Weekly Reading Insights:
Va'etchanan
5785
Weekly Reading Insights:Va'etchanan5785
|
|
|
Overview
of the Torah Reading To be read on Shabbat
Va'etchanan - 15 Menachem Av 5785 /Aug. 9, 2025 Torah: Deut.
3:23-7:11 Va'etchanan is the 2nd Reading out of 11 in Deuteronomy and it contains 7343 letters, in 1878 words, in 122 verses Va’etchanan opens with G-d’s refusal to allow Moshe to enter the Land. Next, Moshe reminds the Jews how they were taken out of Egypt, given the 10 Commandments, taught Torah, and should not stray from G-d and His laws. Moshe invokes heaven and earth as witnesses in warning the Jews of the consequences of erred ways. Then, Moshe designates 3 of the locations of the cities of refuge for the unintentional murderer. Following this is the review of the giving of the 10 Commandments and the famous verses of “Shma” and “Ve’ahavta”. The Jews are again reminded to keep G-d’s mitzvos and avoid the consequences of sin, particularly idolatry and assimilation.
(for a free weekly email subscription, click here)
The first verse of this week’s Torah portion is an amazing guide to a mitzvah we are involved with several times every day - Tefila, prayer. Rashi writes that va'etchanan, the first word and name of our portion, is one of the ten words the Torah uses for prayer. The Ohr HaChaim explains how the entire verse has four crucial pointers. The verse is, "And I pleaded to G-d at that time, saying ..." [Devarim/Deuteronomy 3:23]. He writes that hidden here are the four necessary conditions for a prayer to be received by G-d.. First: We have to plead, like a destitute person knocking on a stranger's door. We learn this from the verse, “The poor plead (tachanunim)…” [Mishlei/Proverbs 18:23]. If it does not really matter to us, why should we think it will matter to G-d? Second: We have to pray to G-d - the Source of Mercy. The Talmud teaches that someone who killed a person accidently had to stay in the City of Refuge until the death of the KohenGadol (High Priest). Why? Because partially the Kohen Gadol is at fault. He should have prayed harder for the Jewish people that no such accidents happen. What would the mother and wife of the Kohen Gadol do? They would bring food and gifts to those in the Cities of Refuge. Then when they would pray to G-d that the Kohen Gadol should die so they could go home, they would also have in the back of their minds, “But please don’t let the food and gifts stop coming!” If you want your prayer to be received, you have to pray to G-d without conditions! No ifs, ands or buts. Third: Our prayers should be at the most appropriate time. When do women send their fervent prayers to G-d? After they light the Shabbat candles. There is no better time to petition G-d than when we do a mitzvah. The same with Birkat HaMazon (the blessings after eating a meal which includes bread). When does Birkat HaMazon actually end? With the words, “We should never be lacking” in the fourth blessing. But the text continues with more than a whole page of requests. Why? Because one of the best times to ask G-d for help is after we do a mitzvah. Other examples are: At the time of a Brit Milah (circumcision), even if you are not the parent. The day before (erev) Rosh Chodesh (new month). The High Holidays, the Neilah prayer of Yom Kippur. These are all examples of et ratzon, times of good will from Heaven. See the verse, "I am my prayer, let it be at a time of acceptance." [Tehillim/Psalms 69:14]. Fourth: Our prayers should not be subject to misinterpretation, even if you think that G-d knows what you mean. Like the story from the Midrash on Megilat Esther. There was a man traveling on a difficult road and he hurt his foot. So he prayed to G-d for a donkey. Just then a Roman nobleman passed by with his donkey that had just given birth. The Roman demanded that the Jew carry the baby donkey. The Jew said, “Oy, my prayer was answered, but I did not pray properly. I wasn’t clear that I wanted a donkey to ride on and not that a donkey should ride on me!” [Midrash Megilat Esther 7:24]. This is exactly what Moshe meant to share with us. Va’etchanan - that we have to plead! This is the first condition.The second - El Hashem - to the Source of Mercy - only to G-d with nothing else mixed in. Third - Ba'et hahi - at a propitious time. And finally, the fourth - laymor – speak with clarity. For those of you who do study the parasha (portion), you should have a question. This is the one place where Moshe prayed – and G-d did not agree to his prayer! So, what is the Jewish answer? That G-d hears every prayer, but He knows what is best for us. Here is a story to illustrate. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The flight attendant avoided my eyes as I walked up to check my bags. “Your flight was moved up two hours. We tried to call you,” she said matter of factly. I had gotten up at 3 a.m. and traveled from Jerusalem to the airport only to miss my flight by 10 minutes. I felt anger, frustration and anxiety rise up. The thought flashed in my mind just to get on a taxi and head back to my dorm. But thoughts of my family waiting for me to visit for the winter and the comfort of my childhood bedroom won me over. My bags were packed for a three-week trip home to Philadelphia in the middle of my second year on the women’s program at the Mayanot Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. I was enjoying every minute of it and I felt certain that Israel was my true home. On the other hand, home is where family is, and I had been looking forward to seeing my parents, brother and grandmother. After an hour of being transferred from one travel agent to another, I finally found out that my only choice was to buy a totally new ticket and hope that I would be reimbursed at some point in the future. That did not sound promising; neither did a $700 one-way ticket to America. Sitting on a cold bench at 5 a.m. in the airport was the last place I thought I would have a spiritual experience. It struck me at that moment that I was experiencing the hand of G-d literally reaching into my life and changing the course of my future. All my frustration and anxiety melted away. A smile burst across my face. All it took was a missed flight to shake me out of my usual sense of control over the world. At the core of this experience was the blessing of release. Closeness to G-d comes from the willingness to be vulnerable to His plans and to see your own as mere suggestions. I thought I wanted to leave Israel for three weeks and then return to build my life there. G-d wanted me to return to America on a one-way ticket so I would consider other options. During my extended stay, someone suggested that I contact a campus Chabad House in Manhattan to meet new people and perhaps help them out for a few weeks before I went back to Israel. I wound up working for them as the full-time program director for more than a year. A missed flight turned into a series of incredible opportunities to teach, mentor, run Jewish religious and educational programs, and ultimately, grow in ways I never imagined. I was praying for a flight to visit family for a few weeks. G-d certainly had something much better waiting for me. [Excerpted and adapted from Chava Green’s article on www.theJewishWoman.org. “How Missing My Flight Back Home Turned Me in the Right Direction] Shabbat Shalom, Shaul. (for a free weekly
email subscription, click
here) FROM THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns: Contemporary Kabbalists Spiritual
Technology Through
atomic power, the world has learned that size is not always an indication
of power. As Jews, this teaches us that within us lies the power to change
the entire world for the good. The key is by breaking our egos, allowing
our inner, Divine essence to shine through. To continue, click here. For a free email subscription to our weekly anthology, click here. For another taste
of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
|
From
the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; adapted by Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky