פרשת ואתחנן

ByGrowTorah Education

GrowTorah Parsha Garden Lessons

This article was written by Yael Stochel, summer inchworm 2019

GrowTorah Core Value: Incubating Emunah, Stewarding the Earth

In Va'etchanan, Moshe recounts having plead with God to let him cross over the Jordan, and being shown the land instead. The love and appreciation for the land and for God are deeply connected. How can we strengthen our own relationship with the Earth and with Hashem?

Lesson Title: Love of the Land, A Legacy From Avraham to Moshe

דברים ג׳:כ״ג-כ״ז

(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־ה' בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אדושם ה' אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃ (כה) אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃ (כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר ה' בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (כז) עֲלֵ֣ה ׀ רֹ֣אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֗ה וְשָׂ֥א עֵינֶ֛יךָ יָ֧מָּה וְצָפֹ֛נָה וְתֵימָ֥נָה וּמִזְרָ֖חָה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּי־לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֥ן הַזֶּֽה׃

Deuteronomy 3:23-27

(23) I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, (24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! (25) Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.” (26) But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again! (27) Go up to the summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not go across yonder Jordan.

בראשית י״ג:י״ד-י״ז

(יד) וַֽה' אָמַ֣ר אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם אַחֲרֵי֙ הִפָּֽרֶד־ל֣וֹט מֵֽעִמּ֔וֹ שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מִן־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה שָׁ֑ם צָפֹ֥נָה וָנֶ֖גְבָּה וָקֵ֥דְמָה וָיָֽמָּה׃ (טו) כִּ֧י אֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ (טז) וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ אִם־יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה׃ (יז) ק֚וּם הִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בָּאָ֔רֶץ לְאָרְכָּ֖הּ וּלְרָחְבָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י לְךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃

Genesis 13:14-17

(14) And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had parted from him, “Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west, (15) for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever. (16) I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted. (17) Up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you.”

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

What similarities and differences do you see in these pesukim?

God guides their gaze and tells both to look out on the land

Survey our garden just as Avraham and Moshe did. What stands out to you? What colors and landscapes in our garden do you think Avraham and Moshe might have seen?

שפתי חכמים, דברים ג׳:כ״ז:א׳

אני מראה לך את כלה כו'. רצונו לפרש מה שהשיב הקב"ה למשה על בקשתו לעבור הירדן שהשיב לו עלה ראש הפסגה וגו' וראה בעיניך וגו' מה השיב הקב"ה בזה. ומפרש בקשת ממני כו' לראות ההר הטוב והלבנון, שהוא ירושלים ובית המקדש, שהוא הטוב שבכל הארץ, ואני אראה לך את כולה יותר ממה שבקשת:

Siftei Chakhamim, Deuteronomy 3:27:1

I will show you all of it, etc. Rashi is explaining how the Almighty is answering Moshe’s request to cross the Yardein. For how does, “Go up to the peak of the Pisgah ... see with your own eyes, etc,” relate to Moshe’s question? Rashi explains: You asked of Me to see [only] the good mountain and the Levanon, which refers to Yerusholayim and the Beis Hamikdosh — the best of all the Land. But I will show you all of it, which is more than you had requested.

אור החיים על בראשית י״ג:י״ד:ב׳

וראה מן המקום. טעם שהוצרך לומר מן המקום אשר אתה שם. כאן עשה לו נם עצום שיוכל לראות מצפון לדרום וממערב למזרח ממקום אחד מבלי שיוצרך לסובב:

Or HaChaim on Genesis 13:14:2

וראה מן המקום, "and look from the place, etc." G'd had to emphasise the word מן המקום to alert us to the miracle that He expanded Abraham's sense of vision so that he could see the entire land of Israel from the place he stood on. He did not even have to turn around to look in the different directions.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

What further similarities do the commentators highlight?

In the commentaries, God expands both their views – not only showing them the land, but showing all the land

How were Avraham and Moshe's respective connections to the land similar?

Living the Lesson

שמות רבה כ״ח:א׳

וּמשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים... בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה בִּקְּשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לִפְגֹעַ בְּמשֶׁה, עָשָׂה בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קְלַסְטֵירִין שֶׁל פָּנָיו שֶׁל משֶׁה דּוֹמֶה לְאַבְרָהָם, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִי אַתֶּם מִתְבַּיְשִׁין הֵימֶנּוּ לֹא זֶהוּ שֶׁיְּרַדְתֶּם אֶצְלוֹ וַאֲכַלְתֶּם בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה לֹא נִתְּנָה לְךָ תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּת אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לָקַחְתָּ מַתָּנוֹת בָּאָדָם, וְאֵין אָדָם הָאָמוּר כָּאן אֶלָּא אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע יד, טו): הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים, הֱוֵי: וּמשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים.

Shemot Rabbah 28:1

And Moshe ascended to God... In the same moment, when the ministering angels asked to touch Moshe, the Holy One Blessed be He made Moshe's face resemble Avraham, and the Holy One Blessed be He said to them, "If you are embarrassed, is this not the same one that you descended to and ate inside his house?" The Holy One Blessed be He said to Moshe, "The Torah was only given to you on account of Avraham, as it is written: You received the gifts of man, and the man referenced here is Avraham, as it is said: The man was great among giants, and so: And Moshe ascended to God.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

What does the midrash add to our comparison between Moshe and Avraham? What is the legacy given to Moshe from Avraham?

It links Moshe more closely to Avraham, especially in his hour of death. Avraham's actions merited the land and the Torah.

How can we appreciate and uphold these legacies, the land and the Torah, through our actions in the garden?

דברים ד׳:ל״ט

וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ֒ כִּ֤י ה' ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹקִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃

Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day and keep in mind that the LORD alone is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.

ספורנו על דברים ד׳:ל״ט:ב׳

והשבות אל לבבך ואחר ההתבוננות תשיב אל לבבך החלק האמיתי מהם והוא כי ה' הוא האלקים. המסדר הנצחי המפורסם בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת. כי אמנם על זה יורה סדרם וקשרם והתכלית המושג מהם אשר לא יושג זולתם ובהם נודע שיש נמצא מכוון שהמציא כל זה לתכלית מכוון מאתו:

Sforno on Deuteronomy 4:39:2

והשבות אל לבבך, having carefully examined all these factors you are to establish firmly in your heart which is the truth, namely כי ה' הוא האלוקים, that the Lord known to us as Hashem is the true G’d, the word itself indicating that He is victorious in any competition who make similar claims because He is eternal. His fame extends both בשמים, in the celestial spheres above, as well as על הארץ מתחת, for you will realise that the very order which exists among celestial phenomena, their predictability to the second, is proof that Someone is guiding them, has programmed them.

רבנו בחיי, דברים ד׳:ל״ט:א׳

והשבות אל לבבך. זה מצות עשה מן התורה בידיעת השם יתברך, שנצטוינו לדעת אותו ולחקור על אחדותו ושלא נסמוך על הקבלה בלבד. והידיעה הזו היא מתוך פעולותיו ומעשיו הנוראים ונבראיו העליונים והשפלים.

Rabbeinu Bahya, Devarim 4:39:1

והשבות אל לבבך, “you will impress it upon your heart,” i.e. it is a positive commandment to know the Lord and to research the fact that He is unique, one of a kind. It is not enough to accept this merely as “something handed down by our forefathers,” but it must become something that is the result of our examining the plentiful evidence in our world which makes this quite clear.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

How can working and learning in the garden help us understand all that Hashem does for the world?

appreciating the land and beauty

How does such appreciation ensure that we carry on Avraham's legacy of caring for the land, and make it our own?