English translation — וילך א

Sicha <pg>187</pg>

A.

In our parshah are explained the last two positive commandments¹

of the Torah — the commandment of Hakhel

("At the end of seven years etc. when all Israel etc. gather the people etc.")²

and the commandment of writing a Torah scroll

("And now write for yourselves etc.")³.

And according to the known⁴

that "the order in the Torah — it is Torah",

one must say,

that this that these two commandments were not said until close to

(the day of)

the death of Moses,

it is precisely and "it is Torah" — and seemingly this matter requires explanation: why did the text wait with these two commandments until the end of the Torah⁵?

And now according to the simple explanation, this question is only regarding the commandment of Hakhel — because in the simple sense of the verse,

the verse "And now write for yourselves this song" does not speak of writing a Torah scroll but refers to the song of Haazinu⁶

; and this song belongs specifically to the end of Moses' days,

as the word of God⁷

"Behold you lie with your fathers and this people will rise up and stray etc. and My anger will burn etc. And now write for yourselves this song etc. so that it may be...

as a witness etc. when I bring them to the land etc. and it will be when they encounter etc. and this song will answer before them as a witness etc." — behold that all

(the content)

of the song of Haazinu is — that it be "as a witness" for the children of Israel when they cross the Jordan.

However, regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel,

even though the fulfillment of this mitzvah is also only in the Holy Temple⁸,

behold there is no reason,

apparently,

that it should be said to Bnei Yisrael specifically in immediate proximity to the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu — for behold many mitzvot were commanded to Israel,

and especially in Mishneh Torah⁹,

whose fulfillment is only in Eretz Yisrael after they will cross the Jordan and in the Beis HaMikdash and the like.

And since the time of this mitzvah is "at the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the year of Shemittah",

its place is apparently in continuation of the mitzvah of Shemittah

(in Parshat Behar or at least in Parshat Re'eh¹⁰).

<pg>188</pg>

At first glance it is possible to answer,

that in the mitzvah of Hakhel it is said "You shall read this Torah before all of Israel",

that the king reads "from the beginning of these words"¹¹,

and since "this Torah" was not completed in its writing until close to the death of Moses¹²,

therefore there is no place to command regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel until then.

But this is a forced answer,

because this matter

(which portions are read by the king)

is only one detail of this mitzvah,

and it is difficult to say that

(only)

because of this the saying of this mitzvah to Israel will be delayed until after the saying of all the other mitzvot of the Torah¹³.

2.

And we must explain this

(according to the simple explanation)

:

According to the simple meaning of the verse,

the commandment of Hakhel is part of Moshe's words to Yehoshua,

in continuation of his words to him regarding the entry into the land — "for¹⁴

you will bring this people to the land which He swore etc.",

that following this he commanded him regarding the commandment of Hakhel — "you shall read¹⁵

this Torah etc. assemble the people etc.".

That is,

within the words of the command to Yehoshua concerning the conquest and settlement of the land etc.,

he urged him regarding the observance of Torah and mitzvos when they cross the Jordan,

that specifically through this will Bnei Yisrael have permanence in the land,

and following this comes the mitzvah of Hakhel,

that in order for Yisrael to endure in the land etc.,

Yehoshua needs¹⁶

(and likewise the kings¹⁷

after him)

to read this Torah in the ears of the people,

"in order that¹⁸

they hear..

they learn etc. and their children etc. hear and learn to fear Hashem, your G-d, all the days that you live on the land which you cross the Jordan there to possess it."

And it is resolved simply why this is said only here,

because this mitzvah was stated in the style

(and it is similar to)

a command and directive to Yehoshua,

in the manner of his conduct upon his entry into the land.

And therefore this commandment was not stated in continuation of the commandments of Shemittah,

that then it is a detail in the commandments of Shemittah at Mount Sinai at the beginning of the forty years,

but rather it was stated here to emphasize its significance — a charge and instruction in the desired conduct of the children of Israel after their settlement in the Land of Israel.

And one should not raise a difficulty that also the commandment of Shemittah its significance is that through it Israel will be sustained in the land,

and as emphasized in the admonition that for the sin of Shemittah Israel were exiled from their land¹⁹

—

For it is divided, and especially the mitzvah of Shemittah from the mitzvah of Hakhel: The mitzvah of Shemittah is a mitzvah

individual,

the mitzvah of the individual that each one must fulfill in his own field,

and also if you say that it is

(also)

a communal mitzvah,

after all, the mitzvah of Shemittah is only an individual mitzvah that is fulfilled in the Land;

But not so the mitzvah of Hakhel, which is a most general mitzvah — "and they will learn to fear G‑d etc.

(and until)

all the days etc.",

that is, that it brings about the fulfillment of all the mitzvos and all the days,

and it depends on the king who conquers the land,

in the manner of the conquest of Joshua.

3.

And now all this is according to the simple meaning of the verse,

that

(a)

the verse "And now write for yourselves etc." does not speak of the mitzvah of writing a Torah scroll, but rather of writing the song of Haazinu,

(b)

the mitzvah of Hakhel comes in continuation of the words of the command to Joshua regarding the coming and conquest of the land etc.

However, according to the halacha, clarification is needed regarding the commandment of writing a Sefer Torah

(for from the verse "And now write for yourselves etc." we derive the commandment of writing a Sefer Torah,

as above),

and also regarding the commandment of Hakhel, the above-mentioned answer

(that it is a matter of a command to Joshua)

is insufficient,

and especially according to the opinions that the commandment of Hakhel is not specifically a king's commandment²⁰.

And one may say regarding this, with an introduction to the words of the Rambam²¹

concerning the commandment of Hakhel: "They are obligated²²

to prepare their hearts and incline their ears to listen with awe and fear and joy with trembling²³

as on the day it was given at Sinai; even great scholars who know the entire Torah are obligated to listen with great and intense concentration, and one who cannot hear should direct his heart to this reading, which the Scripture established only to strengthen the true religion, and consider himself as if he is now commanded in it and hears it from the Almighty, for the king is an agent to make heard the words of God."

And based on this, the reason is understood that the commandment was said at the end of forty years, close to and before their entry into the land,

and not together with the rest of the commandments of the Torah

(those dependent on the land)

— because this commandment is different in its definition from the rest of the commandments dependent on the land: regarding these other commandments,

the condition among them that entry into the land is only a condition of the place and time of their obligation

(that they are not obligated in them in the desert, only upon their entry into the land, etc.)

; but not so the commandment of Hakhel,

behold, that its obligation is specifically in the land,

is a part of the essence of the commandment,

that when the children of Israel go out from the desert&lt;pg&gt;190&lt;/pg&gt;

Sinai — the place where they received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty to another place that is completely different; and likewise they pass from the leadership of Moses

(who received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty)

to the leadership of Joshua — there must be for them

(from time to time)

a semblance of the standing in which it was given at Sinai: "Gather the people, the men, the women, and the children, and your stranger,"

to strengthen them and to spur them in the commandments of the Torah.

And based on this, one can say

(similar to this)

also regarding the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah,

that is explicit in it²⁴

"He who writes it — Scripture credits him as if he received it from Mount Sinai",

and it is brought as halacha in the Rambam²⁵

regarding the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah.

For this is

(the essence)

of the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah in its completeness,

that even those who were not physically at Mount Sinai at the time of the giving of the Torah,

there will be for them a semblance of the giving of the Torah.

Therefore this mitzvah was stated in proximity to their departure from the desert and the carrying of Moses.

D.

And one must explain the reason that there are two mitzvot so that there will always be a semblance of the giving of the Torah at Sinai:

At the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai there were

(in general)

two things: a)

receiving the Torah in its essence

(its study),

b)

receiving the commandments²⁶.

And it can be said,

that these two commandments correspond to these two matters: the commandment of Hakhel — its subject is receiving the commandments of the Torah,

and the commandment of writing a Torah scroll — it is

(primarily)

for the sake of Torah study²⁷.

And as explained in the verse, the content of the mitzvah of Hakhel is "in order that they hear and in order that they learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this Torah, and their children who do not know will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God all the days etc." — meaning that the main emphasis is on fear of God which leads to the performance of the commandments; in contrast, the content of the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah is "And now write etc. and teach it to the children of Israel, place it in their mouths,"

that the purpose of the writing is — the study²⁸.

And this distinction between these two mitzvos — we find also in halachah,

and there is even a practical difference from this:

Regarding the mitzvah and matter of Hakhel, the Rambam wrote²⁹

"It is a positive commandment to assemble all Israel, men, women, and children, etc., and to read in their ears from the Torah portions that encourage them in the mitzvos and strengthen their hands in the true religion,"

And this means that this entire great and holy gathering is not

(so much)

for the sake of Torah study

(the study of these portions),

but for the sake of strengthening and encouragement in the fulfillment of the mitzvos.

And it can be said that this is the reason for what the Rambam wrote in the continuation of the matter,

that everyone

(even those who do not recognize, etc.)

"are obligated to prepare their hearts and incline their ears to listen with awe and fear and joy with trembling..

Even great scholars who know the entire Torah are obligated to listen with great concentration, etc., and one who cannot hear, etc., the Scripture only established it to strengthen the true religion, etc., from the mouth of the Almighty they hear it" — because the purpose is not the study,

but rather the acceptance of the yoke of mitzvos.

And also this, that the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah, its purpose is the study — relates to the law,

and as the Rosh wrote³⁰

<pg>191</pg>

that the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah which was upon each and every one "in the early generations who would write a Sefer Torah and study in it,

but nowadays that they write a Sefer Torah and place it in synagogues to read in it in public, it is a positive commandment upon every Jewish man whose hand reaches to write Chumashim of the Torah and Mishnah and Gemara and commentaries to ponder in them, he and his children,

for the mitzvah of writing the Torah is to study in it, as it is written 'and you shall teach it to the children of Israel, place it in their mouths,' and through the Gemara and the commentary he will know the explanation of the commandments and the laws clearly, therefore they are the books that a person is commanded to write them"³¹.

5.

Based on this, another difference between these two commandments will be understood — that the commandment of writing a Sefer Torah is a commandment of the individual,

in the language of the Rambam³²

"It is a positive commandment upon every man³³

from Israel to write a Sefer Torah for himself",

whereas the commandment of Hakhel pertains to the entire community³⁴,

this is the content of the commandment — "Assemble the people".

And one must explain this difference in accordance with what was stated above,

that the commandment of writing a Sefer Torah has as its purpose the study of Torah,

and the commandment of Hakhel — acceptance of the yoke of commandments:

The study of Torah is not equal among all of Israel,

for in addition to the difference in the manner of fulfilling this commandment — that there is one who fulfills his obligation only through study in the manner of "and you shall meditate in it day and night" literally,

and there is one who fulfills his obligation with one verse in the morning and one verse in the evening

(as explained in the laws of Talmud Torah³⁵),

so also in the comprehension of the Torah they are different from one another,

that each one understands according to his level etc. — and therefore the commandment of writing a Sefer Torah,

which is connected to the study and comprehension of the Torah,

is a commandment upon each and every individual by himself;

but not so regarding the performance of the commandments, for "one Torah and one law for all of us in the fulfillment of the entire Torah and commandments in the aspect of action"³⁶

; and likewise regarding the matter of accepting the yoke of commandments — the fear that brings to the performance of the commandments

("and they shall fear ... and they shall observe to do ...")

— for the acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven is above division and is equal for every soul — and therefore,

also the commandment of Hakhel,

whose purpose is to arouse Israel to fear of God and observance of the commandments,

is an obligation of the community,

which includes all the people of Israel equally.

[And we find these two matters in the Giving of the Torah itself — that the entirety of the standing at Mount Sinai was for all of Israel as one,

specifically at once,

in the singular³⁷

<pg>192</pg>

(And our Sages said³⁸

that “if Israel were missing even one person” they would not have merited the Giving of the Torah),

and on the other hand our Sages said³⁹

that one of the reasons that the Ten Commandments were stated in the singular — is because they were stated to each and every individual by himself.

And one could say,

that these two matters in the manner of the giving of the Torah correspond to the two matters that were given at Matan Torah: the giving of the Torah and the commandments to Israel in a manner equal to all — and from this side, Matan Torah includes the particulars of all of Israel as one entity; unlike the study of Torah that was given at Matan Torah,

it is in each one according to his level].

6.

And behold, the reason and the need that from time to time

(every seven years⁴⁰)

they need to relive

(relive)

the event of Mount Sinai in Hakhel,

and also that each one is obligated to write a Sefer Torah so that it will be "as if he received it from Mount Sinai"

— Even though all souls were at the time of the Giving of the Torah⁴¹

as it is written⁴²

"Those who are here with us..

and those who are not here with us",

and we were also commanded "Only⁴³

take heed to yourself and guard your soul very much, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children and your children's children, the day you stood before the L-rd your G-d at Horeb"⁴⁴

—

It is because the main innovation of the event of Mount Sinai and the Giving of the Torah was not in the study of Torah and hearing the commandments of G-d,

and especially that this was also before the Giving of the Torah by the Patriarchs etc.,

rather the innovation was that then it was in a manner of seeing,

as it is written "And all⁴⁵

the people saw the sounds etc. You⁴⁶

saw etc.",

"Show us⁴⁷

the L-rd our G-d Your glory etc.",

and this was "in order that

(for specifically through this one comes to the perfection which)

His fear be upon your faces, that you may not sin"⁴⁸.

And as is known⁴⁹

that hearing is not comparable to seeing⁵⁰,

for hearing is from afar

(and therefore it can grasp only a spiritual thing like sound and the like,

and is grasped only by hearing — understanding and comprehension,

the spirituality of man),

but seeing is from near

(and therefore seeing grasps a physical thing,

and also affects the physicality of his body until the thing seen is actualized in the seer),

and so it was at the Giving of the Torah,

that "all the people see the sounds" — they see the audible⁵¹,

and therefore it was actualized for each and every one of Israel that "I am the Lord your God" etc.

And it can be said that this is the reason that in order for the generation after the generation of the Giving of the Torah and the coming generations to "fear the Lord your God and keep to do all the words of this Torah" — remembering the event of Mount Sinai is not sufficient — that one remembers a thing that was in the past,

for then the person is at a distance from the thing; rather there must be a special matter,

the commandment of Hakhel,

that all Israel,

men, women, and children,

gather together as at the event of Mount Sinai "and he will see himself<pg>193</pg>

as if now commanded in it and from the mouth of the Almighty hears it, that the king is an agent to make heard the words of G-d.

And so it is in the commandment of writing a Sefer Torah,

that specifically when he writes it himself,

that he acts in himself and in his action,

then it is "as if he received it from Mount Sinai",

in the manner of the proof of the Giving of the Torah that

(also)

the physical body of the person — was with awe and fear and trembling and sweat⁵².

7.

Even though in this time,

when there is no Holy Temple, the mitzvah of Hakhel is not in its simple form,

it is understood,

that just as it is with all matters dependent on the Temple

(sacrifices etc.)

— that spiritually they exist also now,

and as our Sages said⁵³

prayer in place of sacrifices they instituted,

there exists a parallel to this⁵⁴

in the mitzvah of Hakhel⁵⁵.

That through the addition and strengthening in this awakening that each one does — by gathering men, women, and children who belong to him,

and awakening them regarding the study of Torah and fulfillment of the commandments,

and in general — "to fear the Lord your God",

this effects in those gathered — "they are reminded and they do" — to fear all the days as if now they were commanded in it from the mouth of the Almighty with the force of the vision at the Giving of the Torah,

And that this hastens and speeds the fulfillment of the prophecy, and may our eyes see Your return to Zion with mercy and to Jerusalem, the house of Your Sanctuary, the third Holy Temple,

with the coming of "the King Messiah" who will read this Torah,

in the true and complete redemption,

and speedily in our very own days.

(From the talk of Shabbat Parshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5733)