From TorahVort.com
Va'etchanan
This parshah very much starts off as we finished last weeks, as Moshe continues his lengthy speech. Moshe described how he prayed and begged Hashem to be able to enter the land of Israel with the rest of the Jews; in fact he prayed an incredible 515 times. However Hashem refused entry, firstly because he sinned by striking the rock and also it wouldn’t have been right if he survived and his brother, Aharon, who had died would not go into the land. Moshe even went as far to say that he would be prepared to become a commoner going into the land. Moshe still did merit going up the mountain and viewing the entire Israel. Prayer in religion is important, sometimes Hashem answers what we request and some times he may not. However one should never stop praying, if he gives or doesn’t give what we pray for, it is always for the long term best!! We learn how effective prayer is in the book of Kings, when Chizkiyahu was about to die, he repented and 15 years to his life were extended. Moshe then went on to exhort the Jews to be loyal to the Torah, especially to observe the prohibition against Idolatry. During especially the first 3000 years of creation, the desire for idol worship was extremely high, however just before the start of the second temple, during Ezra’s era, the men of the great assembly prayed for that desire to be eliminated and it was. The only downside to this was that as the desire for Idol worship went, prophecy also went. Jeremiah was one of the last prophets. Next up, the parshah dedicates 16 verses, to describing how the Jews could sin by serving idols and the punishment of exile that would result. In fact, it is these 16 verses that are read from the Torah on the morning of Tisha B’av! Moshe then designated the three cities of refuge on the eastern side of the Jordan; they were given to Reuvain, Gad and half the tribe of Menashe. Moshe performed this mitzvah, despite he was not going to go in to the land and see them dwell there, Moshe yearned so greatly to perform all mitzvot possible. Next up, the reading tells over the Ten Commandments that were already discussed in parshat Yisro. Some of the commandments of this week’s parshah are worded differently than those in Parshah Yisro; however the first two commandments were worded the same as all the Jews heard the first two directly from Hashem. The 10 commandments were encouraging the following; to believe in the creators existence, the prohibition against Idol worship, The prohibition against swearing falsely in Hashem'sname, to keep the Shabbat and sanctify it, to honor ones father and mother, to not murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to bear false witness and not to desire another’s belongings. One of the 10 commandments stated that one should not murder, this could be expanded not just as physically murdering someone, it may be in the form of discouraging people from observing the religion and possibly could be embarrassing another in public. The Parshah then features the first paragraph of the Shema. This passage teaches the Jews of the mitzvah to acknowledge and believe in G-d’s oneness. The paragraph teaches how one should both fear and love Hashem, in fearing punishment for misdeed and to serve Hashem totally with pure and total love. All of ones actions during the day should be with intention of serving G-d. When one wakes up, is at school/work/college, at home, dining out, praying and e.t.c… The Shema stresses how one should educate their sons to become Torah students and to become proficient in Torah. One should try and learn Torah whenever possible, for example, when dining out enjoying a meal with few people, words of Torah should be spoken. It is a mitzvah to read the shema every morning and night. The paragraph of Shema, states how one should put on tefillin on ones arm and head. It also commands us to affix a Mezuza on ones door. A Mezuza is only kosher if each of its 713 letters is absolutely perfect. Even if part of a letter is not distinctly recognizable, it will be not kosher. One should check their Mezuza every 3 and half years according to Jewish law. The mitzvah of Mezuza is also discussed in Parshah Bo. Moshe then warns Israel not to forget the redemption from Egypt even after they are to enter the land. Moshe then stresses to the Jews how they should not test the almighty or an established true prophet. The parshah then relates the commandment to expel and destroy the seven nations living in the land of Caanan when they were to enter and also stressing how Intermarriage is totally forbidden. Moshe concludes this weeks reading by mentioning to the Jews that they should not be discouraged by the prosperity of the wicked. This weeks Haftorah comes from the book of Isaiah, Chapter 40. It is the first of a series of seven "Haftorah of Consolation." These seven haftarot commence on the Shabbat following Tisha b'Av and continue until Rosh Hashanah. I am dedicating this weeks Dvar Torah in the merit of Miriam Bat Rachel to get better and to wish her a Refuah Shelaima. Michael Zaroovabeli from Yeshiva Ohr Sameach.
