekudas
Pesicha to parshas Nitzovim. Rav Bazak notes that whenever we find the concept
of the love of God mentioned in the Torah, it is always somewhere in the book of
Devorim, which was said shortly before the people entered Eretz Yisroel, and
always in connection with Eretz Yisroel. Rav Bazak concludes from this
observation that true love of God can only be realized in Eretz Yisroel. We may
then expand this notion and note that the Talmud tells us that while repentance
coming from fear of God renders willfull sins into inadvertent sins, repentance
that comes from love of God renders willfull sins into merits,transforming the
deeds from something positive to something negative. Following Rav Bazak's
observation, this level of repentance can fully be realized only in Eretz
Yisroel. Perhaps, then, the Sifre was asking whether vidui should be said
outside of Eretz Yisroel, since the highest level of repentance, of which vidui
is a verbal expression, can only be accomplished in Eretz Yisroel.The Sifrei
therefore demonstrates that, nevertheless, vidui should be said even outside the
land.
Best wishes for a wonderful
new year - kesivah vechasimah tovah - to all, from the entire Netvort
staff.
Please address all
correspondence to the author (Rabbi Hoffman) with the following address -
JoshHoff @ AOL.com.
To subscribe to Netvort, send a message with
subject line subscribe, to Netvort@aol.com. To unsubscribe, send
message with subject line unsubscribe, to the same
address.
Netvort archives are
available at this temporary
site:
http://www.yucs.org/heights/torah/byauthor/netvort/
**************************************
Get
a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour