Parshas Va'eschanan Messages 5778

בּ"ה

Parshas Va’eschanan:

{These divrei Torah are l’zechus Refuah shleimah mi’heira to Rebbetzin Feinstein shetichyeh, Chava Sara bas Ita Devorah}

‘And Hashem said to me, “It is much for you (רב לך)!...”’ (Devarim 3:26)

In a different take on these words, explains the Or HaChaim HaKadosh that Hashem was actually telling Moshe Rabbeinu words of encouragement:  That all the merit of those who come to Eretz Yisroel, from the Mitzvos they perform which can specifically be only performed within the Land (Mitzvos t’luyos ba’aretz), he (Moshe Rabbeinu) would have a portion in all of them, because he is the one who commanded them [through Hashem] to do.

The verse says ‘רב לך’, ‘It is much for you’ -- meaning that the leadership [רבנות -- related to רב] of the upholding of the Mitzvos was Moshe Rabbeinu’s, and so he had a portion with everyone in everything they would do in Eretz Yisroel!

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‘And you will seek Hashem your G-d from there, and you will find [Him] if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your Soul.’ (Devarim 4:29)

Here the Torah reveals to us the beautiful message that no matter where we are -- even if, Chas V’Shalom and Rachmana Litzlan, we have sunken to a low level -- if we truly seek out HaKadosh Baruch Hu, our Father in Heaven, with all our heart and Soul, we will find Him.  He is always there for us; we just need to seek Him out.

(Tal U’Matar)

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‘I stood between Hashem and between you’ (Devarim 5:5)

There is a famous Chassidishe lesson on this:  ‘I’ -- being too much about ourselves and concentrating too much on ‘me’ -- stands between you and Hashem.

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‘Hear Yisroel, Hashem our G-d, Hashem is One! -- שמע ישראל ה׳ אלקינו ה׳ אחד’ (Devarim 6:4)

The word שמע, if you look, is the first letters of the words עול מלכות שמים -- the Yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is what we accept upon ourselves when we say it.

(Tal U’Matar)

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Maaseh:  HaRav Yaakov Bender shlit”a relates that when the HaRav Shmuel Berenbaum zt”l’s son, Reb Leib, was hospitalized in New York with cancer, the Rosh Yeshiva (Rav Shmuel) became friendly with a man whose teenage daughter was in the same hospital, in need of a healing.

One Motzaei Shabbos, while walking from shul back to the hospital, the Rosh Yeshiva inquired about the man’s daughter.  When the man replied that the situation did not look good, the Rosh Yeshiva responded, “Send me an invitation to her wedding -- l’ll be there.”

Baruch Hashem, a few years later, this young woman became a kallah (bride).  The Rosh Yeshiva made an exception by leaving the Beis Midrash during second seder (session) to serve as mesader kiddushin (matrimonial Rabbi; a special honor at a wedding).  As soon as the chuppah ended, he returned to the Mir for the remainder of second seder.

(The Jewish Observer, Sivan/Tammuz 5768)

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A Gut Shabbos to all!