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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- D'VARIM
Rabbi Moshe Greebel

Sefer D’varim, begins with a listing of certain (not all) areas which the B’nai Yisroel visited during their forty year sojourn in the Midbar (wilderness), which commences with:

“These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisroel on this side of the Jordan in the Midbar, in the Aravah opposite the Reed Sea, between Paran, and Tofel, and Lavan, and Chatzairos, and Di Zahav.” (D’varim 1:1)

Why did Moshe insist on recounting these areas, of which all the B’nai Yisroel were familiar? Rashi, citing the Sifri, teaches us:
“For, these are the words of admonishment! He (Moshe) enumerated all the places they (B’nai Yisroel) angered HaShem. Hence, for the honor of Yisroel, he made his words (of rebuke) anonymous, and reminded them (where they sinned) with subtle hinting.”

Basically then, we learn an ethical lesson from Moshe, not to admonish another directly with particulars and details, but rather, to tactfully and subtly hint that improvement is called for, as did Moshe ‘for the honor of Yisroel.’

A few P’sukim (verses) later in this week’s Sidra however, we find:
“On this side of the Jordan, in the land of Moav, Moshe began to expound this Torah, saying.” (ibid. 1:5)

On this Passuk (verse), Rashi instructs:
“He (Moshe) expounded upon it (Torah) in seventy languages.”

That is to say, Moshe meticulously, and in great detail, taught the Torah to the B’nai Yisroel, not leaving out the slightest detail of even every aspect of their previous sins in the Midbar. What then, suddenly happened to ‘for the honor of Yisroel’? Did Moshe tactfully admonish the B’nai Yisroel through hints, or did he let them have it ‘with both barrels’?

An answer to these questions is available to us from the text Toras Moshe, by the Chassam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer [Schreiber] 1762-1839) of blessed memory, who cites the commentary of Rashi on this Passuk in this week’s Sidra:
“And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moshe spoke to the B’nai Yisroel, according to all that HaShem had given him in commandment to them.” (D’varim 1:3)

And, now the Rashi:
“This teaches that he did not admonish them until close to his death. From whom did he learn this? From Ya’akov, who did not admonish his sons, until he was close to his death. He (Ya’akov) said, ‘R’uvain, my son! I tell you the following. Why did I not admonish you all those (earlier) years ago? In order that you should not leave me, and join my brother Aisav…..’”

Now then, continued the Chassam Sofer, it isn’t even plausible to think that Moshe never admonished the B’nai Yisroel in forty years, or that Ya’akov never admonished his sons until both were close to their deaths. In truth, Moshe would have certainly scolded the B’nai Yisroel throughout that period of time whenever necessary, but, only through subtle hinting, and never through direct indictment. For, the very psychological nature of man is to be more accepting of that which is wittily and subtly directed at him, and less accepting of hard accusations thrust at him such as ‘so have you sinned!’

Another reason for the subtle admonishment, continued the Chassam Sofer, is that at times, the hard direct admonishment will anger a person, to the point where he will rebel against the authority of the Torah, G-d forbid, as we see from the Gemarah in Mo’aid Katan 17a:
“For it is taught, ‘And put not a stumbling-block before the blind’ (Vayikra 19:14). That text applies to one who beats his grown-up son.”

Hence, taught the Chassam Sofer, all those forty years in the Midbar, Moshe admonished the B’nai Yisroel through tactful hints. However, at the end of his last journey with the B’nai Yisroel, prior to crossing the Jordan into Eretz Canaan, and prior to his death, he understood that it was time to call all the B’nai Yisroel together, and to admonish them with explicit details of their previous sins. And this method, of admonishing with hints before admonishing directly prior to death, he learned from Ya’akov Avinu.

However, posed the Chassam Sofer, how do we know that all of this is accurate? For, it is only through the actions of Moshe, that we see the full actions of Ya’akov.

The answer, instructed the Chassam Sofer, is that the first words of Sefer D’varim are ‘Aileh HaD’varim’ (these are the words). The word ‘Aileh’ in LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue for ‘these’) is spelled Aleph (1), Lamed (30), Hay (5), which has a numerical value (gymmatria) of 36.

As well, the first Passuk of Sefer D’varim has the LaShon HaKodesh words of ‘Dibair’ (spoke) and ‘D’varim’ (spoken things), the former being singular, and the latter being plural (2), which totals 3.

And, concluded the Chassam Sofer, if we add 3 to 36, we now have the 39 years that Moshe tactfully scolded the B’nai Yisroel with subtle hints. However, ‘in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month,’ following the example of Ya’akov Avinu, and close to his death, Moshe did not consider ‘for the honor of Yisroel,’ by not hiding anything of their sins before them.

May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.

NCYI's Weekly Divrei Torah Bulletin is sponsored by the Henry, Bertha and Edward Rothman Foundation - Rochester, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Circleville, Ohio

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