Netvort Nitzavim 5775:         Go Right to the Source

By Rabbi Joshua (directly known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

Moshe, as part of the covenant that he makes with the nation, cautions them that perhaps there is among them “a root growing gall and horehound,” and when he hears the words of the oath, he will think that he can go as his heart sees fit, meaning , he will worship idols (see Devarim 29:17-18).  Rav Aharon Kotler, in his Mishnas Rav Aharon, elaborates on this process.  He cites the Ramban, who says that a sweet root cannot produce a bitter product.  Rather, the fact that an idol worshipper arises in a certain family indicates that there was something wrong in the ancestry, going back in time, and it eventually developed into a critical problem. In order to rectify this situation, the root cause of the defection must be probed and dealt with. Only in this way can repentance be achieved.

The necessity to investigate the root cause of sin, as explained by Rav Aharon, underscores the intrinsic connection between repentance and Torah. We say in Shemoneh Esreih, "Return us...to Your Torah, and bring us near to Your service, and influence us to return in perfect repentance."  Apparently then, return to Torah is a prerequisite for repentance.  The idea seems to be that in order to discover the root cause of one's sins, he must be aware of the background of the sin. This is also the explanation of an otherwise enigmatic Talmudic passage (Berachos 5a) which says that if a person experiences suffering, he should examine his deeds to see what he did wrong, and if he can't identify anything, he should attribute it to a lack of Torah study.  Rav Yosef Albo, in his Sefer HaIkkarim, explains this to mean that if he cannot identify anything that he did wrong that could account for his suffering; it must be because he did not study enough Torah to realize all that he did wrong. 

In describing the future repentance of the people, Moshe tells them, “For this mitzvah that I command you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant (Devarim 30:11). The Ramban explains this mitzvah to refer to the mitzvah of Teshuvah, while the midrash, also referred to by the Ramban as an alternative explanation, says that it refers to the Torah in general (see also the Abarbanel).  Based on what we have seen, we can accept both explanations, and say that the verse refers to repentance accomplished through immersion in Torah. We may add that repentance done in this matter, besides the fact that it enables one to discover the root cause of his sin, also helps the repentant renew his relationship with God on a higher level, avoiding the pitfall of serving God in a routine way, without sufficient enthusiasm. Continued involvement in Torah study serves to continually invigorate one's service of God, in the sense of what the rabbis directed us to do, namely, to view the mitzvos as if they were given anew each day.

Best wishes for a joyous and meaningful New Year from the entire Netvort staff.