1. Longing for the Land
The Parsha begins with Moshe recounting how he pleaded with G-d to be allowed to enter the Land of Israel. Though G-d had already told Moshe that he would not be permitted to cross over the Jordan River to the Promised Land, Moshe prayed intently, hoping to reverse the decree. The Torah says, ?And I implored [?Va?Etchanan? in Hebrew] G-d at that time, saying? Let me now cross and see the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan?? (Chap. 3, verses 23 and 25).
The Question:
What is the meaning of Moshe?s choice of the words ?I implored??
The Answer:
The Midrash says that when Moshe prayed for permission to enter the Land of Israel, his desire to do so was so great that he beseeched G-d 515 times, which is also the gematria (the sum of the numerical equivalent of each Hebrew letter) of the word ?Va?Etchanan? (?I implored?). Thus, the words ?I implored? are meant to indicate the depth and magnitude of Moshe?s prayers.
The Lesson:
This week?s Parsha, Va?Etchanan, is always read on Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath immediately after Tisha B?Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which was commemorated this past Sunday). As we noted last week, Tisha B?Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the day upon which the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed and many other calamities later befell the Jewish people. After this low-point of national sadness, we will now read for the next seven weeks Haftarahs (portions from the Prophets that are read after the weekly Torah reading) of comfort and consolation, in which G-d reassures the Jewish people that they will be redeemed from exile and returned to the Land of Israel.
It is certainly no coincidence that Va?Etchanan is the Parsha that opens this period of Divine solace and encouragement, because one of the keys to our redemption is that we ourselves must want to be redeemed. We must yearn for an end to the exile and anxiously await the coming of the Messiah. What better role model could we possibly have for this than Moshe himself who, as we saw above, wanted to enter the Land of Israel so badly that he prayed to G-d 515 times seeking to do so? Moshe?s love and yearning for the Land, as embodied in our Parsha, resonated throughout the generations, inspiring Jews over the centuries to long for the day when they would be able to return to their ancestral patrimony. Though Moshe?s request was ultimately denied, his devotion is especially instructive for us today, when all one need do is board an airplane and within a matter of hours he or she can walk upon the earth of sovereign Israel.
Though we often take it for granted, it pays to remember that until the past century, this was an unimaginable dream for Jews the world over. Now that the dream has become a reality, it is time for us all to take Moshe?s dedication to heart, and to reaffirm our own longing for the Land. That was part of Moshe?s legacy to the Jewish people, and if we as a nation do not yearn for the Land, then someone else most certainly will.
A Related Story:
In his book, Parperaot LaTorah, Menachem Beker relates a story about Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who was Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel from 1921 to 1935. A wealthy supporter of the Zionist movement came to explore the possibility of emigrating to Israel, but after touring throughout the Land, he decided to return to his home in the Diaspora. The night before his departure, the man went to see Rabbi Kook and bid him farewell. Knowing that Rabbi Kook was a firm believer in aliyah (immigration to Israel), the man spoke of how impressed he was by the Land, but ended by saying that he felt he could do more for the Zionist cause by returning to his home and working on Israel?s behalf from afar. Rabbi Kook answered by quoting the opening verse of this week?s Parsha concerning Moshe?s plea to enter the Land of Israel.
Asked Rabbi Kook: if the decree against Moshe?s entering the Land was given many years previously, then why did Moshe wait before praying to G-d that it be reversed? Why didn?t he seek to overturn it immediately? Rabbi Kook answered by saying that Moshe first wished to prove through his actions that his love for the Land of Israel was very deep. Thus, he waited until after the defeat of Sichon, King of Emor, and Og, King of Bashan (see Parshat Chukkat), whose territory was strategically important to capturing the Land of Israel, before beseeching G-d to annul the decree. This, said Rabbi Kook, is why Moshe says in the opening verse of our Parsha that he implored G-d ?at that time?, for Moshe hoped that the merit of his actions on behalf of the Jewish people would result in his prayer being accepted. And so, concluded Rabbi Kook, his guest should learn from Moshe?s example. By supporting Israel for many years, his guest had demonstrated his commitment to the Land and his love for it. But now, said Rabbi Kook, now was the time for him to gather his family and make aliyah, so that he could fulfill the commandment of settling the Land.
The moral of the story is clear: working on Israel?s behalf while living in the Diaspora is certainly commendable, but true Zionist fulfillment can come about only through aliyah. That is what Moshe was praying for, and that is what the Jews of the world must now do.
2. Thou Shalt Not Trade Away Territory
With the Jewish people preparing to cross the Jordan river and enter the Promised Land, Moshe instructs them regarding their dealings with the seven nations dwelling in Canaan. Moshe tells the Jews that G-d will deliver the Canaanites and others into Israel?s hands, but that the Jews must be careful, making sure not to intermarry with the nations or tolerate their pagan and idol-worshipping practices. Among other things, Moshe says to them, ?Ve?Lo Techanem? (Chap. 7, verse 2).
The Question:
What is the meaning of ?Ve?Lo Techanem??
The Answer:
The Talmud, in Tractate Avodah Zarah (20a), offers three possible interpretations of the term ?Ve?Lo Techanem?, one of which is that it is a prohibition against allowing the nations to park themselves, so to speak, in the Land. In other words, the Land belongs to the Jewish people, and no other nation should be given a permanent foothold there. The Tosafot (the great commentators on the Talmud who lived in western Europe in the early Middle Ages), comment that the prohibition of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? is applicable not only to the seven nations who dwelled in Canaan in ancient times, but to all nations other than the Jewish people. This ruling is codified in Jewish law, by the Rambam (Maimonides) and others.
The Lesson:
At first glance, it is difficult to understand why the Torah felt it necessary to give the Jewish people the command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem?. To begin with, the context of the verse is that the Jews are about to enter Israel and Moshe tells them that G-d will defeat the seven nations then occupying the Holy Land. If the Jews would prove militarily victorious, vanquishing their enemies completely, then there would seem to be no need to command them not to give their foes a permanent foothold in the Land. After all, what nation would even consider such a thing? It would simply be setting the stage for yet another conflict further down the line. Secondly, one would imagine that after suffering through Egyptian slavery, wandering in the desert for 40 years and waging war against the Amalekites, the Emorites and others, that the Jewish people would be elated at finally gaining control over the Promised Land and would never contemplate the idea of trading away parts of their territory to foreigners. Elementary national pride would seem to preclude such a possibility. Hence, was the command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? really necessary? Sadly, it was.
Apparently, the seeds of weakness existed among our people even then, just as they do today. And this, perhaps, is why the command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? is taught to us in the particular context of our Parsha ? to drive home the point that if people such as the generation that entered the Promised Land can be susceptible to a loss of national resolve, and must be on guard against such a phenomenon, then how much more so must we, in our generation, be careful in this regard. Patriotism and nationalism are two essential values to the survival of the nation, and like any other values, they must be taught and cultivated, inculcated and reinforced. Failure to do so, as we have seen in our own day, leads people to do otherwise incomprehensible things, such as inviting the PLO to create an armed terrorist mini-state in the heart of the Land of Israel.
The command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? was a clear directive not to treat the Land like real-estate that can be traded away at whim. How sad that it took eight years of Oslo and terror for the majority of Israelis to learn this age-old lesson.
The Parsha begins with Moshe recounting how he pleaded with G-d to be allowed to enter the Land of Israel. Though G-d had already told Moshe that he would not be permitted to cross over the Jordan River to the Promised Land, Moshe prayed intently, hoping to reverse the decree. The Torah says, ?And I implored [?Va?Etchanan? in Hebrew] G-d at that time, saying? Let me now cross and see the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan?? (Chap. 3, verses 23 and 25).
The Question:
What is the meaning of Moshe?s choice of the words ?I implored??
The Answer:
The Midrash says that when Moshe prayed for permission to enter the Land of Israel, his desire to do so was so great that he beseeched G-d 515 times, which is also the gematria (the sum of the numerical equivalent of each Hebrew letter) of the word ?Va?Etchanan? (?I implored?). Thus, the words ?I implored? are meant to indicate the depth and magnitude of Moshe?s prayers.
The Lesson:
This week?s Parsha, Va?Etchanan, is always read on Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath immediately after Tisha B?Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which was commemorated this past Sunday). As we noted last week, Tisha B?Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the day upon which the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed and many other calamities later befell the Jewish people. After this low-point of national sadness, we will now read for the next seven weeks Haftarahs (portions from the Prophets that are read after the weekly Torah reading) of comfort and consolation, in which G-d reassures the Jewish people that they will be redeemed from exile and returned to the Land of Israel.
It is certainly no coincidence that Va?Etchanan is the Parsha that opens this period of Divine solace and encouragement, because one of the keys to our redemption is that we ourselves must want to be redeemed. We must yearn for an end to the exile and anxiously await the coming of the Messiah. What better role model could we possibly have for this than Moshe himself who, as we saw above, wanted to enter the Land of Israel so badly that he prayed to G-d 515 times seeking to do so? Moshe?s love and yearning for the Land, as embodied in our Parsha, resonated throughout the generations, inspiring Jews over the centuries to long for the day when they would be able to return to their ancestral patrimony. Though Moshe?s request was ultimately denied, his devotion is especially instructive for us today, when all one need do is board an airplane and within a matter of hours he or she can walk upon the earth of sovereign Israel.
Though we often take it for granted, it pays to remember that until the past century, this was an unimaginable dream for Jews the world over. Now that the dream has become a reality, it is time for us all to take Moshe?s dedication to heart, and to reaffirm our own longing for the Land. That was part of Moshe?s legacy to the Jewish people, and if we as a nation do not yearn for the Land, then someone else most certainly will.
A Related Story:
In his book, Parperaot LaTorah, Menachem Beker relates a story about Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who was Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel from 1921 to 1935. A wealthy supporter of the Zionist movement came to explore the possibility of emigrating to Israel, but after touring throughout the Land, he decided to return to his home in the Diaspora. The night before his departure, the man went to see Rabbi Kook and bid him farewell. Knowing that Rabbi Kook was a firm believer in aliyah (immigration to Israel), the man spoke of how impressed he was by the Land, but ended by saying that he felt he could do more for the Zionist cause by returning to his home and working on Israel?s behalf from afar. Rabbi Kook answered by quoting the opening verse of this week?s Parsha concerning Moshe?s plea to enter the Land of Israel.
Asked Rabbi Kook: if the decree against Moshe?s entering the Land was given many years previously, then why did Moshe wait before praying to G-d that it be reversed? Why didn?t he seek to overturn it immediately? Rabbi Kook answered by saying that Moshe first wished to prove through his actions that his love for the Land of Israel was very deep. Thus, he waited until after the defeat of Sichon, King of Emor, and Og, King of Bashan (see Parshat Chukkat), whose territory was strategically important to capturing the Land of Israel, before beseeching G-d to annul the decree. This, said Rabbi Kook, is why Moshe says in the opening verse of our Parsha that he implored G-d ?at that time?, for Moshe hoped that the merit of his actions on behalf of the Jewish people would result in his prayer being accepted. And so, concluded Rabbi Kook, his guest should learn from Moshe?s example. By supporting Israel for many years, his guest had demonstrated his commitment to the Land and his love for it. But now, said Rabbi Kook, now was the time for him to gather his family and make aliyah, so that he could fulfill the commandment of settling the Land.
The moral of the story is clear: working on Israel?s behalf while living in the Diaspora is certainly commendable, but true Zionist fulfillment can come about only through aliyah. That is what Moshe was praying for, and that is what the Jews of the world must now do.
2. Thou Shalt Not Trade Away Territory
With the Jewish people preparing to cross the Jordan river and enter the Promised Land, Moshe instructs them regarding their dealings with the seven nations dwelling in Canaan. Moshe tells the Jews that G-d will deliver the Canaanites and others into Israel?s hands, but that the Jews must be careful, making sure not to intermarry with the nations or tolerate their pagan and idol-worshipping practices. Among other things, Moshe says to them, ?Ve?Lo Techanem? (Chap. 7, verse 2).
The Question:
What is the meaning of ?Ve?Lo Techanem??
The Answer:
The Talmud, in Tractate Avodah Zarah (20a), offers three possible interpretations of the term ?Ve?Lo Techanem?, one of which is that it is a prohibition against allowing the nations to park themselves, so to speak, in the Land. In other words, the Land belongs to the Jewish people, and no other nation should be given a permanent foothold there. The Tosafot (the great commentators on the Talmud who lived in western Europe in the early Middle Ages), comment that the prohibition of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? is applicable not only to the seven nations who dwelled in Canaan in ancient times, but to all nations other than the Jewish people. This ruling is codified in Jewish law, by the Rambam (Maimonides) and others.
The Lesson:
At first glance, it is difficult to understand why the Torah felt it necessary to give the Jewish people the command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem?. To begin with, the context of the verse is that the Jews are about to enter Israel and Moshe tells them that G-d will defeat the seven nations then occupying the Holy Land. If the Jews would prove militarily victorious, vanquishing their enemies completely, then there would seem to be no need to command them not to give their foes a permanent foothold in the Land. After all, what nation would even consider such a thing? It would simply be setting the stage for yet another conflict further down the line. Secondly, one would imagine that after suffering through Egyptian slavery, wandering in the desert for 40 years and waging war against the Amalekites, the Emorites and others, that the Jewish people would be elated at finally gaining control over the Promised Land and would never contemplate the idea of trading away parts of their territory to foreigners. Elementary national pride would seem to preclude such a possibility. Hence, was the command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? really necessary? Sadly, it was.
Apparently, the seeds of weakness existed among our people even then, just as they do today. And this, perhaps, is why the command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? is taught to us in the particular context of our Parsha ? to drive home the point that if people such as the generation that entered the Promised Land can be susceptible to a loss of national resolve, and must be on guard against such a phenomenon, then how much more so must we, in our generation, be careful in this regard. Patriotism and nationalism are two essential values to the survival of the nation, and like any other values, they must be taught and cultivated, inculcated and reinforced. Failure to do so, as we have seen in our own day, leads people to do otherwise incomprehensible things, such as inviting the PLO to create an armed terrorist mini-state in the heart of the Land of Israel.
The command of ?Ve?Lo Techanem? was a clear directive not to treat the Land like real-estate that can be traded away at whim. How sad that it took eight years of Oslo and terror for the majority of Israelis to learn this age-old lesson.