From: JoshHoff@aol.com
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 1:30 AM
To: JoshHoff@aol.com
Cc: TorahWorld@gmail.com
Subject: Netvort:parshas Vayeilech,5769
Where Are You Going?
By Rabbi Joshua (nominally known as The Hoffer) Hoffman
This week's parsha
begins by saying, "And Moshe went and spoke these words to all of
Yisroel" (Devarim,31:1).Rabbi Nissan Alpert, in his Limudei Nissan,cites
the Midrash Tanchuma to this parsha,which says that the word "
vayeilech,"-and he went-is an expression of rebuke. The midrash brings as
a proof text a verse in Tehillim,46:9,which says "Go (lechu) and see the
works of the Lord,Who has placed devastation in the land."The word
'lechu,'- to go-in this verse is associated with devastation. However the Talmud
in Berachos,7a,also cited by Rabbi Alpert,brings Rav Eliezer,who says that one
should not read the word for devastation- sheimos- in this verse in that
way,but,rather,as sheimos,-names- so that it means,"Who has placed
names in the land' Why was Moshe's walking on the last day of his life
considered a rebuke to the people? Rav Alpert explains that even on the
last day of his life,Moshe was active,visiting each tribe and bidding farewell
to them.On that way,he gave the Jewish people the parshiyos of Ha'azinu and
VeZos HaBeracha.This abundance of activity and accomplishment even on the last
day of his life served as a rebuke to the people. Moshe,who had done so much
for his people in the course of his life,still continued acting on their behalf
even on the last day of his life.How much did the rest of the people do to
maximize the use of their time each day?
Rav Alpert goes on to explain how the midrash and the gemara derive this lesson
from the verse in Tehillim that they cite.The word 'sheimos,' although
translated simply means names,also refers to values.The message, then,is,that
each person must examine what his values are,what he deems important and what
he deems unimportant. According to Torah values,for example,the truly heroic
person is the one who conquers his desires,rather than the successful
military commando. A person who observes the works of God,representing true
Torah values, will not waste his time in pursuits that have limited or no
value.In this way,he will bring destruction to those false values that other
people,who are motivated by vanity,jealousy,idleness and the attainment of
pleasure choose to pursue. I would like to suggest a different way of
understanding this verse in a way that also explains how Moshe's activity on
the last day of his life served as a rebuke to the people.
The word 'sheimos,'in fact,means 'names.' The name a person is given represents
his inner essence. There is a kabbalistic notion that when parents name
their child ,there is a kind of divine spark ignited in them at the
time,guiding them to choose the appropriate name. Whether or not we understand
this tradition in a literal way,the idea is that each person has a unique task
to perform in this world,for which he was born at his particular place and time;and
this task is inherent in his name..Rav Kook,in his commentary to the
siddur,Olat Reiyah,elaborates on this concept in explaining the prayer said
after each shemoneh esreh on Yom Kippur,'Elokei ad shelo notzarti eini
kedai." The prayer says that before a person was created ,he wasn't yet
worthy.This means,according to Rav Kook,that each person is born at a
particular time in history in order to fulfill a certain task that only he can
do,and before that time in history,he wasn't worthy of being created.
Perhaps,then,we can explain that to the extent to which a person does not
fulfill the message of his sheim-his name-he causes destruction in the sense
that the purpose for which he was created is not being realized in the
world.
Moshe was the teacher of
Torah par excellence which is why he is called Moshe Rabbeinu,' or Moshe our
teacher. On the last day of his life,he continued to pursue this task,
writing a sefer Torah for each tribe,and then delivering them
According to the Targum Yonansan ben Uziel ( known as Pseudo-Yonasan),the words
"and Moshe went,'in the beginning of our parsha, mean that he went
to the study hall,or the beis medrash.The commentary Leiv Simcha,cited in
Pardeis Yoseif,explains that since,as Rashi tells us,the fountains of wisdom
were cut off from Moshe on the last day of his life,and he was not able to
answer questions on the Torah, He therefore went back to the study hall to
learn more. Moshe,then,on the last day of his life, continued to do all he
could to fulfill his task in life. The rebuke to each person in the
nation,then,was,to what extent had they fulfilled their personal mission in
life? In this respect,the parsha of Vayeilech serves as a very appropriate one
to read on the Shabbos before Yom Kippur,as it calls upon each of us to
rededicate ourselves to fulfilling the task for which God put us on this
earth.May we all merit to understand our purpose in life,and strive to
fulfill it.
The entire Netvort staff and affiliates wish a gemar chasimah tovah, a final
sealing of judgment for the good, to all.
Netvort archives are
temporarily available at http://www.yucs.org/heights/torah/bysubject/
Please address all
correspondence to the author (Rabbi Hoffman) with the following address -
JoshHoff @ AOL.com.
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