[M]y terror of forgetting is greater than my terror of having too much to remember. ~Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory
One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present. ~Golda Meir, My Life
Parsha Summary:
- Moses continues with his address, telling B'nai Yisrael the essence of their freedom of choice
- Places of idolatry should be destroyed, and individual altars are not allowed
- Sacrifices / offerings are to be made in a holy place designated by God although meat that is to be eaten can be slaughtered [its blood can not be eaten]
- False prophets and those who entice the worship of idols are to be destroyed
- Moses reiterates which animals, fish, and fowl are to be eaten and considered clean and which are not
- Laws of tithing are provided
- The year of Release / Yovel is described
- The festivals for pilgrimage are outlined - Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot are described.
(כו) רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃ (כז) אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ (כח) וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ {ס}
(26) See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: (27) blessing, if you obey the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you this day; (28) and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of your God יהוה, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced.
“See”—Moses is giving the children of Israel the power of sight—to perceive that the true nature of evil is nothing more than a transmutation and distortion of the divine good. When evil is thus seen, it can be transformed into the good that it essentially is. ~The Lubavitcher Rebbe
Freedom of choice has been granted to every man: if he desires to turn toward a good path and be righteous, the ability to do so is in his hands; and if he desires to turn toward an evil path and be wicked, the ability to do so is in his hands . . .
This concept is a fundamental principle and a pillar of the Torah and its commandments. . . For were G‑d to decree that a person be righteous or wicked, or if there were to exist something in the very essence of a person’s nature which would compel him toward a specific path, a specific conviction, a specific character trait or a specific deed . . . how could G‑d command us through the prophets, “Do this” and “do not do this” . . . ? What place would the entire Torah have? And by what measure of justice would G‑d punish the wicked and reward the righteous? ~Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 5:1–3
ראה. הביטה וראה שלא יהיה ענינך על אופן בינוני כמו שהוא המנהג בשאר האומות. כי אמנם אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה והם שני הקצוות כי הברכה היא הצלחה יותר מן המספיק ע"צ היותר טוב. והקללה היא מארה מחסרת שלא יושג המספיק ושניהם לפניכם להשיג כפי מה שתבחרו:
ראה, pay good attention so that you will not be like the nations of the world who relate to everything half-heartedly, always trying to find middle ground. Remember that אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, I present you this day with the choice of two extremes, opposites. The ברכה is an extreme in that it provides you with more than you need, whereas the קללה is another extreme making sure that you have less than your basic needs. You have the choice of both before you; all you have to do is make a choice.
Kli Yakar on Deuteronomy 11:26:1
Look, I place before you today. “See” is singular. “Before you” is plural. This is what our Sages teach us: A person must always view things as if the entire world is half righteous and half wicked. If he performs a single mitzvah he tips himself and the entire world to the side of merit. Therefore Moshe spoke to every individual, “See” that he should see in his thought that every single action affects all of them.
עוד ירצה במאמר ראה אנכי על דרך אומרם ז"ל (רמב"ם הל' תשובה פ"ה) יכול אדם לעשות עצמו כמשה רבינו, והוא מה שהעירם כי אליו יראו להדמות אליו כל הבא ליקרב לעבודת הקודש עבודת ה' ולא יעריכו עצמן עם מה שלמטה מהם ויהיו בעיני עצמן כי כביר מצאה ידם, ואמר לשון יחיד אולי שלא אמר רמז זה אלא ליחידי עם אשר יכינו עצמן להשגה עליונה כי מי ומי הראוי להשיג השגה זו להיות כמשה וכנגד שאר כללות ישראל אמר נותן לפניכם:
Moses had something else in mind when he said ראה אנכי, "look at me!" Maimonides explains in his treatise Hilchot Teshuvah chapter 5 that every person has the potential to become the equal of Moses. This is precisely what Moses meant. He said: "Take a good look at me! Everything that I have accomplished you are able to accomplish for yourselves!" Whenever a person aspires to serve the Lord he is not to look at people who have been under-achievers compared to himself and to use such a comparison in order to pat himself on the back on his relative accomplishment, but he is to train his sights on those who have achieved more than he himself and use this as a challenge to set his spiritual sights ever higher.
את הברכה אשר תשמעו. כי בשמעכם הנה אתם מבורכים והברכה תוספת טובה והקללה מגרע' והיא מגזרת קלה:
THE BLESSING, IF YE SHALL HEARKEN. For if you hearken, behold, you are blessed. A blessing means an addition of the good. A curse means a diminution. The word kelalah (curse) is related to the word kallah (light).
(כא) כִּֽי־יִרְחַ֨ק מִמְּךָ֜ הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִבְחַ֜ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֘יךָ֮ לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁמ֣וֹ שָׁם֒ וְזָבַחְתָּ֞ מִבְּקָרְךָ֣ וּמִצֹּֽאנְךָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤ן יְהֹוָה֙ לְךָ֔ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוִּיתִ֑ךָ וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל אַוַּ֥ת נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
(21) If the place where יהוה has chosen to establish the divine name is too far from you, you may slaughter any of the cattle or sheep that יהוה gives you, as I have instructed you; and you may eat to your heart’s content in your settlements.
(ד) אַךְ יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּמִדַּת הַשִּׁכְחָה לִשְׁכֹּחַ הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה. כִּי אִם יִתֵּן לֵב לִזְכֹּר מִצְווֹתָיו וְתוֹרוֹתָיו, וְיִשְׁכַּח רָעוֹתָיו וְתַחְבּוּלוֹתָיו – אָז יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק בְּעֵינָיו וְלֹא יָשׁוּב. אַךְ יִזְכֹּר פְּשָׁעָיו, וְיִכְתְּבֵם עַל סֵפֶר וְיִקְרָאֵם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּזְכֹּר הַכֹּל, וְיָשׁוּב מִכָּל אַחַת וְיִתְוַדֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם. אַךְ עַל מִצְוָה שֶׁעָשָׂה לֹא יָחוּשׁ לִזְכֹּר. לְעוֹלָם יְדַמֶּה בְּעֵינָיו כְּאִלּוּ הוּא רֵיק מִמִּצְווֹת וּמָלֵא עֲבֵרוֹת. וְיִשְׁכַּח חַטֹּאת חֲבֵרוֹ וְיִמְחֹל לוֹ, וְיִשְׁכַּח מִלִּבּוֹ שִׂנְאָה וְקִנְאָה וְהִרְהוּרִים רָעִים. וּבְעֵת הַתְּפִלָּה יִשְׁכַּח מִלִּבּוֹ כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אַךְ יַעֲלֶה בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ חֶסֶד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְיִדְבַּק בּוֹ בִּדְבֵקוּת גְּדוֹלָה. וּכְשֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה צְרָכָיו – יִשְׁכַּח מִלִּבּוֹ כָּל דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְדִבְרֵי קְדֻשָּׁה, אַךְ יַחְשֹׁב בְּצָרְכֵי בֵּיתוֹ בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה. וְיַחֲשֹׁב שֶׁהוּא מָלֵא צוֹאָה, וּבָזֶה יַשְׁפִּיל לִבּוֹ. כְּלָלוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר: לְכָל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה יַעֲשֶׂה מָה שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁכָּחֶנָּה, ״כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר״ (משלי ו כג).
(4) However, a man should employ the quality of forgetfulness to forget the commandments that he has fulfilled. For if he sets his mind on remembering the precepts that he has fulfilled and the Torah that he has studied, while forgeting his bad deeds and evil schemes, then he will be a righteous man in his own eyes and will not repent. But he should remember his transgressions and write them in a book and read them, in order to remember all of them and repent of each and every one, and he should confess them. But as for the good deeds that he has done, he should not hasten to remember them, and he should always appear in his eyes as though he were empty of good deeds and filled with transgressions. He should forget the sins of his fellow man and forgive him, and he should remove from his heart all hatred, jealousy, and evil thoughts. And at the time of prayer he should remove from his heart everything in the world, but there should be uppermost in his thoughts the kindness of God, and he should cleave to Him with great attachment. And when he performs his bodily needs, he must forget all the words of the Torah and words of holiness, but he may think about the needs of his household, at that time. He should also think that he is filled with excrement, lowering the pride of his heart. The general rule here is that with respect to every precept of the Torah he should do something that will cause him not to forget, "For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light" (Prov. 6:23).
(א) אֵ֣ת כׇּל־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֹת֥וֹ תִשְׁמְר֖וּ לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לֹא־תֹסֵ֣ף עָלָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א תִגְרַ֖ע מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ {פ}
(1) Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it.
(א) בָּנִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִתְגֹּֽדְד֗וּ וְלֹֽא־תָשִׂ֧ימוּ קׇרְחָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין עֵינֵיכֶ֖ם לָמֵֽת׃ (ב) כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וּבְךָ֞ בָּחַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה לִֽהְי֥וֹת לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה מִכֹּל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ {ס} (ג) לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל כׇּל־תּוֹעֵבָֽה׃
(1) You are children of your God יהוה. You shall not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads because of the dead. (2) For you are a people consecrated to your God יהוה: your God יהוה chose you from among all other peoples on earth to be a treasured people. (3) You shall not eat anything abhorrent.
וטעם בנים. אחר שתדעו שאתם בנים לשם והוא אוהב אתכם יותר מהאב לבן אל תתגודדו על כל מה שיעשה כי כל אשר יעשה לטוב הוא ואם לא תבינוהו כאשר לא יבינו הבנים הקטנים מעשה אביהם רק יסמכו עליו כן תעשו גם אתם כי עם קדוש אתה ואינך כשאר כל הגוים על כן לא תעשה כמעשיהם. וטעם הסמך פרשת לא תאכל כל תועבה כי אתה עם קדוש בלב ובפה ותהיו מובדלים מן העמים וכל רואיכם יכירו אתכם כי לא תקרחו על מת ולא תאכלו כל חי ואם אתה עם קדוש אין ראוי שתאכל טמא ותטמא הנפש:
[CHILDREN.] The meaning of children is, now that you know that you are children of God and that the Lord loves you more than a father loves his son, do not cut yourselves over anything that God does, for whatever the Lord does is for the good. If you do not understand God, then act like small children who do not understand what their father does but nevertheless rely upon him. For thou art a holy people (v. 2) and you are not like all the Canaanites. You shall therefore not imitate their practices. The section opening with the words Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing (v. 3) follows because Scripture says, as it were, you are holy in your heart and in your mouth. You shall be separated from the nations. All who see you shall recognize you, for you will not make yourself bald for the dead and you do not eat all living creatures. If you are a holy people, then it is unfitting for you to eat that which is unclean and defiles one’s soul.
(ד) אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ (ה) רַ֚ק אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֔ע בְּק֖וֹל יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ו) כִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בֵּֽרַכְךָ֔ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לָ֑ךְ וְהַֽעֲבַטְתָּ֞ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֔ט וּמָֽשַׁלְתָּ֙ בְּגוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וּבְךָ֖ לֹ֥א יִמְשֹֽׁלוּ׃ {ס}
(4) There shall be no needy among you—since your God יהוה will bless you in the land that your God יהוה is giving you as a hereditary portion— (5) if only you heed your God יהוה and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day. (6) For your God יהוה will bless you as promised: you will extend loans to many nations, but require none yourself; you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you.
Ours is an active existence: We do not live in a state of forgetfulness or “forgottenness” but in a state of memory and consciousness that induces us to seek to make the world a better place. By doing so, we help realize the Baal Shem Tov‘s words that “in remembrance lies the secret of redemption.” ~Rabbi Frisch Klein
(ז) כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (ח) כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃
(7) If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kin in any of your settlements in the land that your God יהוה is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin. (8) Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.
(יא) כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹ֠חַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
(11) For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kin in your land.
Memory plays a very central role in Judaism. We have an enormous collection of commandments that we refer to as eidut, “witnesses.” It is a Divine commandment to bear witness to the past and to the way it shapes present reality—and in so doing, to recognize that we are able to bear witness also to a delightful future. ~Chana Kroll, on www.chabad.org