Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5771)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
After the Churban we have parshas Voeschanan which brings us down to the basics of the recognition of our belief in Hashem as the Creator and the purpose of our perpetuating this belief in the world. Committing ourselves to fight all the false ideals of darkness and yearning and hoping and acting to reveal the true Malchus Shomayim.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and a true fulfillment of Shabbos Nachamu.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5770)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
This parsha always comes out after Tisha B’Av which is very special time when we are given unique spiritual gifts to recreate, grow and reach great heights. The parsha is a tremendous source of inspiration for this, filled with all the great foundations. One important priority of growth is in ahavas yisroel, taking special care not to hurt others. A second great priority is the learning and growth in Torah, which is for all Klal Yisroel.
We should be zocheh to see the geula sh’layma with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkainu bekorov. Hope for it. Hope for it. Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5768)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
The parsha opens with the emotional petitioning of Moshe Rabeinu for the releasing of the ban of his coming to Eretz Yisroel. Moshe Rabeinu asked for a gift rather than being granted his request on the basis of his own merits. It is interesting to speculate whether he could have possibly achieved his goal on the basis of his own merits.
How can we possibly comprehend the connection between Moshe Rabeinu’s punishment of not being able to enter Eretz Yisroel and his hitting of the stone? In the incident of “mai merivah” Moshe was under the impression that he was acting not upon the “special stone” but rather on an undesignated stone, which had its drawback. On the other hand this offers a possible potential of an opportunity of creating a unique fulfillment.
Moshe Rabeinu, our greatest leader and teacher, not entering Eretz Yisroel in reality is appointed to teach a supreme lesson that despite not entering Eretz Yisroel the place designated for spiritual achievement, he can attain great spiritual heights.
Moshe Rabeinu, you chose to act upon the undesignated stone, now you are appointed to teach this lesson for eternity to Klal Yisroel, that one must aim to achieve spiritual heights despite not having the availability of that place which was specifically ordained for that purpose. Accordingly all through the millennia of the dark galus there rose in Klal Yisroel giants in every area of avodas Hashem; a meaningful lesson for us.
Hashem should give us the ultimate of consolation by ending this galus through the coming of Moshiach. Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5766)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
The most important and significant of the Tisha B’Av Kinos is number eleven and it starts “Eicha Eli Konenu Me’ailav” ordained by Yirmiyahu HaNavi himself, lamenting the passing of Yoshiyahu HaMelech who fell into the hands of the Egyptian king Pharoh Necho while attempting to prevent him from passing through Eretz Yisroel. Yoshiyahu had successfully turned Klal Yisroel to HASHEM with inspiration compatible to Moshe Rabeinu. This teshuva truly merited victory over Pharoh Necho he reasoned. However, he got a red light from Yirmiyahu HaNavi, not knowing that secret pockets of avoda zara were hidden from him. The Navi said no.
Yoshiyahu wanted so much to make a Kiddush Hashem and demonstrate that the great teshuva would bring a huge victory. But the Navi said no. What a tragedy. Had this great king lived he could have saved Klal Yisroel from the Churban if he had he listened to the Navi. We must always obey our leaders.
Our Tisha B’Av tears, present and throughout the generations, of yearning for the Bais HaMikdash and the geula, helped to repair the damage of the uncalled for tears at the warped report of the spies.
On Shabbos our avoda of the week goes up. Our cries and tears should arise and bring the geula sh’layma.
We should “hold on” to the elevation we achieved during this inspiring period of the three weeks and not lose it through vacation and light-hearted levity. It should inspire our Elul to bring hatzala and yeshua to all Klal Yisroel
Have a wonderful Shabbos Nachamu.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5765)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
Following the reliving and remembrance of the Churban we are now to inspired to rebuild from the beginning pure and true. Divinely arranged, our sedra is exactly that; dealing with the essentials of our faith.
We yearn for Mashiach and the geula sh’layma, always when yearning to meet someone it happens…. Yearn for Mashiach!
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Vo’eschanan (5764)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
Our parsha is filled with an abundance of the foundations of our faith. After the greatest catastrophe of the churban Bais HaMikdash which we just commemorated, our parsha is very appropo since the only path of rebirth is reverting to the pure and accurate essence of our faith.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Vo’eschanan (5763)
By Mordechai Dolinsky
What ever we manage to gain from Bein HaMetzorim and Tisha B’Av despite the “lev even”—heart of stone, let us utilize to crystallize what we have to rectify and to revitalize our goals and life accomplishments. It is amazing that parshas Vo’eschanan is filled with the foundations of everything we stand for and have to accomplish. The fulfillment of the Torah is beautiful. If we are ever disappointed in it is a result of the lack of our consistency in its fulfillment—as is related in Rashi 4:9.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5762)
By Mordechai Dolinsky
In our parsha (6:4) we have a foundation of our whole faith and everything we stand for crystallized in a statement which was on the lips of multitudes of our brethren as they gave their lives for the glory of Hashem—”Shma Yisroel”. You would think that it deserves the utmost of fanfare, the epitome of spotlight and attention, the declaration of the foundation of foundations of our nation. The awesome lesson is that the kernel of truth, the greatest declaration of our belief is mentioned without the slightest hint of its awesome significance. The lesson is that the greatest truths are hidden. Shma Yisroel should be given a parsha for itself. “Alma DiShikra”—the world of hidden truth. Anyone so inspired to find the truth and devoted to finding the essence of our existence must disengage himself from popular mentality and search, and beg Hashem to show him the truth. This is the beginning of rectifying the Churban.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5761)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
If we tried to crystalize our whole ‘yahadus’, everything in the ‘nigleh’, the opened and obvious, and nistar, the holy secrets, and point to the pasuk that expresses the essence of everything, we have it our parsha. “Shma Yisroel Hashem Elokainu etc.”
The greatest perplexity is that this declaration deserves the utmost of our attention, focus and fanfare. It would be appropriate to commence the Chumash with this declaration or at the minimum put it in a place of honor with its deserving introductions with the royal, majestic respect that is coming to the most profoundly significant statement in the universe. Instead we find it sort of slipped in, so inconspicuously. The profound lesson is that Hashem, the Melech Malchei Hamlachim, the Creator of the whole universe, covers himself, and hides himself. Any human that wants Hashem must search and seek.
Hashem, reveal Yourself through the geulah sh’layma and Mashiach Tzidkainu.
Bs”d
Parshas Voeschanan (5760)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
Every letter in the Chumash is important and precious. I have found, however, that this Parsha is most inspiring and packed with basic foundations including the Shema and Matan Torah. The fact that it always comes out right after Tisha B’Av requires delving into.
Reb Yaakov Kaminetsky ztz”l stated an important concept. Whenever HaShem brings disaster to the world it is immediately followed by Heavenly blessings of special powers. Any enterprise that is undertaken is hooked up to this unusual abundance of energy that brings blessings of success. This explains why Noach was chastised for putting the cultivation and planting of vineyard as a foremost priority after having alighted from the Ark. At this time he was equipped with and availed of this blessing of enormous energy and power for anything he chose to apply himself to. It was indeed a great tragedy and waste to spend it on grape growing.
Who knows how much of the fact that there is a Yishuv in Eretz Yisroel today can be attributed to this special force. After the terrible suffering of the Holocaust, Klal Yisroel was blessed with this special power which could have been harnessed for anything. Likewise the upsurge of Yeshivos and Limud HaTorah in the world today can be attributed to this great force.
By observing Tisha B’Av we are not only commemorating the churbanos that took place, but every year it is a reoccurrence, as if the churban had occurred again. It is probable and logical to say we are likewise entitled to the awesome blessings following churban. Tisha B’Av every year is followed by a rebirth—the ability to rebuild in a new, right way, a special Divine gift with the power to accomplish this. We are building a new foundation upward and it is indeed in place to read from the Torah all the important basics; hence Parshas Voeschanan. Accordingly, the period after Tisha B’Av is one of the most fertile times in the year for intensive growth. We can see how the Satan has interfered by making this the most relaxed season and time when we are prone to spiritual falls from the various vacation situations.
The ideal structure as I picture it would be a spiritual overhaul and uplifting after Tisha B’Av. This would consequently lead us into an Elul that would be absolutely inspiring and rich, as Elul was really intended to be. This, in turn, will immensely affect our Rosh HaShanah that will bring a year of special blessings.
May we rejoice in the rebuilding of the Bais HaMikdash with the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.
sending...
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