Devarim Seudah Sh'lishit July 30 2022 | 5782

But יהוה said to me, “Warn them: Do not go up and do not fight, since I am not in your midst; else you will be routed by your enemies.”

There will be no going up [victory] for you etc. Since it is written, “Do not go up,” why then does it need to say, “Do not wage war”? It is obvious that if they do not go up, then there will be no war. Rather, the verse must certainly mean: “Do not go up, for you will not be able to wage war against them.” And if so, going up [the mountain] will be your downfall. But Re”m explains: Since it is written, “So that you will not be shattered,” we can infer that the statement, “Do not go up,” is intended for their benefit. If so, it is not a warning. Rather, it is informing them that their course of action will not be victorious, etc.

I spoke to you, but you would not listen; you flouted יהוה’s command and willfully marched into the hill country.

So then (he should not roll over upon his bed in the way of a sluggard), but rather with speed and vigor let him rise immediately. But if he be disfigured by plague and it should cause him to go about in a lazy way, let him reply His words to him and pay attention to it, for if a creditor -- whether gentile or another man – shall call after him, he should rise immediately, whether because of the honor due to the man, whether because of the momentary gain that it shall bring to him, or from fear of financial loss, like falling on the fuel of the fire, let him get up immediately, speedily, and not be lax. Or, if he needs to go to the service of the prince let him get up and not be lax. Otherwise, they may heap abuse upon him. Or [just] to find favor in the eyes of the prince. How much the more so in the service of the King of Kings of Kings, the Holy One Blessed be He, so he must take heed to rise with speed, vigorousness, and awe, else he may be late to come.
III And how good and pleasant it is if he should rise before the light of the morning to supplicate himself before his Creator and to direct the hours of the different night-watches dividing the night into three equal parts, since these are the times the Holy One is reminded of the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel among the nations and the prayer that a man may pray at that hour about the destruction and the exile is desired and his supplication falls before the Omnipresent One, whether he lengthens or shortens [his prayers] so long as he directs his heart (BT Berachot 5b) with his supplications, for better to say little with intention than much without intention.

ותמדו את פי השם, "you rebelled against G'd's command, etc." Moses referred to the refusal of the Israelites to heed G'd's order not to ascend the mountain. Another element he referred to was that the fear of violating G'd's command should have been greater than the fear of their enemies. The fact that it was not demonstrated the true nature of their wickedness. This is why Moses added: ותזדו, "you sinned deliberately." Furthermore, Moses wanted to make the point that the belated display by the Israelites of faith in G'd's protective powers and their willingness to face the Canaanites was not what it appeared to be at the surface. They once more acted in a rebellious fashion, not because they were throwing themselves on G'd's mercy. They should have humbled themselves; instead they did the very reverse.

Again you wept before יהוה; but יהוה would not heed your cry or give ear to you.

ולא שמע ה' בקלכם BUT THE LORD WOULD NOT HEAR YOUR VOICE — If it is at all possible to say so of God, you made His attribute of mercy as though it were cruel (Numbers Rabbah 17:3).

You made His attribute of compassion, etc. For otherwise, the name Adonoy denotes compassion — so why then is it mentioned regarding punishment? (Devek Tov).

ולא האזין אליכם. G’d did not even listen to your plea to delay the punishment, or to suspend the part of the punishment for their children after their parents had died. Moses used this fact as proof that the repentance of their parents at the time had not been complete, sincere. As a result, even their tears had been to no avail.

ותשובו ותבכו לפני השם, "you returned and wept in the presence of the Lord." We need to analyze the meaning of this verse. If the meaning is that these people returned from their ill-fated attempt to conquer the mountain and that they wept over their failure and the casualties they had suffered at the hands of the Emorites, this is certainly not made plain by the wording of the verse. Besides, if so, what is the meaning of such expressions as: "G'd did not hearken, and G'd did not give ear?" If the weeping concerned an event which had already occurred, such expressions are pointless! We must assume therefore that what Moses is telling us is that only after the defeat by the Emorites did the Israelites finally decide to humble themselves before the Lord, becoming penitents. They wept in recognition of their great guilt. Nonetheless, and in spite of their profession of humility, G'd did not listen to their prayers, i.e. He did not reverse the evil decree He had issued.

As a result, a person who separates himself from the community, pursuing a lifestyle not acceptable to it, divorces himself from life. As a limb detached from its body he will die. This is the meaning of the imposition of חרם, a ban, or excommunication. Such a person is on the way to Chormah, annihilation, (cf. Deut. 1, 44). This is why the numerical value of the word 248=חרם. Israel's essential advantage over the other nations is that it is a composite unit. Our sages have underlined this when they formulated the Shabbat Minchah prayer in which they emphasized that just as G–d is unique in being One, so Israel is unique in being one single unit as a people.