TBE Torah Study - Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5780

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, ברכות התורה א׳

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוק בְּדִבְרֵי תורָה:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Torah Blessings 1

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with mitzvot and commanded us to immerse ourselves within words of Torah.

דברים כ״ט:ט׳-י״ד

(ט) אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃(י) טַפְּכֶ֣ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם וְגֵ֣רְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֑יךָ מֵחֹטֵ֣ב עֵצֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד שֹׁאֵ֥ב מֵימֶֽיךָ׃(יא) לְעָבְרְךָ֗ בִּבְרִ֛ית יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּבְאָלָת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כֹּרֵ֥ת עִמְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃(יב) לְמַ֣עַן הָקִֽים־אֹתְךָ֩ הַיּ֨וֹם ׀ ל֜וֹ לְעָ֗ם וְה֤וּא יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר־לָ֑ךְ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּע֙ לַאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃(יג) וְלֹ֥א אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם אָנֹכִ֗י כֹּרֵת֙ אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃(יד) כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י יהוה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ פֹּ֖ה עִמָּ֥נוּ הַיּֽוֹם׃

Deuteronomy 29:9-14

(9) You stand this day, all of you, before the LORD your God—your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel,(10) your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer—(11) to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;(12) to the end that He may establish you this day as His people and be your God, as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.(13) I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone,(14) but both with those who are standing here with us this day before the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here this day.

דברים ל׳:א׳

(א) וְהָיָה֩ כִֽי־יָבֹ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַבְּרָכָה֙ וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֙ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֔ךָ בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדִּיחֲךָ֛ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃

Deuteronomy 30:1

(1) When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which the LORD your God has banished you,

ספורנו על דברים ל׳:א׳:א׳

(א)והשבות אל לבבך התבונן בחלקי הסותר ותשיבם אל לבבך יחדיו להבחין האמת מן השקר ובזה תכיר כמה רחקת מן האל יתעלה בדעות ובמנהגים אשר לא כתורתו:

Sforno on Deuteronomy 30:1:1

(1) והשבות אל לבבך, you will be able to distinguish the truth between apparently contradictory phenomena. When you become the victim of what has been predicted for the sinners, you will realise how far you had strayed from G’d’s Torah, i.e. from G’d Himself.

דברים ל׳:ד׳

(ד) אִם־יִהְיֶ֥ה נִֽדַּחֲךָ֖ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם מִשָּׁ֗ם יְקַבֶּצְךָ֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם יִקָּחֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 30:4

(4) Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the LORD your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you.

Ma'amarey Admor Ha-Zaken (trans. Rabbi Art Green)

How can it be that the community of Israel is spoken of here in the singular form? The same question is asked of "You shall love Y-H-W-H your God" (Deut. 6:5), also in the singular. There one may say that it applies to each Jew as an individual. But from there will He gather you in? How can "gather" apply to a single person?

But the truth is that a single person can be scattered and detached. No person is really whole, living up to the full intellectual and emotional potential. Some people are lacking in a particular quality. If only they had that one thing, they could be whole. But without it, the person is like one lacking a limb. Sometimes that which you are lacking is found in anther person, but with that person you could be whole. That person might be very far from you, but you cannot be whole without him.

So that in Even if your exile--in the singular--form there will He gather you [with the other whom you need], to become one. That is the nature of exile [being in the singular, isolated and alone]....

דברים ל׳:י״א-י״ד

(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹֽא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃(יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃(יג) וְלֹֽא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבָר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃(יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ (ס)

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

(11) Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach.(12) It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”(13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”(14) No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.

רש"י על דברים ל׳:י״ב:א׳

(א)לא בשמים הוא. שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיְתָה בַשָּׁמַיִם, הָיִיתָ צָרִיךְ לַעֲלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ לְלָמְדָהּ:

Rashi on Deuteronomy 30:12:1

(1) לא בשמים הוא IT IS NOT IN HEAVEN — for were it in heaven it would still be your duty to go up after it and to learn it (Eruvin 55a).

דברים ל׳:י״ט

(יט) הַעִידֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֮ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃

Deuteronomy 30:19

(19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live—

רש"י על דברים ל׳:י״ט:ב׳

(ב)ובחרת בחיים. אֲנִי מוֹרֶה לָכֶם שֶׁתִּבְחֲרוּ בְּחֵלֶק הַחַיִּים, כְּאָדָם הָאוֹמֵר לִבְנוֹ, בְּחַר לְךָ חֵלֶק יָפֶה בְנַחֲלָתִי, וּמַעֲמִידוֹ עַל חֵלֶק הַיָּפֶה וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ אֶת זֶה בְּרֹר לְךָ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (תהילים ט"ז) "יהוה מְנָת חֶלְקִי וְכוֹסִי אַתָּה תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי" — הִנַּחְתָּ יָדִי עַל גּוֹרָל הַטּוֹב לוֹמַר אֶת זֶה קַח לְךָ:

Rashi on Deuteronomy 30:19:2

(2) ובחרת בחיים THEREFORE CHOOSE THE LIFE — I show you these (“I set life and death before thee) in order that you may choose the portion of life. It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose for yourself a good portion of my real estate”, and sets him in the best portion saying to him, “Choose this!” And concerning this it states, (Psalms 16:5) “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup, אתה תומיך גורלי”, i.e. “You place my hand on the good lot, saying, ‘Choose this!'”

אבן עזרא על דברים ל׳:י״ט:א׳

(א)את השמים ואת הארץ. בעבור היות' עומדים וכן על האבן תהיה בנו לעדה וכן שמעו הרים את ריב יהוה:

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 30:19:1

(1) the heaven and the earth because they are permanent. Compare, “this stone shall be a witness to us” [Joshua 24: 27] and “Hear, O mountains, God ’s controversy” [Micah 6: 2] [see also comment on 4: 26].

אבן עזרא על דברים ל׳:י״ט:ב׳

(ב)החיים והמות. הם הברכה והקללה והנה יש לך לבחור בחיים:

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 30:19:2

(2)life and death are respecified as the blessing, and the curse. Scripture then states, You have the ability to choose life. The phrase that you may live may mean living corporeally, or it may mean to live on in memory. Scripture then proceeds to explain that

אבן עזרא על דברים ל׳:י״ט:ג׳

(ג)למען תחיה. בגוף או בזכר. ופירש כי החיים הם לאהבה:

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 30:19:3

(3) The phrase that you may live may mean living corporeally, or it may mean to live on in memory. Scripture then proceeds to explain that to love is the purpose of life.