   |
   | |
"Ki Hamitzva Hazos" This HaMitzvah. What is this HaMitzvah that Moshe is commanding the children of Israel? The verse says "Ki haMitzvah hazos, asher Anochi mitzavicha hayom" For this HaMitzvah which I command of you today is neither too difficult for you nor is it too far. What this HaMitzvah is referring to is a matter of dispute. Rashi explains that this "HaMitzvah" is referring to the entire Torah as it is written in the previous verse "Bisefer Hatorah Haze" and continues talking about the entire Torah. One might imagine after hearing this HaMitzvah, a Mitzvah which seemingly indicates that the Torah is not too difficult, that someone is attempting a prank of some sort. However, Rav Soloveitchik zt"l explained this possibility based on a well known Talmudic passage in Masechtes Niddah. The Talmud discusses the angel teaching the entire Torah to a child while it is still in the mother's womb and, just before the child comes out, the angel gives the child a tap on its lip and the child forgets all the Torah that he learned. Rav Soloveitchik asked "If he is going to forget it, why teach it to him in the first place? The Ramban, Nachmonides, explained that this teaching gives every Jew an innate affinity for Torah. Even someone who has never learned in this world possesses a deep connection to the Torah. This is what the pasuk means when it says that the Torah is close to us. It is close to us and when we come back to it, even after a long time away, it welcomes us back as a long lost friend. The Ramban, Nachmonides, however, views this Mitzvah as the Mitzvah of Teshuva , Repentance. Perhaps coming from our natural closeness to the Torah makes the Teshuva process more readily attainable. What is the Mitzvah of Teshuva? In the Laws of Teshuva, The RamBam, Maimonides, explains that Teshuva is a three-step process. The first step is realizing that one has sinned. As any person with a problem is told, in order to solve the problem, he must admit to himself that there is a problem. The second is to determine in his heart not to go back to the way of sinning. The third and final step in the process of Teshuva occurs when the person is put in a similar position another time and he does the proper and correct action or abstains from committing the sin. Our Rabbis have found this process hinted at in the last verse of the paragraph. The verse states "Ki Karov Alecha Hadavar Miod " for this thing (Teshuva) is very close to you and the final three words are the hint for the three steps, "Bificha Uvilivavicha Laasoso in your mouth and in your hearts to do it. "In your mouth" is admitting that you have a problem, "in your heart" is committing to not do it again and to "do it" is the final step which is to do correctly or properly. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz asked "If Teshuva is so easy and not so far removed, why are there so few people who avail themselves of this unique opportunity?" One simple way to answer this is to say that it is not simple. Rav Chaim quotes the Midrash. The Midrash on this pasuk Ki Karov states that King Solomon spoke of seven levels of laziness and what Moshe said was even stronger than that. The lazy person, when told that the Rabbi was in the next town and he should go to his shiur, responds but there are lions in the street and other such excuses. When they tell him the Rabbi is next door in his building, go to see him, his ulterior motive comes out, which is "I am too tired." Moshe goes even further when he says "Bificha " the words are already in your mouth you just have to put them into practice. We are all too busy looking for excuses to justify what we are not doing. If we would concentrate our efforts on just doing what we should be doing, we would all be better off. The choice is ours. We are all contemplating how to make ourselves better for the coming year. The Torah in Parshat Eikev concludes a verse with a seemingly strange language, "Maraishis HaShana Viad Acharis Shana," from the beginning of the year until the end of year. The question arises: why does the first shana have a letter Hay at the beginning and the second one does not? This is the time of the year when we are all making our resolutions that this will be the year when we actually change ourselves and make ourselves better people. Unfortunately, in reality, it usually turns out that, at the end of the year, when we look back, we see that this year was like all of the years past. However, whether we decide that this Mitzvah is as the opinion of the Rambam who says that this Mitzvah is referring to all the Mitzvot, or like the opinion of the Ramban, that this Mitzvah is the Mitzvah of Teshuva, repentance, the hope is that when the year is coming to an end, and we reflect upon this year, we will be able to say that the beginning of the year, with the" hay", was the same as the end of the year (that we did change ourselves like we said we would) and with our stronger commitment to the Mitzvot and to Teshuva, we will surely all have a Happy and a Healthy New Year.
| ||
Search YoungIsrael.org for:
Today is Thursday, May 24, 2012
