Parshat Nitzavim & Vayelech: Symbiotic Song the Beginning: Part I

Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

Volume 9 Number 27 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Parshat Nitzavim & Vayelech: Symbiotic Song Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein The laﬆ of the 613 mitzvot is to “write this entire Torah. They derive from this verse the Shirah, however, is song as well as poetry. song for yourselves, and teach it to the mitzvah that every Jew muﬆ write his own Music can only be appreciated when the notes children of Israel.” What song is Hashem Sefer Torah, a mitzvah that can be fulfilled by blend together to form a harmonious whole. referring to? Rashi says that this mitzvah writing even one letter, as a single missing Similarly, the Torah too muﬆ be appreciated as refers to Parshat Haazinu, which immediately letter can invalidate the entire scroll and filling a whole more than any particular part. This is follows this parsha. Biblical song is elevating it in can make the entire scroll kosher again. what King David meant, posits Rav Reiss, and joyous. Yet, if we look at the text of How can the entire Torah be referred to as a when he wrote, “The Torah of Hashem is Parshat Haazinu, we notice that moﬆ of it is song, especially since it is not written in poetic perfect (complete); it reﬆores the soul.” Only very depressing. It tells of our ﬆraying from format? We can answer this queﬆion by when the Torah is ﬆudied and observed in its the path Hashem has laid out for us in His examining the differences between entirety does it have the ability to reﬆore one’s Torah and the terrible tragedies that therefore song/poetry and prose. Haamek Davar notes soul. will ensue. How is this uplifting and joyous? that prose is generally writing that is meant to All the commentators agree that Haazinu is be fully underﬆood upon its initial reading. Rabbi I. Schwartz notes that all the mitzvot definitely song. The Sefat Emet cites Tehillim Poetry, on the other hand, is defined by its have one ultimate goal, to bring us closer to where King David writes, “Of kindness and “economy of language” and the particular Hashem. This is the same reasoning that juﬆice do I sing.” Bnei Yisrael have the elements that add shades of meaning to the Rabbi Jacobson uses. If we were to make a liﬆ capacity to see God’s love both in His lines. Each word and letter of the Torah offers of everything we do each day it would appear kindnesses and in His juﬆice, when He greater insights into meaning, allusions, to be very pedeﬆrian. However, if we can find chaﬆises us to bring us closer to Him. inferences, and secrets using the four basic one uniting factor, it would add meaning to it elements (PaRDe”S) to uncover as many as all. We can make a conscious effort to see While the Netivot Shalom agrees that moﬆ of 70 different interpretations of the text. meaning even in eating and drinking as a the shira is chaﬆisement, he chooses to focus means to energize us toward a meaningful life on the laﬆ few verses of Haazinu. There Rav Reiss uses the poetic image from Shir of Torah and mitzvot. Hashem reassures us that He will avenge the Hashirim to further explain this: “The King blood of His servants and appease His land brought me into His chambers.” When viewed While Torah ﬆudy and observance can be and His people. This is Hashem’s promise to from the outside, the caﬆle is magnificent. difficult at times, we can always find the us, that even if we are not worthy, He will However, as one enters and goes from room ﬆrength to sing. Song is a spontaneous never forget us. He will redeem us. This to room, his awe grows as he encounters expression of our innermoﬆ souls. This is what promise is a source of great encouragement greater richness and beauty. So, too, with Torah should be. It muﬆ become part of our throughout our hiﬆory, and a powerful reason Torah ﬆudy. During a cursory reading, one can very essence, as Rav Dessler teaches us. to sing. already recognize the Torah’s splendor. When Bnei Yisroel delve deeply into Torah However, as one delves ever more deeply into ﬆudy and give it voice, they sing the praises of Moﬆ of the Torah commentators, however, the text, one marvels at all the myriad nuances Hashem and bear witness to His sovereignty believe the “song” referred to here is the and textures that continue to be revealed. over earth. The Beginning: Part I Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rebbetzin Leah Kohn On Rosh Hashana, Hashem decides Rosh Hashana. Only the days afterwards are The creation of man included the creation of everything that will happen in the coming dedicated to repentance. Shouldn't Yom the world because the world was created for year. All of creation is judged, even inanimate Kippur precede Rosh Hashana so that we man. Rosh Hashana contains within it the things. Since it is such a pivotal day, it would come prepared for the Day of Judgment? power of a new beginning. Every morning in be sensible to ﬆand in supplication and beg Shachrit, we affirm that Hashem creates the Hashem to fulfill all our personal requeﬆs. But Each of our holidays correspond to various world moment by moment. The will of Hashem this is not what the tefilot of Rosh Hashana events in Jewish hiﬆory. Pesach corresponds willed it to exiﬆ for 5,777 years and it is this are about. The few prayers in which we do to the Exodus, Shavuot to the giving of the will that recreates it at every moment. What ask for our specific needs such as Zachreinu Torah, Sukkot to the clouds of glory in the then is the difference between what happens L'chaim and Avinu Malkeinu were added after desert. The only holiday not connected to any every moment and Rosh Hashana? In order to the period of the Talmud was written. What event related to the hiﬆory of Jewish people is underﬆand this, we have to underﬆand how then is this holiday about? We know that the Rosh Hashana. Rosh Hashana commemo- and what the world was created for and how it keys to a good judgment are repentance, rates the creation of mankind. Why then is it functions. prayer, and charity. Yet intereﬆingly enough celebrated as a holiday? What is its potential? there is almoﬆ no mention of teshuva on The creation of man was the beginning of a Hashem created the world for a purpose. Had new reality. Until then, only Hashem exiﬆed. Continued on Page 2

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Volume 9 Number 27 Brought to you by Naaleh.com

The Beginning: Part I Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rebbetzin Leah Kohn Continued from Page 1 firﬆ man not eaten from the tree of power of renewal. We have the power on this knowledge, the purpose would have been The same idea plays out every Shabbat. The day to ﬆart anew, to recreate ourselves as if fulfilled and the world would have entered the Ohr Hachaim explains the verse in the Torah, we were born today. era of Mashiach and the resurrection of the "Ki sheshet yomim asah Hashem et dead. After Adam failed, Hashem divided the ha’shamayim v'et ha’aretz. For six days This brings to mind the definition of teshuva as work of bringing the world to its purpose into Hashem created heaven and earth." It should explicated by the Rambam in Hilchot Teshuva. segments. Each year we are assigned a have said, "For in six days Hashem created A person who does teshuva is as if he different segment to rectify. Every Rosh heaven and earth." The Ohr Hachaim says changed his essence. He becomes a new Hashana, Hashem judges the world vis a vis when the world was created it was given life being. Rosh Hashana contains this power. We its purpose and what was accomplished in the for six days. Its continued exiﬆence is can recreate ourselves and ﬆart anew. It’s an years before. The Jewish nation too is judged dependent on the keeping of Shabbat by at encouraging thought. Many times we think, if I vis a vis its purpose and what segment will be leaﬆ one person. Shabbat creates the soul for was born today with the experience I have assigned to them for the coming year. It's as if another week. In the same way on a larger now, I would live my life very differently. On every Rosh Hashana the world receives a scale says Rav Kirzner, Hashem gives Rosh Hashana we can actually do that. We new exiﬆence, a soul so to speak, for the exiﬆence to the world for another year on can ﬆart again. It’s a new beginning, filled with year. The paﬆ year is over. Now it muﬆ be Rosh Hashana based on the particular promise, as we work to bring the world closer recreated. Otherwise there will be no further purpose that muﬆ be accomplished in that to its purpose. exiﬆence. particular year. Every Rosh Hashana has the

Opening The Gates of the Machzor: Zichronot Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shoshie Nissenbaum Rosh Hashana is called Yom Hazikaron, the came from and what abilities and potential you ber how many times I tried, how many times I Day of Remembrance. This begs the were given. I remember all your previous good opened that book on shemirat halashon queﬆion, why would we want Hashem to deeds. I remember your failures and efforts. although I keep messing up. Remember how I remember on the Day of Judgment? Wouldn’t The parts of you that you want to erase and tried so hard to say ‘I'm sorry’ but the person we rather He forgive and forget? The goal forget, remember. Let them uplift you. Let didn’t accept my apology. Give me the ﬆrength here, though, is for us to remember. We need yourself soar with them. Let your sins become to keep trying no matter what.” to ﬆop and think, why are we here in this ﬆepping ﬆones to a brighter future.” world and what is our role meant to be? “Vayishma Elokim et naakatam vayizkor "Vayizkor Elokim et Noach ve’t kol Elokim et brito. Hashem heard their cries and According to many scientific ﬆudies, we never hachaya…vayavor Elokim ruach…vayeshoku remembered their covenant.” Here we speak forget anything. The data is ﬆored hamayim. Hashem remembered Noach, and about the brit (covenant) and the zechut somewhere in our brain, it’s juﬆ not accessing the animals with him and Hashem passed a (merit) of our forefathers. Zechut avot is when that information at the moment. If we get into wind over the land and the water receded.” we act in the ways of the avot and imahot. a serious altercation with someone and the Why do we ﬆart Zichronot with Noach? Noach When we imitate their middot it evokes the person asks for forgiveness, neither one of us is the only person in the Torah who was called merit and covenant of our avot. We ask ever forgets it. All it takes is a little shake up in a tzadik. He experienced much failure in his Hashem to hear our cries and remember our the relationship and we remember everything life. For years he tried to get the people of his forefathers. May our actions, thoughts, and the person ever did wrong. The idea of generation to repent. He warned them of the desires match up to our great anceﬆors and forgiving and forgetting is not what Rosh impending flood but they ignored him. He was may they ﬆand as a merit in our ﬆead to be Hashana is about. In his profound mercy, not able to convince anyone outside of his inscribed for a year filled with blessing. Hashem says to us, “I remember the entire family to do teshuva. So we pray, “Hashem juﬆ you. I remember your soul through all its as you remembered Noach's efforts, remem- previous incarnations. I remember where you ber my efforts although I have failed. Remem-