Parshat Vayelech/Shabbat Shuva 5769 - Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh · YNA Newsletter - Parshat Vayelech/Shabbat Shuva 5769 3 of 11 studying it is the continuum of events throughout thousands

YNA Newsletter - Parshat Vayelech/Shabbat Shuva 5769

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Parshat Vayelech/Shabbat Shuva 5769

In This Issue

Snapshot

Rav Nebenzahl onParshat Vayelech

Staff Dvar Torah by RavAryeh Varon, Shana BetRebbe

Alumni Dvar Torah byBenjy Leibowitz(5766-67)

Visitor Log, Mazal Tov's,Tehillim List

Snapshot

Rosh HaShana: An inspirational RoshHaShana with HaRav Yaacov Katz,Shlit"a leading the tefilot. Over 400students, alumni, and friends joinedthe davening which was held at arented hall at Yeshivat Porat Yosef.

Thursday (Tzom Gedaliah): TheYeshiva went to Ma'arat HaMachpeilato daven by the Kevrei Avot.

Rav Nebenzahl on Parshat Vayelech

HaRav Nebenzahl asks that his Divrei Torah are not read during Tefillah or theRabbi's sermon

HaRav Nebenzahl did not deliver his weekly sicha this week. The attached is achapter from the book Tit'haru, the English collection of HaRav Nebenzahl's sichotfor Yom Kippur. This sicha is based on Parshat Vayelech, often read, as this year,on Shabbat Shuva.

Zochreinu LeChaim: Remember Us for Life - For the True

Spiritual Life

Map of Faith

"Moshe spoke the words of this song into the ears of the entirecongregation of Israel, until their conclusion" (Devarim 31:30).

This song of Ha'azinu that Moshe taught the Jewish people was assigned a verycrucial role in the history of the Jewish people in particular and the world ingeneral. Those who explore the meaning of this song will be influenced to repent at

the end of days, as Hashem tells Moshe:

"This people will rise up and stray after the gods of the foreigners of the Land, intowhose midst it is coming, and it will forsake Me and annul My covenant that I havesealed with it... It shall be that when many evils and distresses come upon it, thenthis song shall speak up before it as a witness, for it shall not be forgotten from the


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mouth of its offspring" (Devarim 31:16, 21).

Ha'azinu will be like a reliable witness who speaks such obvious truth that there isno possibility of contradicting him. What will be his testimony from the witnessstand at the end of days? The song will testify that the terrible tragedies andatrocities that befell the Jewish Nation are not a result of coincidence. Everything,the song will say to Israel - the sin and its associated punishment - was foreseen

and foretold.

In the past we have wondered: apart from the lofty hidden messages in Ha'azinu,which we have not yet merited understanding (see Ramban 32:40), can we in anyway comprehend the rare, secret power of this song? What is in it that gives it the

ability to instill such a lesson into the heart of the Jewish people?

We answered that its uniqueness lies in the fact that it views all world eventstogether, as one comprehensive whole. Perhaps we can express it as follows: amessage as convincing as that of Ha'azinu was not available to the rebukers ofIsrael. The prophets went to great trouble to illustrate to the people thepunishment that awaited them if they did not follow the words of Hashem.Yirmiyahu even went to the outskirts of Yerushalayim with rods of wood around hisneck (as described in Yirmiyahu 27) for this purpose - all for naught. They did notheed the message. Why should they believe the prophet when his forecast totallycontradicted what they saw with their own eyes? Even when the prophets warnedthem, based on past experiences, that if they kept on sinning the tragedies thatbefell their forebears would happen to them too, they had so few examples to workwith that they could not successfully motivate the people. The collectiveexperiences were quite limited and were no match for the human heart armed withthe oft-quoted claim: "It will never happen to me." At the end of days, when all thelessons derived from events of world history accumulate, the sheer quantity ofincidents will produce a qualitative lesson. No argument will be able to withstandsuch a crushing and convincing message.

This is the meaning of the Torah's words:

"This song shall speak up before it as a witness" -

The song will speak for itself! All the warnings of the Torah and the prophets will beproven accurate beyond a shadow of doubt.

An atlas contains many maps, each pertaining to a particular topic. For example, amap of global rainfall highlights the annual rainfall in the various regions; aneconomic map shows the economic features of each area, and so on. Ha'azinu willeventually be revealed as the universal map of faith. It will not show changingborders or world wars. The theme that will clearly be spelled out in this map is that

throughout history, Hashem has ruled the world in accordance with His will.

Despite all that we have said lauding the great impact inherent in ParashatHa'azinu, we must keep in mind that it only effects those who heed its words(Ha'azinu means to listen). Even a wonder drug only heals those who take it andfollow the proper dosage! Merely keeping the medication in the house, keeping

Ha'azinu on the bookshelf, will have no effect on anyone, even at the end of days.

The Faith Formula

The one factor in Ha'azinu that will be unquestionably convincing to the person


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studying it is the continuum of events throughout thousands of years of history - itwill highlight the obvious connection between fulfillment of mitzvot and the

condition of the nation. Understanding Ha'azinu will bring one to belief in Hashem.

How can this be? If we can understand the "formula" of faith that is found betweenthe lines of the song, we can perhaps apply it to our own daily lives. One generallydefines emunah as believing in that which our physical senses are not able toperceive. To define true emunah, however, we must add another element to ourdefinition: just as we must believe what our eyes cannot see, we must alsosuspend belief in what our eyes do see! Is faith in Hashem the main contribution ofHa'azinu to our lives? Not necessarily, for until a hundred and fifty years ago, therewas hardly a Jew who lacked this belief. Even today, a vast majority of the Jewishpeople believes in Hashem. Not all believers observe His mitzvot, because theyattribute events in the world to external powers and forces. Through their eyes itseems that the president of a particular country decides their fate. Intellectually,although they believe in the existence of a Creator, His presence is not readilyapparent, and there are unfortunately many casualties in this struggle between

intellectual belief and physical vision.

The chiddush of Ha'azinu is that through this song, the nation will understand onceand for all that what occurs in this world is only in accordance with the will of theHidden Master of the Creation. There are no other forces, and we will all come to

acknowledge that what our eyes saw was merely an optical illusion.

Looking Through Rose-Colored Glasses

Total belief in Hashem, therefore, requires an initial understanding that our eyesare mere physical tools and what they see is not reliable enough to contradict ourbelief in Him That Is Hidden. If we are true to this understanding, and rather thanmaking our senses the basis for our belief, we make our belief the basis for whatour senses perceive, we will have forged a new road for ourselves. A personutilizing the physical eye to strengthen belief in the spiritual, who succeeds indirecting his eyes to make clear spiritual observations and distinctions, will use hisvision to strengthen his belief. To use a colloquial expression: He who wears

rose-colored glasses has a rosy view of the world.

This is how the Rambam begins his Mishnah Torah (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah). Inthe first chapter he lays down the foundation for an intellectual perception ofHashem. It is not until one reaches the second chapter, after absorbing theprinciples of the first chapter, that he learns to use his eyes to view the wonders ofcreation as a means of achieving love of Hashem. Only once there is a strongfoundation of belief can we say:

"The heavens declare the glory of G-d, and the firmament tells of His handiwork"

(Tehillim 19:2).

The Eyes and the Heart Work In Tandem

We must emphasize that our eyes alone are not to blame for our lack of properbelief. There is another factor that causes our eyes to view what is happeningpurely in physical terms devoid of any emunah - to use the metaphor cited above,it places "black glasses" upon the eyes - the guilty party is the heart. The hearttends to ignore the presence of the Creator, because acknowledging a Creatorwould necessitate suppressing its physical desires. The "direct employer" of theeyes, therefore, is the heart, which gives them the will to be free of all rules and


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regulations, and to do as they desire.

Does this sound like a novel idea? You must realize that this is what we recite twicedaily:

"And you shall not explore after your heart and after your eyes, after which youstray"

(Bemidbar 15:39 - last paragraph of Keriat Shema).

We usually understand this pasuk to be referring to viewing illicit behavior. Chazalwent further:

"'And you shall not explore after your heart'- this is apostasy, 'and after your eyesafter which you stray' - this is thinking of sinning" (Berachot 12b).

Why are there two derivations from this pasuk? If the pasuk had only beenreferring to gazing at forbidden sights, the "eyes" should have been mentionedbefore the "heart" for that is the natural order of events - the eyes see and thenthe heart covets. The Torah begins by warning us about the heart, because theheart is what causes our eyes to wander and be misled! The Torah is warning us,"Take care not to follow the dictates of the heart." Why?

"So that you may remember and perform all My commandments" (Bemidbar

15:40).

If the heart leads the eyes to view the world from a physical, material viewpoint,we should not be surprised that the information that the eyes provide is infectedwith heresy. Let us not forget that the section of the Torah from which we havejust quoted (Parashat Tzitzit) which warns us against the damage our hearts andeyes can cause, comes on the heels of the Torah's narrative of the spies. Thisjuxtaposition, Chazal tell us, is because their eyes saw what their hearts told them

to see (see Sotah 35a).

We therefore need to have a realistic view of events. The true reality is not whatour eyes see. Our eyes view an order of reality known as nature - which Hashemgave us for our own good, so there could be some semblance of order in our lives.We need to know that to heat water we must place it on the fire, and to cool itdown we must put it in the refrigerator. This in no way implies that fire has thepower to heat things and that ice has the power to cool them. These are simplyrules that were created for our convenience, and they can be changed at anymoment according to the will of the One Who invented them (as the Ramban tells

us at the end of Parashat Bo - Shemot 13:16).

To summarize, we can say that the song of Ha'azinu can bring about a change inthe life of one who studies it, because it will bring him to the root of all things -

belief in Hashem and a correct outlook on life.

What Is Life?

This view of life has tremendous implications regarding our davening during theAseret Yemei Teshuvah. What is the central focus of our prayers during thesedays? The word that keeps recurring is chaim, life. For example, we pray:

"Remember us for life, O King Who desires life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life


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- for Your sake, O living G-d."

We also say:

"Who is like You, Merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures mercifully for life"

"And inscribe all the children of Your covenant for a good life," and

"In the book of life, blessing, and peace..."

We must stop and ask ourselves, what type of life are we referring to? Are wereferring to a life that is guided by our eyes or by our minds? Have we everstopped to think what this type of life we are asking for looks like? Or do we haveimplanted in our hearts the childish thought, "First give us life, and then we will see

what we can do with it"?

Here we can determine whether we really do have the proper outlook on life.Imagine for yourselves that a person is offered a fabulous proposal. He is told thatif he agrees to simply lie on the grass outside his home his entire life, all his needswill be provided for - food, clothing, everything. He will never have to work again! Iwould think that any intelligent person would respond "Thanks, but no thanks."Why? Is this not the ultimate in luxury - the worry-free life the world has beendreaming of? The answer is yes - for a cow! There can be no better life for a cow;let her lie every day in the pasture and chew the best grass. But a human beingwho is emotionally healthy cannot simply lie in pasture all day. We can now saythat not every kind of "life" is considered a true "life" by human standards. Aperson possessed of his full intellect and emotions understands full well that a life

that is centered only around food and shelter is not a real life.

This is exactly what a Jew should feel. Life that only includes food, work, raising afamily, and an interest in the news, is a good life for other people, but not for a Jewwith a G-dly soul! In comparison to the potential within us, and to the purpose forwhich we were brought into this world, this type of life is like sitting idly in thepasture. The main focus of our lives should be the spiritual, the hidden aspect, notthat element which is perceived by our physical eyes. To live in light of this truth is

the main challenge for those who enter this world.

The Ashes of Yitzchak

Let us give an example to illustrate this point, that the spiritual aspect is the root ofphysical life. In the end of the "tochachot" section of Parashat Bechukotai, Hashemtells us:

"I will remember My covenant with Yaakov and also My covenant with Yitzchak,and also My covenant with Avraham will I remember, and I will remember theLand" (Vayikra 26:42).

The verb "to remember" is mentioned three times in the pasuk: once in relation toYaakov, once in relation to Avraham, and once in relation to the Land. It is not

used in conjunction with Yitzchak. Why? The Midrash explains:

"HaKadosh Baruch Hu says, 'I do not need to renew the remembrance of Yitzchakbecause his ashes are constantly gathered before Me on the Altar upon which hewas bound'" (Vayikra Rabbah 36:5).


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How can this be? Yitzchak, after all, was not burned at all! The Torah explicitly tellsus that he stepped down from the altar and accompanied his father to Be'er Sheva.Their two attendants who were with them could testify to this (see Bereishit

22:19). What ashes are we then referring to?

The answer is that the real Yitzchak was indeed burned upon the altar! The twoyoung men could only testify that Yitzchak's body went with them to Be'er Sheva,but the body that is visible to the eyes is not the true one. The essential Yitzchak isthe spiritual one; his spiritual ashes indeed remain gathered atop the altar evenafter his body stepped down. From the perspective of his inner volition, thatYitzchak was unconditionally ready to be sacrificed. This will, that is not visible tous, is revealed before the Creator, and it is this merit that brings redemption to his

descendants to this day.

Filling Our Lives with Spiritual Content

A Jew's true life is entirely spiritual. We must use the physical life Hashem gives usfor the sake of our spiritual side. When we beseech Hashem, "remember us forlife," this is the life we mean. We ask for physical longevity only in order to live asAvraham did. The Torah tells us:

"Now Avraham was old, well on in years (ba bayamim)" (Bereishit 24:1).

The expression ba bayamim can also mean that he "arrived (in the Next World)with days" - accompanied by all the days Hashem had given him. Avrahamreturned the empty vessels he had been given - his days - filled to capacity with

good.

On this point, I would like to say that Einstein was correct: time is relative - butfrom a spiritual perspective! The number of years of our lives, the time allocated tous from heaven, only has value according to what we do with it. It is quite possiblethat an old man "lived" the true life for only a few hours while the other eighty

years of his life were wasted on "pasture" for his body.

If we desire longevity in order to fill our lives with spiritual content: to encourageTorah study, to perform more acts of chesed, to settle Eretz Yisrael, and to bringour distant brothers to Torah lifestyles, then our request for life is justified. If,however, we desire life for worldly matters, for passing moments of pleasure, wehave contradicted our very prayers:

"Remember us for life, O King Who desires life."

That is not the "life" that Hashem desires!

Some years ago at a rabbinical conference, one of the participating rabbanimdeclared that the Torah is as essential to us as air for breathing. R' Baruch BerLeibowitz zt"l (author of Birkat Shemuel on Shas), who was also present at thegathering, got up and opposed this definition. He said that air is only a meansthrough which we live; if someone were to invent a substitute for oxygen, wewould be able to forego breathing air. Torah, on the other hand, is life itself! The

Jewish nation has no life other than observance of Torah and mitzvot.

Investing Wisely


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I am afraid that one who asks for additional life without planning to utilize it forgreater spirituality can be compared to the man in the following parable:

A person once wished to start a company, but did not have the means with whichto finance it. Upon investigating the matter, he was told of a rich, charitableindividual. He approached him, requesting a generous grant to lay the foundationfor his business. To his great joy, the rich man immediately responded positively. Ayear later, the same person again came knocking at the door of the wealthyphilanthropist. He explained to him that the business had fallen upon some difficulttimes and requested an even more generous donation than he had the first time.The donor asked, "What did you do with the initial sum of money?" The manproduced the necessary papers and began to read: "Twenty thousand shekels foradvertising, fifty thousand shekels were used for cars for employees, sixtythousand for refresher courses overseas including sightseeing trips, forty thousand

for weekends for the employees and their families ..."

One could conjecture that even with all good intent, it would be very difficult for

the wealthy man to give such a fool even one additional penny!

Every year we ask "the Wealthy Benefactor" for an additional grant - we ask for agreater budget of life. Each year our material needs grow, we are in need of moremoney, more health, for the family is growing or, G-d forbid, there are manyproblems. We come before Him, and it is only "natural" that we hand in thisrequest for the upcoming year. Where shall we hide our faces when the Rich One

asks what we did with the grant we were given last year?

Let us not even discuss the past - what will we do now with this new grant we hopeto receive? Will we once again invest it in weekends? This is the ultimate inchutzpah - to come back asking for a loan of life for these purposes! Such a personcan, without a doubt, beat hard on his chest on Yom Kippur reciting:

"For the sin we have sinned before You with brazenness."

An Investment Proposal

How can we advise the businessman in our story? With a very simple suggestion:when he puts in his request to his benefactor, he should at least also include aproposal for improving his efficiency in the coming year. We must promise Him inWhose Hands are Life and Wealth that at least from here on, there will be drasticcutbacks of excesses, and that this time all the money will be plowed back into

rehabilitating the firm and making it prosper.

In our case, the rich man is also the Owner and Founder of the business! If we canprove that His precious business will follow the right path and become productiveand successful, He will gladly approve the request for a new loan. After all, thesuccess of the business is first and foremost in His mind.

"Zochreinu lechaim Melech chafetz bachayim"

What should our intentions be when we recite this prayer?

Shlomo HaMelech says:

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning" (Kohelet 7:8).


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Positive end results come about when the beginning is good and is properlyplanned. If at the outset of our supplication we have the proper intent, then the

end will be true as well. If at the beginning of our prayer

"Zochreinu lechaim Melech chafetz bachayim vechotvenu beSefer HaChaim"-"Remember us for life, O King Who desires life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life,"

we have in mind the true life, the spiritual life - then we have properly understood

the latter half of this sentence as well:

"Lemaancha Elokim Chayim" "for Your sake, O living G-d."

Staff Dvar Torahby Aryeh Varon, Shana Bet Rebbe

The First Shabbat (Ever)

Allow me to paint the scene. We open to the very first Shabbat in thehistory of the world. Adam sins and is left banished and confused inan utter state of despair. As the day comes to a close, he andChavah sit and watch as complete darkness begins to descend. He cries out, "Woeto me, because of my sin darkness is enveloping the world - it's all over! This mustbe the death penalty for my sin..." That night, Adam and Chava sit in tears,feelings of regret stinging their hearts as they repent. Morning arrives, a new day is

born, and - There was Light.

Shabbat, o'Shabbat, a time to connect with family and friends after a week of toiland labor. A time to connect with Hashem, our Father and Creator. A time toreconnect with myself.

Sandwiched between the two holy days of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur is ourbeloved Shabbat. This Shabbat serves as a light in the most difficult times and abeacon in our most enlightened days. We should all be zocheh on this very specialShabbos, during our Yomim HaNorayim, to be able to draw inspiration and

introspection to have a gemar chatimah tovah.

L'Shanah Tovah!

Alumni Dvar Torahby Benjy Leibowitz (5766-67)

A Visible Opportunity

In this week's Parsha, we find Moshe Rabeinu lying on his death bed,preparing to enter the next World. In his final moments, Moshedelivers the final two mitzvoths found in the Torah to the BneiYisroel; (1) miztvot hakhel (the obligation of each Jew to make apilgrimage to Jerusalem once every seven years to hear the king readfrom the Torah), and (2) the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah (which


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is incumbent upon every Jew and as the Rambam says, can befulfilled by simply writing one letter).

Moshe's final commandments unto the Bnei Yisroel are without doubt of greatimportance. What deep meaning do these two mitzvoth have that inspired Mosheto share them in his final hour?

Moshe, a faithful leader to the end, was preparing Binei Yisroel for what would bethe greatest alteration of their lives. They were soon to experience a transitionfrom constant travel to potential eternal settlement, from complete dependenceand security to a life of great toil and manual labor, from the leadership of Moshe,their Navi, Shophet and Rebbe, to a multifaceted government of courts, officialsand a king to oversee it all. The Jews were, so to speak, leaving the womb andentering the world anew.

The underlying theme found within all of these alterations is the relationship withHashem. While in the midbar, HaShem was clearly visible even to the blind.However, once Bnei Yisroel entered Eretz Yisroel (without Moshe Rebbainu at theirside), even to those who had perfect vision, Hashem was easily blocked from theirvision. Moshe Rabeinu was preparing his People for a life no longer filled withHaShem's obvious light, but rather a life slightly darker, a life in which Binei Yisroelwould have to do some soul searching in order to connect. Life in Eretz Yisroel wasnot only a life filled with effort to live physically, but a life filled with effort to livespiritually as well.

These two mitzvoth served as a constant reminder to Bnei Yisroel that thoughHashem is not palpable, His presence is as strong as always. Once every sevenyears, the king himself reads from the Torah, to display to his entire nation thateven he, their mighty leader, is subservient to a higher authority, Hashem. EveryJew, regardless of age, intellect or importance has this chiyuv of listening to thedivine words of Hashem because though in their societies they all have varyingstatures, in the society of Hashem, were all Jews, and no one person's blood is anyredder than his fellow Jew. We each write our own Torah to ingrain in every singleone of us that our entire lives revolve around the Torah. Rashi tells us, those whowrite a Sefer Torah are like those who stood present at Sinai. Just as those whostood witness at Matan Torah and screamed out "Naseh Vi'Nishma", fully acceptedthe Torah wupon themselves, so too those who dedicate the time and the greatthought involved to write a Sefer Torah accept it's laws fully upon themselves.Before leaving this world, Moshe delivered these two crucial mitzvoth to BneiYisroel in order that the Jews of that generation and all the generations to followwould be able to not only find Hashem in this physical based world, but also tomaintain the kesher we make with Hashem forever Ad olam.

Today, HaShem is more hidden than ever before. The light is dimmer, the mask isthicker. Most of us fortunate Jews that are lucky enough to be abiding to the Torah,do so without an inkling of thought of kavana in our actions. We have no BeisHamikdash as a central point of Kedusha, no Neviyim to guide us and we findourselves in a situation where it is virtually impossible to see Him, let alone knowHim. Today, responsibility of every Jew is not only to write a Torah, and not onlylisten to it being read, but to make it a part of us - or more correctly, to make itour very being. Now, during the Aseret Yimei Teshuva (especially now on ShabbosShuva), we must take on the Torah, to study it and analyze it, to bring ourselvescloser to its powerful truth. During these ten days, HaShem has opened up gateswe find closed during most other days of the year. During these ten days HaShemhas peeled back the curtain and beckoned us to come forth. During these ten days,


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HaShem has given us a chance to see Him, to know Him, to make up for all thetime we have spent neglecting to search for Him. During these ten days, if we livethe Torah, if we open our eyes, we will see HaShem.

Benjy took off a semester to rejoin the Yeshiva and to be with his family, who tookoff a year to be in Israel.

Visitor Log, Mazal Tov's, Tehillim List

Announcements from the Yeshiva

Photo GalleryHachnasat Sefer Torah, September 16, 2008

Mazal TovsThe Yeshiva would like to wish a Mazal Tov to:

Scott (5757) and Natasha Nadel on the birth of a babygirl.Dov (5753) and Shoshana Traum on the birth of a baby girl.Reuven (5760-61, 5763) and Rachelle Singer on the birth of a baby boy.Rabbi Daniel (5753) and Serena Hartstein and family on making Aliyah.

VisitorsThe following people have visited/learned in the Yeshiva:

Daniel Bornstein (5764-65)

Daniel Bukingolts (5765-66)

Jonny Fruchter (5766-67)

Jeremy Gaisin (5762)

Benjamin Josephs (5762-63)

Jonathan Kaye (5765-66)

Avi Markiewicz (5766-67)

Elie Pollak (5767-68)

Jeremy Rauch (5766)

Joseph Skydell (5767-68)

Jonathan Stern (5755)

Ari Strulowitz (5766-67)

Tehillim ListThe following members of our extended YNA family need our tefilot:

Toiby Yehudit bat Tama GaisaYitzchak ben Shayna ItaZev Eliezer ben Chaya ShayndelRueven ben Tova ChayaFruma bat EetaMoshe Zanvel ben BreindelSima Rivkah Bat EidelLeah Bat EidelChaim Shmuel Moshe Ben GoldaAryeh Rephael ben SarahChaya Sarah bat Fanya LunaYitzchak ben Tova


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Fraida Rachel Bat Sarah MilchaYosef ben LatifeLea bat BrachaFraidel Aliza bat Chaya MytaMiriam Rivka bat Adina Leah

Please, if you have any smachot or chas v'shalom, less happy occasions, let our office know sowe can keep everybody updated. Are you visiting Israel? - let us know! We'd love to host you fora shabbat meal, davening, a shiur and would love for you to stop by.

Shabbat Shalom,

HaRav Aharon Bina, Netiv AryehYeshivat Netiv Aryeh

Documents

Parshat Vayelech/Shabbat Shuva 5769 - Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh · YNA Newsletter - Parshat Vayelech/Shabbat Shuva 5769 3 of 11 studying it is the continuum of events throughout thousands