MUSSAR D’ORAISA
Parshas Devarim 5764
Sefer Devarim is the "review" of the Torah
revealed by Moshe Rabeinu to the Jewish People in the weeks before his
departure from this world. It contains some mitzvos that had not yet been taught to the Jewish
People as well as a review of many mitzvos that had already been revealed to
Klal Yisroel. R' Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, æö"ì notes that only select mitzvos are
included for "review" in sefer Devarim rather than all of them. He
says that the things included in Devarim would be needed by the people right
away upon entering Eretz Yisroel. They would need to be familiar with agricultural
laws, set up courts and a system of justice, establish societal institutions,
etc.
Although it is a
"review", nothing in sefer Devarim is written needlessly. Like the
rest of the Torah, not one letter is wasted, so it follows that everything in
Devarim, including the mitzvos and the narration, directly serves a purpose for
the benefit of Klal Yisroel then and warranted Moshe "repeating" them
as a lesson to Klal Yisroel forever before his ascent to Gan Eden.
ëé ä' à-ì÷éê áøëê áëì îòùä éãê éãò ìëúê àú äîãáø äâãì äæä
æä àøáòéí ùðä ä' à-ì÷éê òîê ìà çñøú ãáø. (ãáøéí á:æ)
For Hashem, your G-D, has blessed you in all your
handiwork; He knows your way in this great Wilderness; this forty-year period
Hashem, your G-D, was with you; you did not lack a thing. (Devarim 2:7)
Rashbam explains the end of this
pasuk, "…you did not lack a thing.", to mean when there was
no place to buy food Hashem provided enough for your needs without money and at
no cost, and where you find a place to buy, He provides enough [money] for you
to buy. òë"ì. Hashem always provides
for His people. He ensures that they have enough money to live on, and even
where there is nowhere to spend the money, where there is no food available, He
still provides for our needs. Moshe reminded the people that Hashem would take
care of them through all of their journeys and upcoming conquest.
Just as we did not need to worry
about our needs when passing through Seir and other lands, we need not worry
that Hashem will provide for our daily needs in every generation. Indeed, this
is a foundation of our faith. The Gemara (Brachos 4b) says that one who recites
Ashrei three times per day is guaranteed a place in the World to Come,
not only because of how it is arranged, but because of the pasuk "ôåúç àú éãéê", the recognition of Hashem's continual
support of Klal Yisroel.
A person must realize that his
complete sustenance comes entirely for Hashem and from no other source. Hashem
created the world in a way that our provisions should come through a certain
amount of toil on our part, which helps to sometimes shroud the source of all
our blessings. This is the message that merited inclusion into sefer Devarim
and which Moshe gave over to Klal Yisroel when it was needed; they were about
to enter Eretz Yisroel and were they successful, after conquering the land, at
establishing a working society, courts, business, etc. it could have been easy
for them to forget Who provides for their needs without the open miracles to
which they were accustomed. Therefore they had this reminder—as do we, also in situations
in which it is easy to forget—that Hashem is the One Who provides for all of
our needs, whether it is by open miracle or in the natural appearance of the
way of the world.
Yitzchok Pinkus
Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim