Parshas Devarim 5765

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

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The Book of Devarim is known as Mishneh Torah, the Repetition of the Torah. It contains Moshe’s ethical will to the Jewish nation and many of the mitzvahs not mentioned in the first four books of the Torah. Ramban sees the Book of Devarim as the book intended for the nation entering the Promised Land. It was for this reason that Moshe reiterated the severity of serving idolatry so many times; because he foresaw that this would be a challenge for the people in the land.

Moshe learned from Jacob to postpone his major admonition of the people until shortly before his death. He felt that this way his words would be taken more seriously.

Moshe began his words by gathering the entire nation together. This was to ensure that no person would be able to claim that had he been present at Moshe’s words of rebuke, he would have challenged them. Moshe therefore spoke to everyone together, and gave them the opportunity to respond to his chastisements.

Even while rebuking the nation, Moshe showed consideration. When he reminded them of the history of the past forty years, he only made veiled references to their sins. Though it may be necessary to rebuke another person, one must be careful not to embarrass any individual.

Moshe reviewed the nation’s past sins in order that the people understand the underlying cause behind their sins. Only when this would become clear to them would they be equipped to rectify their misdeeds. As an example, Moshe mentioned that part of the sin of the spies was the way the people had approached him. They clamored around him, rudely demanding that he send spies. This lack of orderliness in itself was improper, even if the request had been appropriate. This, then, may have been the root cause of the sin, and had to be recognized before they could repent for the actual sin of sending the spies and the resulting complaints that they didn’t want to enter the land.

In a similar vein, the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av is called Shabbos Chazon because the Haftara from Isaiah begins with the words “Chazon Yeshaya: A Vision of Isaiah”. It discusses Isaiah’s prophecy about the upcoming destruction of the Temple. Isaiah already envisioned a destroyed Jerusalem over a hundred years before the destruction. Although the destruction may have occurred at a later date, the eyes of the prophet already discerned the roots and seeds of the destruction.

“Whoever mourns Jerusalem will yet merit to see its rebuilding...” (Talmud)

Rav Mordechai Katz was in America when World War ll broke out, and in the interim, his wife and ten children were slaughtered by the Nazis. With steel resolve and determination, Rav Katz put his personal tragedy behind him and helped rebuild the Telshe Yeshiva in America. Eventually he remarried and started a new family.

Once, however, he was found in his office crying bitterly. When asked why after all this time he had now allowed himself to cry, he responded that he had nothing left whatsoever from his first family, not even a photograph. He had tried to recall his children, but, to his horror, he could not recall the image of one of them. This was too difficult for him to bear and he broke down.

The greatest tragedy of Tisha B’Av is that we cannot even conjure the image of life with the Temple in our minds, let alone its loss. May it be speedily rebuilt!

Did You Know...

When Tisha B’Av falls after Shabbos, the blessing on fire is recited before Eicha is read, but the Havdala is not recited until Sunday night. The blessing on spices is not recited because the fragrance offers comfort, a contrast to the mourning. On Sunday night, only the blessing on wine and the Havdala blessing are recited.

Although meat and wine are not permitted until noon of the tenth day of Av, as the Temple continued to burn through the tenth day, Havdala may be recited over wine. Laundry may also not be done until the following day, but if a person will be traveling the following morning, there is room for leniency even before noon.