Chazzan Michael Simon's Sheet - Parasha Ki Tavo 5780

16 Elul 5780

‫זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו‬

[28:47]

‫פרשת כי תבוא‬ ‫ה׳תש׳׳פ‬

Issue No: 456

‫ֹלקיָך ְב ִׂש ְמחָ ה‬ ֶׁ ֱ‫ַּתחַּ ת אֲ ֶׁשר ל ֹא עָ בַּ ְד ָת אֶׁ ת ד׳ א‬

Since you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, with happiness Our possuk informs us that the terrible retribution delineated in the tochecho in this week’s parsha is the product, it seems, of serving Hashem but not with the requisite joy and a glad heart. Being besimcha (joyful) when performing mitzvos would appear to be such a vital element that its absence warrants the full wrath described to be unleashed upon us, even though the mitzvos themselves were adhered to. Many meforshim seek to explain the justification for such severe punishment despite the implication in the possuk that we remained faithful Jews and did not abandon the Torah. The sefer Peninim MiShulchan Govo’a brings in the name of the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of the Lomza Yeshiva, Rav Eliezer Bentzion Shulevitz, what may be a singularly different approach to this conundrum. The Mishna in Pirkei Ovos [4:9], which we read this week, states in the name of Rabbi Yonason, kol hamevatel es haTorah mei’osher sofo levatloh mei’oni – anyone who discards the Torah in a state of wealth, will eventually discard it from a state of poverty. The interpretation of the teaching is that Hashem has bestowed upon us all that is good, despite which we did not keep the Torah, so now He will take it away to see if we will then observe its mandates. This, explains Rav Shulovitz, is the context of our possuk. Besimcha uve’tuv leiv mei’rov kol does not mean that we served Hashem but did not adopt the correct attitude of positivity and happiness. Rather, the possuk means that we did not serve Hashem at all during times when we were blessed with incredible abundance, our lives were good and we were happy. Thus, in accord with the teaching of the mishnah, we will now lo oleinu suffer extreme poverty and terrible distress. Then Hashem can see if we will keep the Torah mei’oni, in a totally different and more challenging state of being.

[26:5]

‫אֲ ַּר ִׂמי אֹ בֵ ד אָ ִׂבי ַּוי ֵֶׁרד ִׂמצְ ַּרי ְָמה‬

An Aramean sought to destroy my father, and he went down to Egypt Upon bringing the bikkurim (first fruits) as an offering to Hashem, we recite a special tefilloh called vidu’i or confession. Our possuk is part of that recital and raises many questions in its wake, not least why Lovon is not mentioned by name and what actual connection this reference has to the mitzvah of bikkurim. The Kli Yokor, quoting the Medrash, explains that in Aram Naharayim, where Lovon lived, the people enjoyed a very good life. They had everything on tap, wanted for nothing and were always happy. This was the idyllic life, which the whole world strives to achieve. As Hashem’s chosen people, however, our goals are different. We are here to work, with the ‘good life’ being stored up for us in the next world. Our only request in this world should be for the ability to fulfil Hashem's wishes, whatever the challenges and obstacles that come our way. Our imohos (matriarchs) who came from Aram were tainted ever so faintly by the world from which they came, with this minor p’gam (defect) being… page 2 We hope that these Divrei Torah, which are designed especially for use during the seudos, will ‫בע״ה‬enhance your Shabbos and may they hasten refuos and yeshuos to all who need.

The Levush writes that on Shabbos we can attain higher levels of wisdom as it is a day especially designated for this purpose. Therefore, we should seek ways to increase the amount of Torah that we discuss on this holy day. ‫ גוט שבת‬and ‫כתיבה וחתימה טובה‬ ms

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[28:3]

‫בָּ רוְּך אַ ָתּה בָּ ִעיר וּבָ רוְּך אַ ָתּה‬ ‫בַּ ָשּׂ ֶדה‬

Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field After the harvest, when the farmer offers up his heartfelt tefillos (prayers) for future material success, he is presented with a not inconsiderable dilemma. He is torn between whether to ask Hashem for rain or not. On the one hand, he now has a storehouse full of grain that is at risk of spoiling from too much moisture in the air. In addition, he has an overriding commercial concern, lest an abundance of rain promotes excessive growth, thereby flooding the market with rich produce and consequently driving down the price he can obtain for his own crop. Conversely, of course, he still has a field that needs the rain for his next crop. What then should he ask for? In a powerful observation, the Ben Ish Chai tells us that such quandaries are the stuff of human beings. Hashem, on the other hand, is not bound by such considerations as to which way the potentially ‘doubleedged sword’ of a particular brocho (blessing), seen from the intellectually limited perspective of mankind, will cut. The Master of the World can bestow blessings on a person from multiple angles, even where such appear to contradict each other. We can learn this, says the Ben ish Chai, from the brocho in our possuk. Hashem assures us that we will be blessed, both in the city where we hold our merchandise and wish to sell it for a high price and do not want rain, as well as in the field where we are eager for plentiful rain to fall so that our crops can flourish. The message is clear - leave it to Hashem and He will work out all the details.

‫השבת‬-‫ישראל את‬-‫ושמרו בני‬ ‫השבת‬-‫לעשות את‬ The Gemara in Maseches Megiloh [31b] says that we read the tochecho (rebuke) contained in our parshah before Rosh Hashono, in order that tichleh shono v’kililoseho, the old year and its curses should end. How does the reading of the tochecho help our situation? The answer is that Hashem promised that, when there is sadly no Beis HaMikdosh, we can still ‘offer’ korbonos by reciting and learning the parshiyos related to them. In a similar vein, when we read the tochecho, we hope that, if (G-d forbid) we were deserving of any of its punishments, it should be considered as if it befell us r"l through the conduit of its recitation.

Then, going forward, only brocho should come our way.

Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk

Continued from page 1

… transmitted downwards through the generations.

Indeed, the Kli Yokor notes that even Yaakov himself was touched by this, by reference to his desire, albeit with the best of intentions, to live in peace and tranquillity, which in turn led to Yosef being sold into slavery. This explains the direct reference to Aram, but to Lovon only by implication. The instigator of the attempt to destroy Bnei Yisroel is in fact Aram and its relaxed and carefree life that we have wished to emulate throughout the ages. Indeed, it might be argued that the same problem not only persists to this very day, but has become more acute with advances and developments in the world around us. Part of our mission is to rid ourselves of the slightest remnants of this non-Torah outlook. The bikkurim stand as a kapporoh (atonement) for this. The first possuk in the parshah informs us that we will come to Eretz Yisroel, we will inherit it and we will settle ourselves in the land. After tending to our crops, when the produce of our beautiful orchard or of our field is finally ripe, we do not sit back, relax and enjoy. Our first thoughts, even before harvesting the yield, is to make sure that we give over the very first pickings to Hashem. We forgo the thoughts of a peaceful life and strive to fulfil the wishes of Hashem, whatever they may entail. This is the true Jewish dream.