English translation — וזאת הברכה ב

1.

It stands in the Rambam¹

(taken from Mishnah and Gemara²),

that on every Yom Tov one reads "about the festival",

because "Moshe instituted for Israel that they should read on every festival its subject".

And in continuation of this law he says further "And what do they read",

and he lists which portion one reads on each Yom Tov.

And when enumerating the readings of Sukkot,

he says: "And on the last festival day one reads 'Kol HaBechor' ..

And the next day³

one reads 'Vezot HaBerachah'".

Is from this understandable,

that that which one reads "Vezot Haberachah" on the second day of Shemini Atzeret,

is it

or "in order to juxtapose the joy of the Torah that they merited to complete it to the joy of the festival"⁵,

or "in order to juxtapose the blessing of the king

(Shlomo)

to the blessing of Moshe"⁶

(which these are side reasons),

but]

Because the portion is "about the festival"⁷.

One must understand: what is the connection

(in a hint at least)

of the portion of "Vezot Haberachah" to the <b>matter</b> of Shemini Atzeret?

2.

Regarding the offerings of Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret, the Gemara says⁸,

that the seventy bulls that are offered on Sukkot are "corresponding to the seventy nations" and the "single bull" that is offered on Shmini Atzeret is "corresponding to the unique nation."

That is,

that the essence of Shmini Atzeret is,

that in it is expressed and revealed how Jews are distinguished <b>completely</b><b>⁹</b>

from all the nations — "a unique nation."

And based on this, one could explain the connection of "Vezot Haberachah" to Shmini Atzeret

— because also at the beginning and head of the order

(after the introduction

(from the first verse)

"Vezot Haberachah which Moshe blessed etc. before his death")

it is recounted,

that the Most High, as it were, offered the Torah to the children of Seir and the children of Ishmael

- who are the entirety of all the seventy nations,

as the language in the Gemara

"that He went around to every nation and tongue" — and they did not want to accept the Torah,

and only Jews are the "unique nation" who accepted the Torah.

But the explanation is not sufficient: the distinction between Jews and the nations of the world that arose at the time of the Giving of the Torah,

is indeed relevant to Shavuot more than to Shmini Atzeret — one can therefore not say,

that "Hashem came from Sinai etc." is the "subject of the festival" of Shmini Atzeret.

3.

It will be understood by prefacing what is in the conclusion and seal of the sedra — that everything follows the conclusion¹⁵

— the Torah enumerates several good qualities and praises of Moshe Rabbeinu,

and the verse concludes "which Moshe did before the eyes of all Israel",

which refers to the breaking of the tablets¹⁶.

It immediately becomes difficult: the breaking of the tablets is indeed an undesirable matter

(to the extent that when one wishes to marvel at the opposite of good which is in the death of the righteous, they say that it is as difficult as the day on which the tablets were broken¹⁷),

now why is this counted among the virtues and praises of Moshe?

— Rashi notes this and adds "and the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with his opinion, as it is said¹⁸

which you broke — may your strength be confirmed for having broken [them]".

It is, however, not understandable: Moshe broke the tablets because of the fact that he made a kal vachomer "And what about Pesach, which is one of the 613 mitzvos, the Torah said&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;

And no foreigner shall eat of it,

the entire Torah here and Yisrael are apostates,

all the more so"&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;.

It turns out,

that the praise of Moshe in breaking the tablets consists in that he took up the honor of the &lt;b&gt;Torah&lt;/b&gt;

(that he did not want to give it to "apostates"),

but regarding &lt;b&gt;Yidden&lt;/b&gt; — he, with his breaking of the tablets, apparently expressed their &lt;b&gt;opposite&lt;/b&gt; of the virtue etc.,

So how does it come that the conclusion and seal of the parshah "Vezos Haberachah" — whose subject is "which Moshe blessed etc. the children of Yisrael"

(and as an introduction to this Moshe mentioned the &lt;b&gt;merit&lt;/b&gt; of Yisrael&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;

that they were the only ones to receive the Torah)

— is with a matter of the opposite of the virtue of Yisrael,

and especially with the matter of the breaking of the tablets which came because of the fact that Yidden were then "&lt;b&gt;apostates&lt;/b&gt;" and not worthy of Torah?

In addition to the above

(the question — what place does the breaking of the tablets have in <b>"Vezot Haberachah"</b>),

is also not understandable,

that "before the eyes of all Israel" is the conclusion and seal of the entire Written Torah.

At first glance: the matter of Torah is indeed "speak to <b>the children of Israel</b>"²²

which also proves that it preceded even the Torah²³,

how does it come²⁴

that the Torah should conclude with a matter of: 1)

the opposite of the praise of Israel,

2)

breaking the tablets of "the word of the Lord to all your congregation"?

Therefore one must say*²⁴,

that the virtue of Moses in the breaking of the tablets — which, from the perspective of that virtue, the Almighty said to him "May your strength be true that you broke" — is a virtue also regarding Jews,

as follows.

4.

It will be understood with the introduction of what the "yashar koach" for breaking the tablets,

the Almighty gave to Moses

(not on the same day,

or on the morrow — immediately as Moses went back up on the mountain,

but)

forty days after the breaking of the tablets: when the Almighty said to him '"Hew for yourself [tablets]...",

only then did He say to him "the first tablets which you broke — yashar koach that you broke [them]".

And seemingly: why did He not say to him immediately "yashar koach"?

Even more wondrous in this: on the verse "which you broke²⁵

which was said forty days after the breaking of the tablets,

as above,

Rashi does <b>not</b> explain "yashar koach that you broke [them]",

but at the conclusion of the portion "And this is the blessing" said almost forty years later — there only does Rashi interpret that "which you broke"

(from <b>forty years before)</b>

means "yashar koach that you broke [them]".

And although in simple interpretation the reason for this is,

because the proof to explain it thus

(according to the simple approach)

Rashi [brought] only at the words "before the eyes of all Israel²⁶

— but since all matters of Torah are precise,

from this itself it is understood,

that the "well done" that the Almighty gave to Moses at the time of saying "Carve for yourself",

was only <b>revealed</b> at the time of "And Moses went up etc. to Mount Nebo etc.".

5.

And the explanation of this is:

Regarding the sin of the Golden Calf, the Gemara says²⁷

"Israel did not make the Calf except to give an opening for penitents",

so that which <b>the Almighty</b> made that the evil inclination could dominate Jews and persuade them to make the Calf,

it is because of the elevation that came about²⁸

in repentance

(nullification of the sin — until the person becomes in a higher level²⁹

than before the sin)

which came out through this.

From this it is understandable also regarding the breaking of the tablets — the cause of the sin of the Calf — that the reason thereof

(in inwardness)

is,

in order that through this there should come an elevation — an elevation in

(Torah,)

the tablets

(opposite of the breaking — until even higher than the tablets which you broke),

the second tablets,

which are "double for wisdom" relative to the first tablets³⁰

that also the intention of Moshe Rabbeinu at the breaking of the tablets,

making the kal vachomer that since "Yisrael are apostates" one cannot give them the Torah,

was

(not only for the sake of preventing the honor of the Torah,

but also)

in order to effect upon Jews that they should do teshuvah.

And like the parable of the son

who behaves not as it ought to be,

until that "his father pushes him out of his house and says to him that he is not his father" — that through this specifically is revealed the love of the son for his father,

until he cries out in bitterness of his soul "that he does not want to separate from his father in any way,

and all the more so when he will not be called by his father's name."

And based on this, the precision is understood: "and I broke them &lt;b&gt;before your eyes&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

— and as the verse also emphasizes at the conclusion of our portion: "&lt;b&gt;before the eyes&lt;/b&gt; of all Israel" — because the virtue and praise of Moses in breaking the tablets consisted in that "his heart moved him to break the tablets &lt;b&gt;before their eyes&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;,

which &lt;b&gt;this&lt;/b&gt; caused them to repent].

And with this it is also explained how the day of the seventeenth of Tammuz,

the day of the breaking of the tablets&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;,

will be turned into joy and gladness&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;

Now,

when one sees how the breaking of the tablets brought about that "a nation and language rules over them",

the day of the breaking of the tablets is a fast day³⁵.

But not so in the future,

when then will be revealed <b>in completeness</b> the virtue of the repentance of Jews even for the sin of the calf,

which the repentance began³⁷

through "<b>And I broke them</b> before your eyes"

(and likewise — also the virtue of the second tablets³⁸),

then will the seventeenth of Tammuz, the day of the <b>breaking</b> of the tablets — be a day of joy and gladness.

And this is the reason why "May your strength be firm that you broke" is stated only at the command regarding the second tablets,

until that <b>in revelation</b>,

in the <b>plain meaning</b> of the verse

(the world of Action),

it emerges only at the conclusion of "And this is the blessing",

when the Most High showed to Moses our teacher "until the last day"³⁹

- because then specifically is revealed the elevation to which Jews have come through the breaking of the tablets.

6.

According to all the above, one will also understand the connection of the section "And this is the blessing" to the "matter of the festival" of Shemini Atzeret:

It stands in Chassidus⁴⁰,

that the reason for establishing "Simchat Torah" on this day of Shmini Atzeret — although seemingly Simchat Torah should have been on Shavuot,

the time of the giving of the Torah — is because of the fact that the joy of Simchat Torah is over the second tablets that were given on Yom Kippur

(whose joy is greater than the joy of the first tablets),

and Shmini Atzeret is the "last day after Yom Kippur"⁴¹.

It turns out,

that "before the eyes of all Israel" which brings out the superiority of the second tablets,

as above,

is the same concept as Simchat Torah.

But nevertheless the beginning of the reading of Simchat Torah "

(And this is the blessing etc.)

Hashem from Sinai came etc." which speaks about the first tablets — because also this concept has a connection to Simchat Torah,

as follows.

7.

The explanation in this:

The difference between tzaddikim

(aspect of the first tablets and the level of Bnei Yisrael then)

and baalei teshuvah

(aspect of the second tablets and the level of Bnei Yisrael then)

is,

that a tzaddik is his matter

(and his virtue)

that he conducts himself according to Torah.

But not so a baal teshuvah,

reaches higher than Torah⁴².

From this it is understandable,

that from the aspect of the first tablets, Jews are <b>recipients from</b> the Torah,

but from the aspect of the second tablets,

that the work of repentance awakens and reveals the root of the soul and the thought of Israel

(which <b>arose</b> in thought⁴³)

precedes the Torah*⁴³

— is higher than Torah,

Jews <b>influence into</b> the Torah.

And this is the connection of the beginning and end of the section "And this is the blessing" to Simchat Torah: In "Simchat Torah" there are two

(explanations and)

matters:

(a)

Jews rejoice with the Torah⁴⁴,

and through this one comes to a higher level,

(b)

Jews make the Torah rejoice⁴⁵.

And these are the two matters that are read on Simchat Torah: at the beginning — "Hashem came from Sinai, etc.",

that Jews receive the Torah and receive from Torah and rejoice with it; and afterwards one comes to the higher level — "before the eyes of all Israel",

that Jews are above Torah,

until they cause joy in Torah⁴⁶.

8.

The purpose of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah — the "end of all the festivals"⁴

— is that one should take along the power of all the festivals into the service of Torah and commandments throughout the entire year,

in the service of "and Jacob went on his way" — is also <b>the</b> matter hinted at in "before the eyes of all Israel":

When a Jew goes out into the world,

a world of concealment and hiding⁴⁷,

he can become frightened⁴⁸,

thinking: how do I have the strength to oppose the darkness of the world and do the service that is demanded of me?

— upon this comes the instruction,

that even in such a concealment and hiding as the breaking of the tablets, the Most High said "Yasher koach",

that a Jew has the power to make even from this an elevation,

until — even a higher elevation than was before the breaking,

and therefore also,

is immediately after "before the eyes of all Israel" one reads "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth": a Jew must know that he must not at all be impressed by the concealment and hiding of the world,

because as soon as Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one⁴⁹,

is in whatever state the world may be,

he has the power to "create" a new world⁵⁰,

such a world where "and every deed shall know that You have done it, etc. Hashem, God of Israel, King, and His kingdom rules over all"⁵¹.

(From sichos of Simchas Torah and Shabbos Bereishis 5711,

5731)