English translation — וילך

A.

On the verse¹

"I am one hundred and twenty years old today, I can no longer go out and come in," say Chazal²,

that this means

(not "go out and come in literally" because ,

his strength weakened"³,

but)

— "to go out and come in in matters of Torah.

It teaches that the gates of wisdom were sealed from him."

The teaching is brought in Rashi's commentary on the Torah⁴,

only — with a change of language: instead of "gates of wisdom",

the language in Rashi is — "traditions and wellsprings of wisdom."

the "Ein Yaakov"²

(and similarly in several early authorities⁵)

the reading is brought

(in the Gemara)

"Ma'ayanot" instead of "She'arim"; and in the Tanchuma

(section Va'etchanan⁶)

the reading is "M'soret Chochmah".

But,

in addition to this, one needs an explanation why Rashi does not bring the common reading

(She'arim of Chochmah)⁷

— is further and primarily: one does not find in

Somewhere

(In the Midrashim of Chazal before us)

When it should bring both versions

("Traditions and springs",

also not "Traditions and gates")

— and Rashi combines both versions together⁸

Also it is not understood: as discussed several times⁹

it is not the subject of Rashi on the Torah to copy the teachings of Chazal exactly in their language — and accordingly in our matter: why does Rashi bring the language "Traditions and springs of wisdom" — and does not say a usual language

(And with which Rashi himself begins his commentary — "to go out and to come in

In words of Torah)

— "that were hidden<sup>10</sup>

from him words of Torah"<sup>11</sup>?

B.

And one may say,

Then Rashi brings with it a simple question

(In worldly language: a "blunt difficulty"),

that I have not yet found that one should address this:

As one says,

"I can no longer go out and come in with words of Torah" — at a time when right after that Moshe Rabbeinu transmitted to the Jews a multitude of matters of Torah — the three sidrot Vayelech, Haazinu, and Vezot Haberachah?

(as also brought in Rashi¹⁴)

whether Yehoshua wrote them,

or "Moshe wrote¹⁵

with tears";

But regarding the portion of Vayelech,

Haazinu and Vezos Haberachah

(until the last eight verses)

there is no one who disputes that Moshe

(said them and)

wrote [them].

And one cannot answer that by "divrei Torah" is meant only matters of halachah¹⁶

— because

(in addition to the fact that it is a great difficulty to say that matters from the Written Torah are not included in

The principle of "words of Torah" — is still and essential:)

In these portions there are also laws

(the mitzvah of Hakhel<sup>17</sup>,

writing a Sefer Torah<sup>18</sup>

and others<sup>19</sup>).

Moreover: every word of the Written Torah was given to Moses with its explanation<sup>20</sup>

in the Oral Torah<sup>21</sup>

(because specifically through this can one know clearly the intention of the Written Torah<sup>22</sup>,

as understood simply)

: and since also the three portions

(Vayelech,

Haazinu and Berachah)

were transmitted to the Jews through Moses our teacher,

he therefore transmitted them as what is necessary for understanding these portions — th.

e.

also the explanation of the portions from the Oral Torah.

— So how does one say "I can no longer go out and come in with words of Torah"?

Therefore Rashi adds "that the traditions and the wellsprings of wisdom were sealed from him" — regarding the two matters

("traditions" and "wellsprings of wisdom")

It remains to say that they were not included in the "words of Torah" that Moses our teacher taught with the Jews in the three portions.

As follows.

3.

The translation of the word "mesoros" is — the matters which were transmitted

to Moshe from Sinai orally²³,

and it is explained that specifically those which do not have even a hint in the Written Torah²⁴

"The Torah is mostly written and a minority oral",

and as Rashi explains it: mostly written,

most of the Torah depends on the midrash etc. of the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded.

And its minority is oral,

that there is no hint to learn it in the Torah, but to Moses it was said orally]

"The boldness of wisdom" means

(Not the bodies of laws of the Oral Torah,

but)

— the dialectic of Torah

(And it is analogous to a "spring",

in the language of the Mishnah<sup>26</sup>

"A spring that overpowers")

— that for the dialectic of Torah there is no boundary

(In the language of the verse<sup>27</sup>

"It is longer than the earth in measure and wider than the sea"),

and as is seen empirically:

And from this it is understandable

(and simply),

that in the "words of Torah" that Moshe Rabbeinu learned with Jews

(even in the interpretation of the Oral Torah)

were included only the main halachos and interpretations etc. of the Oral Torah,

but not pilpula deOraisa

(which has no limit).

And accordingly, according to the statement of the Gemara²⁸,

that pilpula deOraisa "was not given ...

except to Moshe and his seed" but "Moshe acted with a generous eye and gave it to Israel" — it is understood,

that even without pilpula deOraisa the "words of Torah" that Bnei Yisrael received from Moshe are a "complete thing"²⁹].

And based on this it is understandable how there is no contradiction,

that even though "the traditions and springs of wisdom were sealed from us,"

nevertheless Moshe Rabbeinu transmitted to Yisrael the three sedarot in their completeness — both the parshiyot themselves

(the Written Torah)

and also their explanation

(the Oral Torah)

their actual explanation — because the "traditions" were from the outset not connected to the parshiyot

(written)

themselves*²⁹

; and regarding the "springs"³⁰

(pilpula de'oraita)

is

there is no necessity that Moshe must teach the matters to Bnei Yisrael,

as above.

And therefore Rashi does not write in the plain meaning of Scripture the phrase "gates of wisdom",

which has no connection to the distinctions and content mentioned above].

And based on this, it can be explained why Rashi is precise to bring also the word "

(springs)

of wisdom" — and does not say "

(springs)

of the Torah" — to emphasize,

that the "springs" are not necessary for the matter of Torah and instruction

(because then Moses would have had to learn with the Jews)²⁹,

but it is a ?

addition of

(supplement)

wisdom that is in the Torah³¹.

4.

At first glance, however, it is still not smooth:

The reason of "the traditions and sources of wisdom were sealed from us" comes indeed as a reason for "I can no longer go out and come in [in] matters of Torah",

which means

(not the study itself,

but)

the study with the children of Israel.

It is not understood: Granted, regarding "traditions" it is understood,

that if the "traditions" of the Torah were sealed from Moshe, he cannot go out and come in,

he being the one who transmits Torah to Jews

(because Jews must also know the "traditions")

But regarding "the wellsprings of wisdom",

since their study is not necessary for the children of Israel

(as above)

— how is it fitting to say that because of that which "were sealed from him ...

the wellsprings of wisdom" is "I can no longer go out and come in — to Jews — in matters of Torah"?

why did the Omnipresent make that there should be hidden from Moses also the "wellsprings of wisdom"?

And also: because of what does Rashi need to bring?]³².

And one must say the explanation in this: from this itself that it became hidden in a part of his Torah — although it could be that it would not change his influence upon Jews — is a sign,

that his going out and coming in to Bnei Yisrael had ended,

his leadership,

and the time had come for Yehoshua to become the leader of Israel³³.

And on a deeper level:

It is known what Chazal say³⁴

— brought down in Rashi on the Torah³⁵

— that "the face of Moshe is like the sun³⁶

the face of Yehoshua is like the moon."

One of the differences between the light of the sun and the light of the moon is,

that the

The light of the moon always stands in a state of changes,

ascents and descents; not so in the light of the sun there is no change.

And this is one of the reasons why Moses is compared specifically to the sun — because the attribute of Moses is the attribute of truth³⁷,

whose essence is — without change³⁸,

so,

that in the "light" of Moses there is no matter of change³⁹.

Therefore,

when Moses our teacher perceived that "were sealed from him ..

the springs of wisdom" — there became a "sealing"

(and change)

in his "light" — this itself is a proof that there was touched the essence of his light — the going out and coming in of Moses;

And therefore there is no difference in which matter the change occurred

("were sealed from him")

— even if it is in a matter that seemingly does not affect his influence to Bnei Yisrael — the very essence of the change is already a proof that the time of changes had come,

the time for "the face of Yehoshua like the moon"

(a light of changes).

5.

from the matter

(as it is by Moshe)

also becomes a lesson in the service of every Jew

the Faithful Shepherd

(Moshe Rabbeinu)

— is however from the aspect that "every single soul from the house of Israel has in it from the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him"⁴¹,

can every Jew attain "the edge of it and a trace of it"⁴⁰].

And one must say,

that this is the content of the statement of our Sages⁴²

"Whoever forgets one thing from his study, Scripture considers it as if he is liable for his life."

At first glance,

why should such a severe punishment come solely because of that which he forgot "one thing from his study"

(and it is possible that he remembers the entire Torah except for that "one thing")?

One of the explanations in this is: By a Jew, words of Torah must be engraved in his very essence,

until in a manner that every word of Torah touches his very essence.

the very occurrence of "forgetting one thing from his study" — whatever amount that he forgot — must effect a break in his very essence,

"as if⁴³

he is liable for his life."

And likewise is regarding time — that every moment of his life must be connected with Torah.

And therefore,

And therefore,

when a Jew is, heaven forbid, nullifying Torah,

even one moment when

“Perhaps

(to him)

to engage in Torah

(is)..

shall surely be cut off”<sup>44</sup>

— it touches his very existence.

Because here the quantity of time that he missed to learn is not effective,

but the very thing that a moment passed when he was not connected with Torah.

And so it is regarding all matters of Judaism: by a Jew, the matter of divine service must be engraved in his existence,

so that the smallest matter of divine service — even a minor detail of a rabbinic decree or even a Jewish custom —

must affect him like his own soul,

until if he lacks, heaven forbid, even "one thing"

(and a very light thing)

causes a break in his entire essence.

And this itself brings him to add in the service of Hashem,

and in a manner that he feels that every good matter that he does adds to his essential vitality,

attachment to the Life-giver⁴⁵,

source of life — "And you⁴⁶

who cleave to Hashem your God are all alive today".

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Vayeilech 5726)